Oh, I know what you’re thinking, because I was as well: who needs a Broadway musical about 9/11? I’ve no idea if the husband and wife team of “Come from Away” (CFA)—creators Irene Sankoff and David Hein—thought that their musical story about a small town in Canada, which centers on the aftermath of the World Trade Center catastrophe, would take flight, but it did. 

Based on real-life events, the show, now playing at the Forestburgh Playhouse (FBP) through September 6, centers on the residents of Gander, Newfoundland (population 9,000) offering refuge to some 7,000 disparate strangers who were stranded mid-flight on 9/11, while occupying seats in 38 different planes carrying passengers from all over the world. Those planes were diverted from landing in New York, where the horrific, explosive story of September 11, 2001 was still unfolding on that fateful day. 

“It’s not really a show about 9/11,” FBP Properties Designer Lorelei Davis shared with me once the final bows had taken place. “It’s a show about 9/12.” Well said, Lorelei, well said. 

Like many notable musicals of the past, (think “Titanic,” “Les Miz” and “Cabaret,” to mention but a few) “Come from Away” addresses very real, very serious, very sobering moments in history. But rather than being written about the horrors at the core, those theatrical endeavors that are most successful are about the story within the story, and such is the case playing out live on stage nightly in Forestburgh.

Honestly, I’m having difficulty putting my reaction to the production into words, in part because I’m still digesting it days later, and partly because it’s hard to put my finger on just one element that sets “Come from Away” in a class by itself. 

First and foremost is the score which, as written by Sankoff and Hein, takes center stage throughout more than 20 musical numbers. As performed by 12 incredibly talented and versatile actors who comprise the ensemble, and under the inspired musical direction provided by Cooper Sheehy, the music soars. 

From the opening number—“Welcome to the Rock”—to the penultimate “Something’s Missing,” neither the actors nor musicians missed a single beat. As the story unfolds on Maggie Jackson’s stunning set under Wheeler Moon’s sumptuous, gorgeous and moody lighting design, director/choreographer Chaz Wolcott’s vision comes to vivid, emotionally-driven life. It’s important to note that Wolcott excels at wearing both director and choreographer hats, because not only does he have incredible skills bringing out the best performances that his cast has to give, but he also employs “chairography” in the body of this incomparable production. 

Yep, “chairography” is a word, a portmanteau (if you will), combining “chair” and “choreography.” It specifically refers to “stage action performed on, around or using a chair.” Uh huh.

But it’s the story-within-the story that drives this production. As Lorelei so perfectly phrased it, “Come from Away” is “not about 9/11,” but aside from being focused on the days that followed, it concerns the human condition. It’s about man’s inhumanity to man and how the citizens of Gander, Newfoundland rallied ‘round those stranded, not knowing why or where the disaster took place, much less when it would end. 

It’s that unknowing that illustrates how our Canadian neighbors exemplify “grace under fire” and provided not only food and shelter, but a warm bed, a hot meal, a kind word and a safe haven: a place to feel seen and taken care of in the face of uncertainty and adversity. 

Little wonder then, that “Come from Away” has garnered scores of awards, including the Lawrence Olivier award for “Best New Musical,” a Drama Desk Award and the coveted Tony award for “Best Direction of a Musical”—one of seven nominations in 2017.

Of course, none of those components can succeed as a whole without great performances by great performers, and the FBP production is brimming with talented actors up to the task at hand. As mentioned, CFA is the textbook definition of an “ensemble” production: a group of musicians, actors or dancers who perform together as “written for performance by an entire cast.” And this ensemble moves as one, effortlessly morphing from one character to another, inhabiting each as each clearly defined, each with a voice of their own. 

That said, while all play more than one, there are a few actors/characters that are featured repeatedly. Therefore, a few shout-outs are due to Brian Michael Hoffman, Christine Zavakos, Geoffrey Kidwell, Mark Stoddard, Stephanie Lynge, Kyle Ahmeer Bethea and Nicole Powell, who as Hannah delivers a heart-wrenching solo as she desperately seeks word about the fate of her firefighter son who is among the missing in the aftermath of the twin towers’ collapse. 

Others who shone individually in a stellar ensemble include Nathan David Smith, Miranda Luze, Trey DeLuna and Maggie McNeal. 

Additionally, Jill Holmes portrays the real-life Beverly Bass, who has the distinction of being the first female captain of an American Airlines commercial plane, and whose guidance during the days that her passengers were stranded in Newfoundland was/is inspiring. 

I’ve likely left someone out, and if so, I apologize. The vast array of talent on that stage is mind-boggling, and each and every performer deserves a shout-out of their own.

“We could learn a lot from our Canadian neighbors,” I said to Lorelei while discussing the show, after the last notes echoed in the rafters of the barn theatre that night. While the show is about the many individuals who were affected, it illustrates what coming together as one voice is really all about. It’s about resilience, humanity and compassion, traits that are too often overlooked, and underappreciated today. It’s easy to see how “Come from Away” can inspire us to be better, to do better and how we are all one at the end of the day. Just buy a ticket, let it wash over you and if you’re anything like me, be inspired to just be a better person to our fellow human beings. I feel better for having had the privilege of seeing this show at the Forestburgh Playhouse. Go. See. “Come from Away” is a breathtaking triumph. In My Humble Opinion. 

For tickets and more info, go to www.fbplayhouse.org.