"Come From Away" - by Irene Sankoff and David Hein - The Majestic Theater (West Springfield, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: Will McGarrahan as “Claude” with members of the CAST of the musical "COME FROM AWAY" by Irene Sankoff and David Hein now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through May 31, 2026. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
and Amanda Baldwin
Special METRMAG Correspondent Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“Because these events are so surprising and worldshifting, they take on a prominent place in our memories and never really leave us. They are often solitary memories that we shared only, if at all, with those who were immediately around us at the time.”
- Russell Garrett (1985-2026 - Rest in Peace)
The Majestic Theater
Presents the Broadway Musical
"COME FROM AWAY"
Book, Music and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Director/Choreographer Russell Garrett†
Music Director Elisabeth Weber
Founding Producing Director Danny Eaton
Producing Director Sue Dziura
Cast Includes: Chelsie Nectow* as “Beverly/Annette,” Sue Dziura* as “Beulah,” Martinez Napoleon* as “Bob,” Myka Plunkett as “Bonnie,” Will McGarrahan* as “Claude,” Elaine Hom as “Diane,” Destini Stewart as “Hannah,” David Webber as “Kevin J./Ali,” Ben Ashley as “Kevin T./Garth,” Caelie Scott Flanagan as “Janice,” Bill Mootos* as “Nick/Doug,” Shaun O’Keefe as “Oz.”
Understudies - Scott Flanagan (Claude/Nick), Michael Garcia (Kevin T./Kevin J.), Rae Janeil (Hannah/Janice), Rachel Lamarre (Bonnie/Diane).
Additional Creative Team:
Production Manager - Marcus Kearns; Stage Manager - Hope Rose Kelly*; Assistant Stage Manager - Caroline Trudell; Production Assistant - Elie Berman; Dance Captain - Chelsie Nectow*; Dialect Coach - Lindsay Forauer; Scenic Design - Janie E. Howland; Lighting Design - James McNamara; Costume Design - Dawn McKay; Sound Design - Ryan Hickey; Sound Mixer - Mark Weber; Technical Director - Alan Schneider; Assistant Technical Director - Chase Trumbull; Second Carpenter - Kevin Tracy; Wardrobe Mistress - Christine Thompson; Props Supervisor - Dana Weintraub; Covid Compliance Officer - Carol Rucinski.
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Performances:
April 16, 2026 through May 31, 2026
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
MAJESTIC THEATER, 131 Elm Street, West Springfield, MA. 01089
TICKETS:
For tickets and more information, contact the MAJESTIC THEATER box office by phone at # 413-747-7797 or visit www.majestictheater.com
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)
The smash Broadway musical "COME FROM AWAY" soars at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. with a compelling, compassionate story of people from all walks of life facing adversity and proving the resilience of the indomitable human spirit.
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 un-sung (or rather "now-sung") heroes and their acts of humanity on 9/11, 9/12, 9/13, 9/14 (and beyond).
"COME FROM AWAY" not only touches upon the human condition – no, it shows us there are no boundaries when it comes to our collective ability as a race to offer kindness shown out of simple acts of empathy, altruism and magnanimity.
Somewhere over the last two-and-a-half decades, some have lost sight of the above but this show might just offer them a refresher course.
There are certain shows you watch and wonder are they actually deserving of the standing ovation received by its conclusion.
Not this one.
You'd be hard pressed to NOT find yourself already standing and cheering for this one before lights even come back up for the bows.
The Majestic staging occurs on a very innovative set that still manages to keep things simple.
The live band performing on Majestic stage is incredible, led by music director Elisabeth Weber on keyboard, with memorable moments from featured violinist Ann-Marie Messbauer.
This is a praiseworthy show, even though some of that praise was not initially shared by New York theatre critics.
"COME FROM AWAY" features a book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein.
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.
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.
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.
Audiences simply fell in love with "COME FROM AWAY" and the show is still popular as it now makes its way onto the Majestic Theater stage and onto stages worldwide.
(Photo: Chelsie Nectow as “Annette,” Myka Plunkett as “Bonnie,” and Sue Dziura as “Beulah” in a scene from the musical "COME FROM AWAY" by Irene Sankoff and David Hein now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through May 31, 2026. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
A live video recording of the production debuted in 2021, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Majestic Theater's staging of "COME FROM AWAY" is based on the events that took place in the Newfoundland town of Gander during the week following the September 11, 2001 attacks, when 38 planes, carrying approximately 7,000 passengers, were ordered to land unexpectedly at Gander International Airport.
Gander is a town located in the northeastern part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland.
The characters in the musical 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 (Will McGarrahan), just moments before the terrorist attacks in America.
Transitions occur seamlessly, with the cast excelling at making distinctive "shifts" (in their various character mannerisms and accents)as they transition from character to character, leaving it never appearing confusing.
Use of different costume pieces helps in this area, as well.
Among the Gander residents is Annette, a teacher and librarian, portrayed by Majestic Theater's Chelie Nectow, 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.
Nectow is superb as she renders 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 (Sue Dziura), head of Gander Academy, Bonnie (Myka Plunkett), a mother and SPCA worker; Janice (Caelie Scott Flanagan), a local reporter; and Oz (Shaun O’Keefe), a Gander cop.
Additional impressive Majestic Theater cast performances include:
Martinez Napoleon as Bob, a skeptical New Yorker stranded in Gander struggling with the small town's intense generosity, Elaine Hom as Texan “Diane” who finds love with British passenger Nick (Bill Mootos, who also plays local Gander air traffic controller, Doug); Destini Stewart as “Hannah,” a mother anxiously awaiting news of her missing firefighter son; David Webber as two passengers “Kevin J.” and Egyptian Muslim passenger and professional chef “Ali”; and Ben Ashley as “Kevin T.” (traveling with “Kevin J.”) and Gander bus union leader “Garth.”
As the tragic events of the morning of 9/11 unfold, Gander residents 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.
(Photo: Ben Ashley as “Garth" tries to communicate with passengers played by Destini Stewart and Martinez Napoleon in a scene from the musical "COME FROM AWAY" by Irene Sankoff and David Hein now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through May 31, 2026. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
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 aground in Gander for several days.
There were some slight sound issues at the April 23rd performance, with some cast members occasionally drowned out by the band.
Also, great attention has been paid to the varied international accents used in the production under the guidance of dialect coach Lindsay Forauer.
While it would be impossible to learn about all the stranded passengers (aka the "plane people") 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.
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 Majestic Theater ensemble never falters for a single moment.
All the multi-character performances are done to perfection with the actors sometimes changing between characters virtually within the blink of an eye.
(Photo: Destini Stewart as “Hannah” with Sue Dziura as “Beulah” in a scene from the musical "COME FROM AWAY" by Irene Sankoff and David Hein now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through May 31, 2026. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
With the Majestic Theater "COME FROM AWAY" production, an unexpected event occurred that impacted the trajectory of the April 23rd performance – the untimely passing of the show’s director Russell Garrett.
Since METRMag began in 2018, we have had the pleasure to observe Garrett in multiple shows over the years where he gave exemplary performances which included the Majestic shows “MAMMA MIA” and “BLITHE SPIRIT.”
The sudden and devastating news of Garrett’s passing was shared this past week in the outpouring of online posts by those that knew, had worked with, or simply loved the man, and with acknowledgements extended by virtually every known theatre company in New England (and some as far as California) with which Garrett had been associated.
(Photo: Will McGarrahan as “Claude” with members of the CAST of the musical "COME FROM AWAY" by Irene Sankoff and David Hein now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through May 31, 2026. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
As Garrett himself noted, the messaging of this historical tale from Gander in "COME FROM AWAY" proves how - even today - 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.
While I am certain it may prove of little solace to those grieving over the sudden loss of Mr. Garrett, if this Majestic Theater production of "COME FROM AWAY" is to be seen as Garrett’s final work, they might take some comfort in knowing that this show is truly representative of a career that stood for excellence and a production that wholeheartedly honors his life and legacy.
We at METRMag extend sincerest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr. Garrett.
"COME FROM AWAY" continues until May 31st, 2026, concluding this year's season at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield.
For tickets and more information, contact the Majestic Theater box office by phone at # 413-747-7797 or visit www.majestictheater.com
BUY TICKETS
Approximately two hours with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
On 9/11, the world stopped. On 9/12, their stories moved us all.
Celebrate the best of humankind and the best in all of us at "COME FROM AWAY."
"COME FROM AWAY" chronicles the real-life experiences of the people of Gander, Newfoundland, and the almost 7000 airline passengers who were forced to land there when U.S. air space was closed on September 11, 2001.
Twelve actors tell the story of both the Islanders and the Plane People, revealing the fear and uncertainty that came with the terrorist attacks – as well as the profound generosity and compassion of strangers.
While some characters and stories are an amalgamation of several people and experiences, others are grounded in true people, such as Captain Beverly Bass, the first female captain for American Airlines; Kevin Tuerff and Kevin Jung, the couple from L.A.; and Nick and Diane, the couple who met in Gander.
The music of "COME FROM AWAY" blends both traditional musical theatre styles (“Me and the Sky,” “Stop the World”) as well as traditional Newfoundland orchestrations (“Heave Away,” “Screech In”).
The Islanders are distinguished from the Plane People by their use of a Newfoundland dialect, which they point out in “Welcome to the Rock.”
Along with acting out the events of the four days, characters step out from the story to narrate the events.
Staging is minimal, making use of only a few tables and twelve chairs to be the airplanes, the buses, and the various locations within Gander.
The creators of "COME FROM AWAY" have stated that this is not a September 11th story, it is rather a September 12th story - a story of the best people have to offer each other, and a reminder that we are all capable of doing good for each other, especially in the darkest of times (STAGEAGENT).
ABOUT THE MAJESTIC THEATER
Locally-produced professional live theater since 1997. Before it was a live theater, local residents may remember THE MAJESTIC THEATER as a movie house. It has since been renovated and reimagined to bring live performances to the West Springfield area, giving local performance and technical artists the opportunity to thrive. Every season at THE MAJESTIC consists of five productions (including at least one musical) featuring local actors. In addition to the subscription season, the summer includes children's theater, concerts, plays, open mic nights, and improvisational comedy shows. Recently named the best place to see live theater in the Pioneer Valley in the Valley Advocate Readers' Poll, THE MAJESTIC THEATER continues to offer great theater thanks to the support and generosity of its 4200+ subscribers.
131 Elm Street
West Springfield, MA. 01089
# 413-747-7797
