Mirvish Productions: A Theatre Legacy
Mirvish Productions is the Toronto, Canada-based company that is responsible for presenting quality theatre productions at the city. Known as one of Canada’s biggest and most successful theatre companies, Mirvish has always been a source of good quality productions with different theatre genres, including Broadway hits and local playwrights. The company is committed to giving the audience a wide range of performances so that the best of the world stage can be enjoyed by everyone. Mirvish Productions has pledged to set the highest standards of artistry and for 30 seasons, has delivered extraordinary theatre for the community to experience. Come From Away’s return to Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre shows Mirvish once again’s commitment to bringing the best theatre to Canadians.
Come From Away: The Tribute to the Human Spirit
The audacious musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein won the Tony Awards for Come From Away that draws on true events of 9/11 and the true spirit of togetherness after the tragedy. Supported by stunning music, outstanding main cast, and intrigue, the Canadian show has enchanted spectators all over the globe. It is a great joy to welcome back Come From Away to the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, and this is an example of the global popularity of this outstanding musical. Christopher Ashley has directed Come From Away and despite the subject matter of the musical, it can be appreciated for the perfect combination of comedy, empathy, and tenacity in the face of one of the worst types of tragedy the world has ever seen. By showing others being helped one by one by players of the provincial town of Newfoundland in the face of fear of the unknown, Come From Away is an eye-opener of the fact that people still have the capacity to rise up in the middle of hopelessness.
The Story Behind the Musical
Everyone will remember where they were on September 11th, 2001, the date that marked the beginning of a new era. The terrorist bombings of the World Trade Center in New York City resulted in the grounding of all planes within the United States, which placed the carriers in an unprecedented stage in which over 7000 airline passengers were left stranded in airports all over the world. Among them were passengers of the 38 planes that were redirected to Gander – a small town in Newfoundland, Canada. Even with fewer than ten thousand people, it was forced to become the epicenter of an international catastrophe.
When the whole world could only look in disbelief and horror, the people of Gander offered their hospitality to the stranded passengers. But, for days, the people of this small town fed, housed, and consoled the passengers that had landed in their town so unexpectedly. The tensions due to cultural differences; the tension nerves and fear could be felt, but as the hours ticked in waiting to get off the aircraft, the passengers and the people of Gander had built relationships that would alter their lives. While the situation at the start of the show seemed impossible and unbearable, people changed for the better and showed kindness and humanity, and this forms the premise of Come From Away.
This musical therefore captures the picture of those days in Gander with emphasis on the contacts between the passengers and their hosts. Using the ban as real people, who went through the event, it unravels the background, tension, and new bonds that stemmed from this unprecedented event. The pain of the sacrifice of the people of Gander and the sweetness of coming from away; friendship that conquers all.
This paper focuses on identifying those members of the creative team who worked on producing the show. Being a musical with the book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Canadians themselves, Come From Away stands proof that homegrown talent is the best kind of talent one can imagine. Sankoff and Hein have each contributed to this production by writing their own voices and by staying true to their faithful realism of genuine stories that can also be heartfelt. For their part in Come From Away, they are acclaimed and recognized both nationally and internationally.
Sankoff and Hein’s musical score is another component part of the show. Next week’s music is a combination of folk, country, and rock. The songs are memorable, yet they elicit strong emotions. This is why the music is so crucial; it tells the audiences what the characters cannot express most of the time, their feelings of fear or confusion, of thankfulness and happiness. From the feel-good danceable beat of “Welcome to the Rock” to the introspective words of “Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere,” the music reflects the tempo of the play as well as the essence of the characters.
The direction is also the best any given to a musical, this Christopher Ashley, being a recipient of the Tony Award for direction of the musical. Silence of the Shamans by far demonstrates that Ashley has been able to embody the spirit of the story in this production. He gets the large cast through the dramatic and comedic moments of the plot without losing the spectator’s interest throughout the performance. Staging is critical in this show as Kelly Devine’s choreography adds onto the music and the direction to give audiences value for their money through their eyes.
Come From Away: The Effects on Global Communities
First performed in 2013 at the La Jolla Playhouse in California, Come From Away is a worldwide hit. It ended its Broadway run in the summer of 2020, and the musical was described by critics as truly great since its debut in the commercial Broadway theaters in 2017 and recipients of multiple Tony awards like the Tony Awards for the best director and the best writer of a musical. Besides the successful Broadway production, the show has been successfully toured many cities of the world such as London, Melbourne, Hamburg, etc. The two have touched audiences of all cultural and geographical segments and been appreciated due to their themes of the themes; people interacting with the world with love, kindness and in consideration, being persistent and not giving up on life despite the odds.
Perhaps one of the most interesting features of the musical Come From Away is the way it becomes more than just a story of Newfoundland, it becomes a story of the world. Even though the core of the show was based in a small town in Newfoundland, the main messages of compassion, understanding, and togetherness are always going to be relatable. No matter whether the audience is listening from New York or Toronto, London or Sydney, one can feel that the story is close to him. It makes people think and turn their attention on how they all are generally one and how they all can unite to fight against some things.
Come From Away success has also focused attention on the town of Gander in Newfoundland. Gander is a town in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and has emerged as a symbol of the best in people.” People in the town welcome visitors with pride and as it is observed today, the spirit of hospitality inherent in people of New York after 9/11. Gander’s story about the roles of welcoming the stranded passengers has now become history of great things that can happen when people work together.
The Power of Ensemble Cast
It must be noted that Come From Away has a remarkably large cast for a musical. Indeed, due to few actors on the stage, each of the cast members has to act as passengers and the people of Gander as well. The performers are giving such great energy on the stage and instantly changing the characters, always making the stage feel alive.
The impact of actors in the given production is likely to be greatly felt, in the sense that the character of actors is put to the ultimate test – in being able to appear and breathe life into the very spirit of the nation/region/people being depicted. They give life to characters and make them linger close to the reality, leaving the perspective of the conventional stereotype. All fun scenes as well as dramatic ones are conveyed by the performers to the dot, the show’s and the movie’s spirit is touching and sincere. There is evident rapport between cast members which gives the entire group cohesion which is in harmony with the show.
Music and choreography together with direction and, of course, the outstanding performances by the cast coalesce into one fantastic show that is unambiguously inspiring and forceful. The major strength of the ensemble is that they have especially great chemistry for the harmonies; the combination of their voices really creates that big sound, the emotionally charged music so prominent in Come From Away. And the quick and lively moves also serve as an extra bonus where it becomes easy for the performers to make the many transitions in the musical seamless.
Themes of Unity and Humanity
Fundamentally, Come From Away is a narrative which revolves around unity among people during calamity. It looks into possibilities of human interactions between folks from various backgrounds and different geographical regions of the world can meet and address a common challenge and come out with it. Greeting is forgiving and it shows that people are capable of resisting hatred and fear, and people help in little ways when everything else fails.
The two themes of unity and humanity are especially important in today’s environment, which is still navigating pandemic, political polarization, and social injustice. Such a show Come From Away acts as a constant call for people to come together and support each other as one nation irrespective of the disaster that befalls a country. It is a celebration of the best aspects of human nature: our ability and willingness to understand and share other people’s emotions, our desire to treat others kindly, and our capability to recover from unpleasant events.
The musical also looks at themes such as belonging and how people can help other people or communities. It is very much important to note that a small town called Gander made a big impact in the entire world and their kindness was also experienced all over the globe. The message of Come From Away is clear: We always find ourselves in a position where we can bring changes and start something good for the people closest to us even in the worst conditions.
Come From Away to Return to Toronto.
Following its first run in Toronto, it is back on its original stage at the Royal Alexandra Theatre to run through its pre-Broadway production. This return to the stage is a return home for the musical, which was a critical darling in Toronto and an icon of Canadian theatre. The production has received excellent criticism and remains an outstanding success in the world of art and passion with extraordinary storytelling.
A true treasure of Toronto and one of the most famous theatres in the world, the Royal Alexandra Theatre, is the ideal venue for Come From Away. Thanks to the special design and the closeness of the place, the spectators are directly connected with actors providing more sensitive feelings during the performance. The return of Come From Away to this beloved theatre speaks well for the show and the many fans of musical theatre.
The Inception, Development and Importance of Come From Away
Thus, as Come From Away keeps performing all around the globe, people always remember the show. The themes of compassion, recovery, and the significance of people’s relations do not lose their sense at the present days as well as the days after the tragic September event. This fairy-tale musical must be viewed as a sign that in spite of the years’ difficulties, people always have the ability to unite and improve the world.
It resonated with a lot of audiences, and for me, it is one of the best and most life-changing musicals that have been written in recent years. It is a testament of the human spirit when the human spirit is at its lowest, it celebrates the fact that beneath each human’s despair, there is always hope, and that hope can be sparked even from the most unlikely quarters.
