Broadway Theater Review: Miss Saigon TOP PICK

Miss Saigon
Music by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil 

Lyrics by Alain Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr. with additional Lyrics by Michael Mahler

By  Lauren Yarger

A revival of the Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil (the team that brought us Les Miserables) classic, almost 25 years after the show first arrived on Broadway, brought "ho hum" as my first thought. 

After all, the Viet Nam War is a bummer to me and so is the Madame Butterfly theme -- the show is billed as an epic love story, but buying a prostitute doesn't usually land on my list of themes for that category. While the score is beautiful, I had seen the most recent tour of the musical, directed by Nicholas Hytner, and found the story dated. Well, let's just say that first thoughts aren't always correct.

This Broadway version, brilliantly directed by Laurence Connor, is moving and feels relevant for today. Eva Noblezada makes an outstanding Broadway debut as Kim, a 17-year-old Vietnamese girl who finds herself at the sleazy Saigon bar run by "The Engineer" (Jon Jon Briones) who runs a contest to crown one of his prostitutes "Miss Saigon," and get more money for her services to an American soldier.

Kim is bought by John (Nicholas Christopher) for his pal, Chris (Alistair Brammer), but they find something more than a regular night of sex for hire. For Chris, Kim provides an escape from the horrors of war. Chris' gentleness combined with her first sexual experience causes Kim to fall in love. 

The two are separated during the fall of Saigon (and yes, the famous helicopter makes an appearance) and after giving up on his search for Kim, Chris goes back to his regular life in the States, marrying his girlfriend, Ellen (Katie Rose Clarke) and never mentioning Kim, except to call out her name during nightmares.  Kim, meanwhile does what she has to do to survive and hides the son she bore Chris: Tam (I saw cute-as-a-button Jace Chen in the role shared with other child actors). When her secret is revealed to Thuy (Devin Ilaw), the man to whom she had been promised in marriage and he threatens the boy, Kim does what she has to do to protect her son. 

Noblezada produces an amazing transformation from innocent child to mature mother and maintains it until a flashback scene where she is a young girl again. Her portrayal is riveting and far beyond the abilities of most actors her age. Her singing voice is lovely boasting a wide range and is more than able to handle all of the belts required. "I'd Give My Life for You" is heart-wrenching.

Meanwhile, the Engineer cooks up a scheme to pass himself off as Kim's brother and use Tam's American father to secure them entry visas to the United States. John, who has been helping orphans fathered by US soldiers, but left behind in Viet Nam, discovers that Chris has a son. Hopes for a reconciliation with the man to whom she believes she is married are dashed, however, when Kim meets Ellen.

Besides Noblezada's gripping performance, other characters are compelling as well. Brammer's Chris is a lot more likable. We get the impression he actually cared for Kim and really was unaware when a wedding ceremony between them took place. Other versions portray him as a user and unfeeling. Briones makes the Engineer humorous and less repulsive. The result is that we are moved by these characters and rooting for them.

Standing out is exceptional lighting by Bruno Poet which enhances all of the creative elements: Sets designed by Totie Driver, Costumes designed by Andreane Neofitou; Projections designed by Luke Halls; and additional Choreography by Geoffrey Garratt.

James Moore is the Music Director and William David Brohn orchestrates the score that makes up the two hours and 40 minutes of the musical's opera format. Connor's direction brings this one home, making the themes, especially the plight of the refugees, feel very contemporary. This one is a don't miss.

Miss Saigon takes us back to 1975 and doesn't make us regret it at the Broadway Theatre (where it premiered in 1991), 1681 Broadway, NYC. Tickets are $39-$165: saigonbroadway.com.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:

-- From the production: Recommended for 12 + (Miss Saigon contains some scenes and language which may not be suitable for younger audience members, including scenes of a sexual nature.)

-- Language

-- God's name taken in vain

-- Violence

-- Nudity

Broadway Theater Review: War Paint

Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole. Photo: Joan Marcus

War Paint
Music by Scott Frankel
Lyrics by Michael Korie
Book by Doug Wright
Choreography by Christopher Gattelli
Directed by Michael Greif
Nederlander Theatre

By Lauren Yarger
Cosmetic moguls Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden take off their gloves and get into a colorful fight to the finish to dominate the world of convincing women that they need a lot of products to be beautiful in War Paint, a new Broadway musical by composer Scott Frankel (Grey Gardens, Far from Heaven).

There are no ugly women, Rubinstein tells us. Only lazy ones....  Ultimately the women have to wrestle with the question of whether their efforts have improved women's lives or enslaved them.

The actresses starring as the makeup mavens are no powder puffs themselves: Patti LuPone as Rubinstein and Christian Ebersole as Arden. Frankel's score sounds as though it were written just for them offering many showcase numbers (perhaps a few too many in the two-hour, 35-minute production) with soaring belts for the actresses to show off what they can do. Ebersole, particularly, shines. Lawrence Yurman Music Directs the big-band, jazzy score.

The book by Pulitzer-Prize winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Grey Gardens, Hands on a Hardbody) follows the women from their beginnings in 1935 to the height of their success and into their fading glory by 1964 when the keys to beauty -- according to Arden, purity, grace and everlasting youth -- switch to just being young and a teenager.

He offers focused developments in the women's careers with appropriate back story when needed and doesn't fall into the trap of trying to include everything that ever happened in their lives, though the second act needs some polish. The lyrics by Michael Korie (Grey Gardens and Far From Heaven) are clever and key in the storytelling. The story is inspired by "War Paint" by Lindy Woodhead and "The Powder and the Glory" by Carol Grossman and Arnie Reisman.

The creative team applies a sensory-appealing foundation. Designer Catherine Zuber works her usual magic providing flashy, elegant costumes to help make the time transitions. She also skillfully dresses the two women similarly, reminding us that while they are competitors with different backgrounds -- Rubinstein is an immigrant Jew and Arden is a Canadian prairie girl who longs to be a society belle -- at the core they are the same, even if they don't realize it. (Sometimes LuPone's heavy accent makes her difficult to understand, however.)

David Korins provides a deco-inspired backdrop set covered with images of cosmetics bottles allowing set and mood changes prompted by Kenneth Posner's Lighting Design. Christopher Gattelli's subtle choreography allows the numbers to fit naturally into the storytelling.

Adding to the quality of the production, getting a fine treatment from director Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal and Grey Gardens), are creamy supporting performances. Broadway vet John Dossett plays Arden's cuckolded husband, Tommy Lewis, who grows tired of taking a back seat to his boss-wife. He wants a title for all of the work he contributes to Arden. He is jealous of Harry Fleming (Douglas Sills of Scarlet Pimpernel fame), Rubinstein's closeted gay vice president of sales.

Fleming also has problems with his boss, especially when Rubinstein fails to compensate him adequately for the idea of selling the same beauty cream in 'day" and "night" versions and doubling sales. In an unbelievable twist, the men jump ship and end up working for the competitors of the companies they helped build, sharing company secrets and fueling the feud between Rubenstein and Arden in the process.

Finding his own color palette in the midst of the feuding, fading makeup magnates is Charles Revson (Erik Liberman), who goes on to found his own competing company, Revlon.

Rubinstein and Arden put on their War Paint at the Nederlander Theatre, 208 West 41st St., NYC. Performances are Tuesday at 7 pm, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm and Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets are $79 -$250: warpaintmusical.com.

Additional casting:
Barbara Jo Bednarczuk, Patti Cohenour, Mary Ernster, Tom Galantich, David Girolmo, Joanna Glushak, Chris Hoch, Mary Claire King, Steffanie Leigh, Barbara Marineau, Donna Migliaccio, Stephanie Jae Park, Jennifer Rias, Angel Reda and Tally Sessions.

Additional credits:
Brian Ronan, sound design; David Brian Brown, wig design; Angelina Avallone, makeup design; Bruce Coughlin, orchestrations

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:
-- God's name taken in vain

Broadway Theater Review: The Play That Goes Wrong TOP PICK

The Play That Goes Wrong
By Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields
Directed by Mark Bell
Mischief Theatre
at the Lyceum Theatre

By Lauren Yarger
A transfer of the Olivier Award winning comedy The Play That Goes Wrong is some of the most fun I have had in a theater this season -- or any.

The mishaps of a theater group trying to put on "The Murder at Haversham Manor" are a hoot, whether you are a theater buff or not. In the tradition of the play-within-a play like Noises Off, The Play That Goes Wrong certainly does -- or actually "The Murder at Haversham Manor" goes horribly wrong before it even starts, to the horror of its cast and to the delight of the audience.  It's a nightmare for "Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society" Director Chris Bean (Henry Shields) who valiantly works with his fellow thespians to make sure that the show must go on.

He plays Inspector Carter, arriving on the scene (designed in complicated farce detail by Nigel Hook) to investigate the murder of Charles Haversham (played by Jonathan Harris, who is played by Greg Tannahill), who has been murdered on the eve of his engagement party. He very amusingly and obviously is not all that dead through some of the action, however.

Haversham's fiance, Florence (played by Sandra Wilkinson, who is in fact played by Charlie Russell), Haversham's brother, Cecil (played by Max Bennett played by Dave Hearn), Florence's brother, Thomas (played by Robert Grove, played by Henry Lewis), the butler, Perkins (played by Dennis Tyde, played by Jonathan Sayer), and the show's stagehands, Trevor and Annie (played by Rob Falconer and Nancy Zamit), all are suspects.

If that sounds complicated, it is, but the zany characters are all explained in the program-within-the-program along with hilarious bios for the "Haversham" cast and a letter about the production from Bean.

Getting in the way of the murder-mystery production are missed sound cues, malfunctioning props, a set that collapses, missed lines of dialogue, and unconscious performers amidst the chaos. Some of the gags bring astonished gasps from the audience, which laughs out loud pretty much non-stop during the two hour play with an intermission. Director Mark Bell expertly keeps attention riveted (and diverted when necessary) and the ensemble displays keen comic timing, both with dialogue and physical comedy. A highlight is Hearn as the amateur actor who reacts with joy every time, usually mistakenly, he thinks applause is for him. It's a gag that doesn't get old no matter how many times he does it.

The production has transferred from the West End where it won the 2015 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. The "whodunit" pales in comparison to the "what's-coming-next" in this zany, fun production.

The Play That Goes Wrong messes up and is every theater-maker's worst nightmare (in such a delightful way) at the Lyceum Theatre, 149 West 45th St., NYC. Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7 pm; Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; Saturday at 2 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets: $30-$139:  broadwaygoeswrong.com

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:
-- God's name used in vain

Off-Broadway Theater Review: Joan of Arc: Into the Fire

Jo Lampert .Photo: Joan Marcus

Joan of Arc: Into the Fire

Book, music, and lyrics by David Byrne

Directed by Alex Timbers 

Choreography by Steven Hoggett

The Public Theater

Through April 30

By Lauren Yarger
What's It All About?
The world premiere of a rock musical about the life of Joan of Arc (Jo Lampert) directed by innovative Alex Timbers (The Robber Bridegroom; Rocky; Here Lies Love, Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson). The book, music, and lyrics by David Byrne explore the story of a young girl who spoke with angels and in the name of God, defied the times and authority to lead soldiers into battle to restore the nation of France. What does it cost to be free? For Joan, the ultimate price was her life when she was burned at the stake as a heretic.

What Are the Highlights?
It's an ambitious undertaking with choreography by Steven Hoggett and a two-story, creatively staired set designed by Christopher Barreca, expertly lighted by designed Justin Townsend (colored lighting helps tell the story and set the mood, and he even makes creative use of flashlights). Lambert, a Brooklyn-based performer and DJ, holds her own as rock star Joan in flashy, tight-fitting armor designed by Clint Ramos. Her backup singers, 10 hunky guys, play her soldiers and other various characters from her 15th-century life.

What Are the Lowlights?
On stage, Joan kind of looks like a guy. We are told that she forgoes her femininity to be able to take leadership of the men in battle, but this is a bit too much as some end up wondering whether Joan is a she or he and get distracted from the story. One theater-goer told me he had not purchased tickets because he thought Joan was being played by a man after seeing an ad for the show. We finally get a musical about an interesting musical and this shouldn't be the result! In short, Joan's story would have more impact if the heroine were portrayed in a more feminine manner.

The score is engaging and uses odd ending notes to haunting effect, but Byrne's lyrics don't capture the drama of the story or do much to develop the character of Joan. She goes through the motions of what we know about her historically (and projections by Darrel Maloney keep us updated on when and where the action takes place), but we don't really know much about Joan, except that she is a virgin, because there is more than one disturbing inspection of her body by the authorities to prove this.... A scene featuring Joan's mother, Isabelle (Mare Winningham had played the role and Jody Gelb has stepped in),  is tacked on at the end to give us a bit more insight, but by then it's too late. Additional musical direction is needed to provide some harmonies and to keep everything from sounding the same throughout the one hour and 40 minutes.

Timbers decision to have musicians on stage amidst the action doesn't appear to have any purpose except to mix the old and modern. Other musicians remain dimly lighted on the second story of the stage while two guitarists, for example, are center stage with the actors. The modern rock score itself speaks for itself. We don;t need to see the musicians.

More Information:
The run of Joan of Arc: Into the Fire has been extended through April 30 at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., NYC. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8:30 pm; Wednesday at 1:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 pm (with some variations). Tickets are $90-$120: publictheater.org; 212-539-8605.

Additional casting:
Terence Archie (Warwick); James Brown III (Priest, Judge); Jonathan Burke (Priest, Judge); Rodrick Covington (Priest, Judge); Jody Gelb (Isabelle); Sean Allan Krill (Bishop Cauchon); Mike McGowan (La Tremouille); Adam Perry (Priest, Judge); John Schiappa (Priest, Judge); Kyle Selig (Dauphin, King Charles); Michael James Shaw (Baudricourt)

Additional credits: 
Sound Design by Cody Spencer; Special Effects Design by Jeremy Chernick; Wigs, Hair and Make-up Design by Dave Bova and J. Jared Janas.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:
-- God's name taken in vain
-- I would recommend this for 14 and up

Broadway Theater Review: Present Laughter

Kevin Kline and Kate Burton. Photo: Joan Marcus

Present Laughter
By Noel Coward
Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel
St. James Theatre
Through July 2

By Lauren Yarger
What's It All About?
A limited run of Noel Coward's comedy Present Laughter, starring Kevin Kline, Kate Burton and Kristine Nielsen. Kline is Garry Essendine, a full-of-himself actor who tries to juggle his many female conquests, his secretary, Monica (Nielsen), a valet, Fred (an affable Matt Bittner), a chain-smoking, spiritualist housekeeper, Mrs. Erikson (Ellen Harvey) and his ex, well, not really ex, wife, Liz (Burton). All of this takes place in his London studio apartment (painted an odd aquamarine color with modern art covering the two levels and stairway designed by David Zinn).

As expected in a farce, there are a number of doors, and people hiding behind them. Among those hidden are love-sick Daphne (Tedra Millan) and creepy playwright-stalker Rolande Maule (Bhavesh Patel). Meanwhile, Garry also gets entangled with Joanna (Cobie Smulders), who married his best friend, Henry (Peter Francis James) and is having an affair with Garry's manager, Morris Dixon (Reg Rogers).  Completing the cast is Sandra Shipley as Daphne's socialite aunt, Lady Saltburn

What Are the Highlights?
Kline is a master of comedic timing. Actors should come watch this performance as part of a master class. Burton is a nice foil, even if her character seems to be resigned to thinking all the other women  in her husband's life is normal. The first act seemed to be a waste of Nielsen's talent and she seemed uncomfortable on stage. She is a personal favorite who usually has me in stitches. She came into her own in the second act, however, masterfully reacting to bizarre situations.

What Are the Lowlights?
This is one of the plays that has me shaking my head in bewilderment as to why they keep getting revived. What might have been funny back in 1939 when Coward wrote the piece isn't really now. This type of farce that feels like it was created by a bunch of men getting drunk on brandy at the club usually finds humor at the expense of under-developed female characters. This one is done with as much style as possible and with good comedic actors, but still just doesn't satisfy, no matter how many times one of the women claim to have misplaced their latch keys....

More information:
Present Laughter plays at the St. James Theatre, 246 West 44th St., NYC through July 2. www.LaughterOnBroadway.com

Additional credits:
Costume design by Susan Hilferty, Lighting Design by Justin Townsend, Sound Design by Fitz Patton, Hair Design by Josh Marquette.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:
-- Slight language
-- Lots of trysting

Broadway Theater Review: Amélie

Amélie

Music by Daniel Messé 

Lyrics by Daniel Messé  and Nathan Tysen

Directed by Pam MacKinnon

Choreography by Sam Pinkleton

Walter Kerr Theatre

By Lauren Yarger
A whimsical tale about a shy, imaginative French woman helping people in Paris is the latest attempt to make a film-to-stage jump, but even with the popular and talented Phillipa Soo in the title role, Amélie lacks "je ne sais quoi" to capture the essence of the film or our interest.

Actually, I do know what it is, because, after all, that is my job. First, there is a surprisingly poorly constructed book by Craig Lucas (An American in Paris; The Light in the Piazza). Lucas spends too many of the 100 minutes in this show creating some back story for us about Amélie and how she ends up being the shy woman who withdraws from society and lives in her own imagination. 

A young Amélie (a miscast Savvy Crawford who is not quite ready for her Broadway debut) has undemonstrative parents, Raphael and Amandine (Manoel Felciano and Alison Cimmet), and when her mother dies tragically and her father withdraws further, the young girl escapes into her imagination, depicted Peter Nigrini's projections which fill out the unimaginative sets by David Zinn, who also designs the costumes. A bunch of doors and frilly wardrobes are supposed remind us we are in France.....

Finally Amélie grows up and becomes a waitress in a Montmartre cafe. When she discovers a box of toy treasures in a hidden space in her apartment, she manages to return it to the original owner and feels a sense of purpose in her otherwise drab life. She will be an anonymous do-gooder, she decides, and be thought of like Princess Diana. She comes out of her shell, sending her father's treasured garden gnome on a world-wide tour in the hope of drawing him out as well. 

Amélie also sets up a romance for hypochondriac cafe worker Georgette (Alyse Alan Louis) and Joseph (Paul Whitty), the jealous ex-boyfriend of another cafe dweller, Gina (Maria Christina Oliveras). 

She develops a relationship with her neighbor, reclusive painter Raymond Dufayel (an endearing Tony Sheldon), and in trying to solve a mystery involving discarded, ripped images from photo booths at train stations, finds her own romance with a pornography store clerk named Nino (Adam Chandler-Berat). 

She also helps complete a love letter from a long-dead husband and bolsters the ego of a poet, but doesn't do my favorite prank from the movie by coming to the assistance of a mentally challenged boy being bullied by a shop owner. Now, I know, I shouldn't hold that against Lucas, but the scenario is set up so that fans of the movie anticipate it. We see the abuse, but then it is just forgotten and not resolved. It is very disappointing and there really is no reason to include it in the book if Amelie isn’t going to come to the rescue.

If allthis plot sounds a bit strange, it is, but it fails to charm like the movie. Attempts to bring absurdist qualities of the film to the stage, like having Amélie's gold fish and the garden gnome come to life (thanks to puppetry designed by Amanda Villalobos) -- with the latter dancing to Sam Pinlketon's choreography to a tune called "There's No Place Like Gnome" -- fail and are “incroyable” -- in the very "mal" sense of the word.

The score by Daniel Messé, pianist for New York band Hem, is pleasant, but not memorable. Lyrics by Messé and Nathan Tysen (Tuck Everlasting) might force the title of this musical to be switched to Ennui, rather than Amélie.

This is from "Stay Right Here":

"I take a step to get out, but my feet forget how. Now it’s me just me against a door. This isn’t what I thought, although I think I want some more, but not right now. Now I need to go."

And this, from a number called "Where Do We Go from Here":

"Where do we go from here now that we are sitting side by side, after all there’s more to life than we can see.  Will there be troubles? I don’t know. Will there be sweet things? I hope so. Will there be time to keep on dreaming once this dream is over?

Zzzzzz...... Pardonnez-moi. mes amis. I dozed off there.

Soo is charming and it is always a pleasure to hear her lovely voice, but she doesn't get to do much with it here. She doesn't try to replicate the character created by Audrey Tautou on the screen, but MacKinnon doesn't guide her in making Amélie truly her own, either. The production has the feel of an early run through. Interesting ideas and possibilities, but they need editing and lots work.

Amélie runs at the Walter Kerr Theatre, 219 W 48th St., NYC. ameliebroadway.com

Additional casting;
David Andino, Randy Blair, Heath Calvert, Harriett D. Foy, Emily Afton, Trey Ellett, Destinee Rea, Jacob Keith Watson

Additional credits:
Lighting Design by Jane Cox and Mark Barton; Sound Design by Kai Harada; Hair and Wig Design by Charles G. LaPointe

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:

-- God's name taken in vain

-- Some suggestive elements

Broadway Theater Review: Come From Away

Come from Away

Music, Book and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein

Directed by Christopher Ashley

Musical Staging by Kelly Devine

Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre

By Lauren Yarger

The "plane people" might have Come from Away, but the uplifting message -- my prediction so far for the Tony award for Best Musical -- comes from within.

The unlikely musical born out of the despair after the September 11 attacks leaves us feeling good. Proof that humanity can be kind leaves us wanting to stand and give a rousing rendition of "O Canada" while waving an American flag.

The story is based in reality. On Sept. 11, 2001, after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, US air space was shut down meaning that planes on route had to be diverted to other locations. Some 38 planes and 6,579 passengers were forced to land in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, where the islanders on "the Rock" threw themselves into the task of welcoming their unexpected guests.  

Folks on the plane hadn't even realized what was going on since information had been difficult to come by and when they land, they are horrified to discover the extent of the devastation. They begin efforts to let their loved ones know they are all right -- and where they are -- and to track down the fate of loved ones in the states. They also discover they won't be going home any time soon.

The small population of Gander more than doubles overnight and the simple, plain townsfolk put aside everything else, including a local school-bus strike, to make the visitors as comfortable and welcome as possible. We get a sense of what a monumental task this was when it is reported that more than 7,000 meals are prepared in one night.

The cast, including Petrina Bromley, Geno Carr, Jenn Colella, Joel Hatch, Rodney Hicks, Kendra Kassebaum, Chad Kimball, Lee MacDougall, Caesar Samayoa, Q. Smith, Astrid Van Wieren, Sharon Wheatley, Josh Breckenridge, Susan Dunstan, Tamika Lawrence and Tony LePage play both the "plane people" and the Gander residents in a fast-paced book written along with Celtic-themed music and lyrics by the Canadian team of  Irene Sankoff and David Hein.

Director Christopher Ashley tells the action with the use of minimal props on Beowulf Boritt's simple set with an emphasis on the characters and their relationships. Some of the characters are quite interesting, especially Beverley (Colella), a female pilot of one of the planes, who shows admirable leadership skills, and who gets a nice solo "Me and the Sky" describing her path to the cockpit. Also intriguing are Hannah (Smith) who searches for information on what has happened to her New York firefighter son and Beulah (Van Wieren), who offers her support and friendship. Note to playwrights: some of the most interesting and strong female characters are found in real life.

Among the many story lines, Diane (Wheatley) and Nick (MacDougall) find romance - some hope coming from an otherwise terrible day. It's also wonderful to see Chad Kimball (Memphis) back on stage as one half of a gay couple not sure whether their relationship will be embraced in Gander, though we miss getting to see him sing a solo. Instead, he doesn't draw attention and gives a solid ensemble performance.

What's really inspiring about Come from Way is that these are real people and we feel we come to know them personally. At the depiction of their poignant 10-year reunion, we ask ourselves, "Can it really been 10 years?" 

In reality, it has been more than 15 since that September morning, but the emotions we experience during this show make us feel that all of this happened just a few days ago because we are so in tune with these characters and their experiences. At a show beginning the Broadway run, the real-life Gander people came on stage with the actors who portray them. There couldn't have been a dry eye in the house.

The musical comes at a time when our nation is in the throes of political unrest making us feel everyone is an enemy. There are a few tense moments as Muslim plane passengers inspire fear. There also are wonderful moments of faith as Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindis worship together and when a bible verse (Philippians 4:6) transcends human language and speaks to the heart.

What a treat to experience a show where hatred is defeated by the simple offerings of good neighbors and caring people. I so wanted to see the Canadian and American flags displayed at the end of this show, that their absence is one of the few complaints I have. Others are one member of the ensemble who needs to take some acting lessons and, like Kimball, learn how to keep from calling attention to himself in an ensemble performance. For me, the music was way too loud, but this might have been due to my up-front seat.

Otherwise it is very tight, inspiring and worth seeing and could run away with the Tony for Best Musical this year.

Come from Away makes spirits soar at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 West 45th St., NYC. comefromaway.com.

Additional credits:

Music Supervision by Ian Eisendrath, Costume Design by Toni-Leslie James, Lighting Design by Howell Binkley, Sound Design by Gareth Owen, Orchestrations by August Eriksmoen, Music Arrangements by Ian Eisendrath.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:
-- Language
-- God's name taken in vain