REVIEW: 'Come From Away' is an all-star showcase of humanity
Tony Award-winning musical Come From Away had its Philippine gala premiere at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater on June 6, marking presenter GMG Productions and STAGES’ first production for the 2025 theatrical season, fresh off their previous successes with Six and Hamilton. Featuring a well-written libretto with memorable songs performed by a (mostly) Philippine cast, an all-too-relevant narrative, and a throughline of humanity’s capacity for good in trying circumstances, the show couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
Based on true accounts, Come From Away shines a light on the events that befell the Newfoundland, Canada town of Gander on Sept. 11, 2001. When 38 airplanes were diverted to Newfoundland following the closure of American airspace, the citizens of Gander needed to find ways to shelter, feed, and clothe over 7,000 unexpected guests. The trials, tribulations, and friendships that developed over the days that followed would shape the lives of everyone involved in ways that no one could have imagined.
Come From Away features a who’s who of Philippine theater assaying multiple roles, including Carla Guevara Laforteza, Sheila Francisco, Gian Magdangal, Cathy Azanza-Dy, Topper Fabregas, George Schulze, and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo. Performing against a functional set that yields a surprise or two, the cast’s performances stand on their own merits, engaging the audience without the need for gimmicks or spectacle. While some accent fluctuations are apparent as the actors go through their parts, their overall commitment to the material makes up for any inconsistencies.
Lauchengco-Yulo is in her wheelhouse as Captain Beverley Bass, one of the first female airline pilots, and no stranger to adversity. A professional through and through, Bass does what she can to maintain order in a world turned upside down while sorting through her own fears. Despite taking place a little over twenty years ago, the lack of instant information and communications afforded by smartphones is jarringly clear, with multiple scenes driving home the need for credible news sources. As Bass tries to get updates from her airline, her frustration and uncertainty at being grounded grows. Thankfully, the people of Gander are doing anything and everything possible to make their guests comfortable.
One such citizen is Beulah (Sheila Francisco), a Newfoundland school teacher who musters up the strength to cook for the newcomers while serving as a sympathetic ear for Hannah (Laforteza), a mother anxiously awaiting word on her firefighter son in New York. Beulah’s kind, practical demeanor is emblematic of Gander’s determination to hold on to their values. It’s the kind of post 9/11 resilience that popular culture almost exclusively credits to New Yorkers, rendered here in the form of a middle-aged Canadian, and, damn, if it isn’t heartwarming.
As the days wear on, relationships are formed, including the unlikely pairing of reserved Englishman Nick (Rycharde Everley) and vivacious Texan Diane (Cathy Azanza-Dy), whose “will they, won't they?” courtship provides some much-needed levity. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Shulze and Fabregas’ (as Kevin T. and Kevin J., respectively) Los Angeles couple, who have very different reactions to their Gander sojourn. From light and charming, to the downright heart-rending, Come From Away runs the gamut of human emotions through the experiences of its characters without resorting to pandering or easy punchlines.
Given the material, this could have been a very different play, bemoaning the state of humanity, instead of effectively affirming one’s faith in it. 9/11 may be the springboard, but the play doesn’t dwell on the details, focusing instead on how people from every walk of life came together in the days following the event. From the logistical feats that converted public buildings into makeshift shelters, to small actions that turned strangers into friends, Come From Away is a testament to the power of kindness.
Elements such as racism, bigotry, and fear mongering are touched upon here with various degrees of severity, but they’re no match for common decency, uncommonly applied. The people of Newfoundland may initially come across as smalltown caricatures, especially compared to some of the unwillingly stranded city slickers, but as they (and the audience) come to learn, it is precisely Gander’s lack of pretension that make an unbearable situation bearable.
When the Philippine production of Come From Away was announced, a certain segment of the theater-going public lit up. At the same time, others may have wondered what the fuss was over a play without the name recognition of, say, Wicked, or Dear Evan Hansen, much less a Hollywood film adaptation. Thankfully, Come From Away needs no embellishment—this is theater at its most heartfelt, unencumbered by the frills of its peers, yet no less potent or provocative. This is the sort of show that simply must be seen live to get the full effect, and an experience made even better when shared with a loved one.
After all, as 9/11 showed the world, things can change when and where you least expect it—we should all be so lucky to end up in a place like Gander.
Come From Away is presented by GMG Productions and STAGES, with UnionBank as an official season partner. It runs from June 6 to 29 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater at Circuit Makati. Tickets are available at the box office or at Ticket World.
