Come From Away gets the applause without putting on a show.
On 9/11, the town of Gander rose above and beyond, doing their part to help in the time of need. It is an incredible tale about the humanity of the people coming together after tragedy. The story of Gander is one that can teach us all a lesson about caring for others and working as a team.
The musical that retells the inspiring story however, barley raises a finger in effort. The only thing I can appreciate about Come From Away is that it is a true story, because when you take that aspect away you are left with a disappointing product. This musical is an striking example of doing the bare minimum.
It is a box-mix of a show; edible and sweet to the tongue, but bland from lack of care, personality, and craftsmanship.
The thing that saddened me was that the audience ate it up. I understand that it is the principal of the thing. The subject matter is what people connect with. Everyone has a memory of 9/11. It is an important story, one that makes us proud to be Americans, the way that everyone came together and overcame the greatest of adversities. So I understand that anything having to do with 9/11 has a place in people's hearts, and I am not trying to discount that. I am looking objectively at this musical as a piece of theatre, and it happens to be a subpar one. As a work of art and entertainment it is lacking in qualities that make it unique or meaningful. Without the subject matter backing it up it would be worthless.
*Disclaimer: this review is solely about the musical itself; it has nothing to do with the actual people and events involved in the story it's based on.
The humor was the worst part...
When you resort to jokes about men confused about feminine products and people acting silly when they are drunk, you know you have hit comedy rock bottom.
Sure you can support the message of a show, but when you laugh at every single lousy joke, that is a different matter. It shocks me that people go along with things so easily. When a clear punchline is presented to them, an audience feels the need to laugh. They are cornered into a joke, pushed against the wall an told to laugh on the count of three. And they do it! Meanwhile, I am sitting there having to listen to a sea of forced laughter, hoping for a moment when I, the onlooker, can truthfully take part in this shared sensation.
Chairs and coats, chairs and coats, chairs and coats.
If you love chairs and coats, then boy do I have a show for you. All that happened was they moved around chairs and took off and on their coats. I do have to say, it was the best part of the show. It was satisfying to see them create so many locations and characters with so limited sets and actors. The blocking was very intricate; every moment was precisely planned.
The characters were as cookie-cutter as all can be.
Bonnie the veterinarian (or as I like to call her, PAW Patrol) was unbelievably cheesy and given way too much stage time. The two couples that filled the play's romantic requirements added a needed sense of cutesy good feelings, but only because people like to see people in love in any format. The charm had nothing to do with their characters, but the fact that they were technically "in love". Chamblee Ferguson as Nick managed to carry some of the weight of the show due to his C3PO quality, playing the endearing nervous British man. A tried and true stereotype that gets the laugh, but feels unoriginal.
Thank god there was no intermission. I could imagine that if there had been one all of the momentum gathered in the first act would have been lost. By the time I would sit back in my seat after intermission I would be able to fully realize the absurdity of what I was watching. The build was all that held this story from falling apart.
"But what about the music? Tell me there was at least one catchy song to get from this excruciating experience?" Well, I have bad news; as far as the music goes...
I can't remember a single tune. As we were walking out of the theatre my sister was humming "Show Yourself" from Frozen II. Not a great sign after just sitting through an hour and a half long play packed full of songs.
- Celia Boldizar
The message of the story didn't quite get across, much like the movie. Mean Girls is about the harm of tearing others down, and how our own insecurities are what cause us to lash-out. I think I was supposed to have left with a newfound perspective on how to be kinder to people, but in all honesty, all I could think about was tomorrow's outfit. I think the reasoning for this was that the agenda was forced. They could do with a healthy dose of "show don't tell".
