★★★★★ “Man without others is nothing. What he tells is what unites us: solidarity”, affirmed the Spanish writer of French and German origin Max Aub, about this fundamental trait of the human species. The phrase comes to mind when watching the musical “Come from away”, with a book, music and songs by Canadians Irene Sankoff and David Hein, which is based on events that occurred after the September 11 attacks in New York. Commercial flights from different countries were diverted to Gander International Airport, located on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. For five days, seven thousand people were stranded in that small town that saw its accommodation and food capacity overwhelmed. But thanks to the good will of its inhabitants, human kindness prevailed in those moments of uncertainty.
This vigorous choral proposal reflects different stories, many of them real, that show not only how the travelers were accommodated, nurtured and contained, but also how their lives and those of the locals were changed forever. Thus, in the plot, Mayor Claude, Police Chief Oz, and the teacher Beulah, will face the organization, while the veterinarian Bonnie will attend to the pets that were on the planes. Among the passengers, Hanna suffers from the anguish of not knowing the fate of her son, her firefighter; Nick, a shy English oil executive, will find his future wife in Diane, an American divorcée; the pilot Beverley will change the optimistic opinion of her after the attacks; an Egyptian Muslim will be viewed with distrust, and a gay couple will vary their conception of living together.
The folkrock-style songs, with Celtic airs, are executed to perfection by an ensemble of musicians led by Santiago Rosso. Other mainstays are the contagious choreographies by Agustín Pérez Costa, the successful art direction by Tadeo Jones and the eloquent lighting by Gonzalo González. In a cast of homogeneous quality, it would be unfair not to mention the performances of Marisol Otero, Sebastián Holz, Pablo Sultani, Edgardo Moreira, Silvana Tomé, Fernando Margenet and a true revelation, Argentino Molinero. The main architect is the impeccable direction of Carla Calabrese. In short, unmissable.
