"Come From Away" - by Irene Sankoff and David Hein - North Shore Music Theatre (Beverly, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: The CAST of the musical "COME FROM AWAY" now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through September 27, 2026. Photo Credit: Paul Lyden)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
"It's not about the sadness of 9/11, it's about the goodness that came out of it."
- ("Beverly Bass") / Irene Sankoff and David Hein
North Shore Music Theatre
Presents the Broadway Musical
"COME FROM AWAY"
Book, Music and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Original Broadway Production produced by Junkyard Dog Productions
Orchestrations by August Eriksmoen
Arrangements by Ian Eisendrath
Directed and Choreographed by Kevin P. Hill
Music Director Dr. Michael McBride
Cast Includes: Brandon Alvión* as “Bob & Others, ”Kyle Nicholas Anderson* as “Oz & Others,” David Benoit* as “Claude & Others,” Danny Burgos* as “Kevin J. & Others,” Mary Callanan* as “Beulah & Others,” Matthew Bryan Feld* as “Nick & Others,” Laurel Harris* as “Beverley & Others,” Victoria Huston-Elem as “Bonnie & Others,” Nick Lehan* as “Kevin T. & Others,” Alaina Mills* as “Janice & Others,” Susan Oliveras* as “Diane & Others,” Carla Woods* as “Hannah & Others.”
Understudies and Study Covers
Understudies and Study Covers Are Never Substituted For Listed Performers Unless a Specific Announcement Is Made At The Time Of The Performance.
Understudy For: Beverley & Others, Diane & Others - Marie Eife*; Claude & Others, Nick & Others - Robert Saoud*. Study Cover For: Kevin T. & Others, Oz & Others - Andrew Harvey; Bob & Others, Kevin J. & Others - Xavier May; Beulah & Others, Hannah & Others - Robyn Riddick; Bonnie & Others, Janice & Others - Nicole Weitzman.
Additional Creative Team:
Scenic & Lighting Design - Jack Mehler; Chief Operating Officer - Karen Nascembeni; Associate Producer and Casting Director - Matthew Chappell; Production Stage Manager - Marshall Lee Smith, Jr.; Assistant Stage Managers - Maria Papadopoulos, Elena Ring; Assistant Music Director - Robert L. Rucinski; Sound Design - Ryan Marsh; Company Manager and Casting Associate - Amanda Ostrow-Mason; Costume Design - Rebecca Glick; Wig and Hair Design - Rachel Padula-Shufelt; Dialect Coach - Keri Safra; Assistant Director/Choreographer Alaina Mills.
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Performances:
September 16, 2026 through September 27, 2026
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
TICKETS:
For tickets and information visit www.nsmt.org, call # 978-232-7200, or visit the North Shore Music Theatre box office in person at 54 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA. 01915
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)
Celebrating humanity once more is the smash Broadway musical "COME FROM AWAY" which has landed at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) in Beverly, MA.
This is without a doubt musical storytelling at its best.
Performed in-the-round by a top-notch cast, there is so much to admire here, but nothing more so than the remembrance of humanitarian aid and acts of kindness freely offered a quarter of a century ago by a “good neighbor” not that far (from) away.
The stage space used for the NSMT show may appear sparse adorned with mostly chairs - but don’t be fooled, as the square stage is incredibly clever with secret compartments and a rotating capability used sparingly but wisely.
While many 9/11 stories have been told from multiple perspectives, thank God for writers Irene Sankoff and David Hein for marvelously regaling us with the stories of these Gander heroes and their benevolence on 9/11, 9/12, 9/13, 9/14 (and beyond).
"COME FROM AWAY" not only touches upon the human condition, it stands by and cheers on the resilience of the human spirit.
The NSMT ensemble, backed by a superb band of musicians led by music director Dr. Michael McBride (on piano and accordion), is simply outstanding.
It is interesting to note that usually we do not see the NSMT orchestra but for this production it is imperative the musicians are seen because they are integrated in some of the scenes.
(Photo: The CAST of the musical "COME FROM AWAY" now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through September 27, 2026. Photo Credit: Paul Lyden)
"COME FROM AWAY" is a praiseworthy musical with book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, even though some of that praise was not initially shared by New York theatre critics.
The show was a hit with audiences before even premiering on Broadway, with record-breaking runs in Seattle, San Diego, Washington, D.C. and Toronto.
When "COME FROM AWAY" ultimately opened on Broadway in 2017, it was not the darling of every NYC theatre critic at the time - with some denouncing it as pure “saccharine” for its overwhelming “feel good musical” approach.
I say to hell with those detractors - because this is what the best of musical theatre is (and ought to be) – visceral, engaging, passionate, resourceful, insightful and, above all, entertaining.
While it was not inevitable that it would succeed, it absolutely defied all its critical naysayers by becoming one of the most endearing musicals in recent history.
Audiences simply fell in love with "COME FROM AWAY," and the show is still popular.
The Broadway production ran until 2022, closing after 25 previews and 1,669 regular performances.
In 2017, the show would be nominated for seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical.
A live video recording of the production debuted in 2021, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Now, as the world commemorates the 25th anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11, NSMT's staging of "COME FROM AWAY" recalls the events that took place that day and several days after in the Newfoundland town of Gander.
(Photo: Carla Woods as “Hannah" with Mary Callanan as “Beulah" in a moment from the musical "COME FROM AWAY" now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through September 27, 2026. Photo Credit: Paul Lyden)
Gander is a town located in the northeastern part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland.
In Gander, during the week following the September 11, 2001 attacks, 38 planes, carrying approximately 7,000 passengers, were ordered to redirect, landing unexpectedly at Gander International Airport.
Under the expert supervision of NSMT director and choreographer Kevin P. Hill, tribute is paid to the characters in this musical, which are based on existent Gander residents at the time and the stranded travelers they housed and fed for days with extremely limited resources.
From the show's opener, "Welcome to the Rock," we are transported back to just moments before the events of 9/11 as we introduced to the community of Gander by its Mayor, Claude (David Benoit), just moments before the terrorist attacks in America.
Benoit is emblematic of the versatility of the entire NSMT cast that portrays not only Gander residents but a myriad of characters, including airplane crew and passengers.
(Photo: The CAST of the musical "COME FROM AWAY" now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through September 27, 2026. Photo Credit: Paul Lyden)
As the tragic events of the morning of 9/11 unfold, Gander citizens are alerted to the news and how the "38 Planes" are being redirected to Gander carrying an approximate total of 7,000 passengers - men, women, children and animals.
Up until this moment in the story, the main concern in town had been dealing with an ongoing bus strike, but with these events, residents (temporarily) put aside any and all such provincial squabbles.
The Gander townspeople band together to provide aid and comfort to those thousands of stranded passengers from all over the world now finding themselves grounded in Gander for several days.
Among the Gander residents is Annette, a teacher and librarian, portrayed by Laurel Harris, who also plays “Captain Beverly Bass,” a pioneering real-life American Airlines pilot who was the first female captain for the airline and led the first all-female crew.
In an isolated moment and standout performance, Harris recalls Beverly’s life's journey in the emotionally charged "Me and the Sky," quite possibly the show’s most well-known musical number.
Other Gander residents we are introduced to include Beulah (Mary Callanan), head of Gander Academy, Bonnie (Victoria Huston-Elem), a mother and SPCA worker; Janice (Alaina Mills), a local reporter; and Oz (Kyle Nicholas Anderson), a Gander cop.
Additional incredibly versatile NSMT performances include:
Brandon Alvión as Bob, a skeptical New Yorker stranded in Gander struggling with the small town's intense generosity, Susan Oliveras as Texan “Diane” who finds love with British passenger Nick (Matthew Bryan Feld, who also plays local Gander air traffic controller, Doug); Carla Woods as “Hannah,” a mother anxiously awaiting news of her missing firefighter son; Danny Burgos as two passengers “Kevin J.” and Egyptian Muslim passenger and professional chef “Ali”; and Nick Lehan as “Kevin T.” (traveling with “Kevin J.”) and Gander bus union leader “Garth.”
(Photo: Laurel Harris as “Beverley Bass" in a moment from the musical "COME FROM AWAY" now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through September 27, 2026. Photo Credit: Paul Lyden)
Because "COME FROM AWAY" is performed in-the-round at NSMT, the difficulty level increases so not to lose any of the show’s pivotal and deeply emotional moments, of which there are many.
This requires intensely focused adapting to the surroundings, and Hill has offered up an inventive masterpiece here using very few set pieces, minimal props and drop-ins, all enhanced by highly selective illumination.
While it would be impossible to learn about all the stranded passengers (aka the "plane people" or the “come from aways”) and their respective stories, we do get to learn more about a few as the cast takes on multiple characters and some composite characters as the musical continues.
Donning only the most basic of costume pieces (like a hat or a shirt), all the multi-character performances are done with surgical precision with NSMT actors alternating instantly between characters.
An interesting choice made by the creatives was to not have an intermission.
However, even with a runtime of approximately an hour and 40 minutes, you wouldn’t want one.
(Note – that run time may be a "wee" bit longer with NSMT pre-show announcements, so some may want to make sure to hit those restrooms prior to the show.)
The seamless storytelling by co-creators Irene Sankoff and David Hein requires no such interruption and, in some small way, our minor inconvenience of not having an intermission brings us a little bit closer to understanding the massive inconveniences these stranded travelers endured.
(Photo: The CAST of the musical "COME FROM AWAY" now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through September 27, 2026. Photo Credit: Paul Lyden)
Elements of basic human compassion are blended in perfectly with elements of laughter, sadness, surprise and poignancy - all happening at a fever pitch - and the energetic ensemble never falters for a single moment.
The messaging of this historical tale from Gander in "COME FROM AWAY" proves how - even 25 years later - while faced by those who seek to strike us down, it is those others armed with the resilience of basic human kindness and compassion that will always help lift us back up again.
For as the good citizens of Gander make clear…"Because we come from everywhere, we all COME FROM AWAY."
"COME FROM AWAY" continues at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly until September 27th, 2026.
Coming up next and just in time for Halloween at NSMT will be the Maury Yeston/Arthur Kopit musical take on the classic tale of the fearsome “PHANTOM” beginning October 21st and running through November 1st, 2026.
For tickets and information visit www.nsmt.org, call # 978-232-7200, or visit the North Shore Music Theatre box office in person at 54 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA. 01915.
BUY TICKETS
Approximately one hour, 40 minutes with no intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
"COME FROM AWAY" is a moving and uplifting musical based on the true story of what happened in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, on September 11, 2001.
When 38 planes carrying nearly 7,000 passengers were unexpectedly diverted there, the residents of this isolated community opened their hearts and homes to the stranded travelers.
What began as a day of global tragedy transformed into a powerful tale of compassion, connection, and humanity.
With a vibrant, folk-inspired score and a fast-paced, ensemble-driven narrative, "COME FROM AWAY" captures the tensions, culture clashes, and eventual camaraderie that unfolded over several unforgettable days.
This Tony® Award-winning musical celebrates the best of the human spirit and the extraordinary capacity for good in the face of crisis!
Approximately one hour, 40 minutes (NO intermission)
CONTENT ADVISORY: Production uses theatrical haze. This show contains mentions of terrorism, discrimination, religious themes, mild language, depiction of alcohol use, and mature subject matter including medical trauma.
Not recommended for children under 10. We do encourage you to use your judgment based on your own research of the show, your own sensibilities, and a child's age and maturity level.
No children under the age of 4 will be permitted in the theatre including babes in arms.
ABOUT BILL HANNEY'S NORTH SHORE MUSIC THEATRE
Since opening in 1955, NORTH SHORE MUSIC THEATRE (NSMT) has become one of the most attended theatres in New England, with approximately 250,000 patrons annually. With a national and regional reputation for artistic achievement, NSMT has received numerous industry awards including Elliot Norton Awards, IRNE Awards, the Rosetta Le Noire Award from Actors' Equity, and the Moss Hart Award. NSMT produced the World Premiere of "Memphis" in 2003, the show went on to win four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Under the new ownership of Bill Hanney since 2010, NSMT continues to annually produce a musical subscription series and an annual production of "A Christmas Carol" along with celebrity concerts, children's programming and year-round education classes for children and adults.
54 Dunham Road
Beverly, MA. 01915
# 978-232-7200
Fax # 978-232-9999
northshoremusictheatre@nsmt.org
