Come From Away (2021) (2021)

November 1, 2021 2:00 PM

Come From Away (previously) the Tony-award winning musical, returned to the stage in spring of 2021 for a special filmed performance in front of an audience of 9/11 survivors and frontline workers. With 7 (out of 12) of the original cast members, the recording is now streaming on AppleTV+.

CNN:

Much like "Hamilton" on Disney+,"Come From Away" delivers a best-seat-in-the-house view, offering a moving, brilliantly shot and staged spectacle that brings that moment unerringly back to life.

RogerEbert.com:

And what an oddly comforting feeling it is to watch a movie about a crisis in the middle of another crisis. Twenty years later, the caring gestures large and small depicted here carry a whole new resonance, a fresh sense of catharsis and even hope.

San Francisco Chronicle:

To see “Come From Away” onscreen now — directed by Christopher Ashley, who won a Tony Award for his Broadway direction of the show — is to see a path to mercy and compassion off in the distance and wonder if we can still get there, or if it’s too late for us.

posted by still_wears_a_hat (7 comments total)

The first time I heard it was an npr special and I cried and laughted so hard. It was catartic of traumas half forgotten.

I saw this film during the days of the caotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, and while I still lived it ( SUDDENLY ❤️) , every political word has now such a bitter undertone. The poor middle Eastern guy, the hatred that will start to build under the goodwill for the next 20 years...

This is a feelgood trip to the people we still wish we were.
posted by thegirlwiththehat at 1:44 AM on November 2, 2021 [2 favorites]

I was teary or crying the entire time. I did not think I would be so overwhelmed, but the opener got me. The live show is coming to Minneapolis in January, so I am thinking about going. I loved the concept of one actor playing multiple roles and the accents were so good.

I tried to add this on Friday or Saturday and Fanfare would not let me. Glad to see it's available now.
posted by soelo at 2:23 PM on November 2, 2021 [1 favorite]

I saw the touring production when it came to SF a few years ago and was BLOWN AWAY. I wasn't super familiar with it going in, but I was already predisposed to liking it as a homesick Canadian (as were, I suspect, many others in the audience - we cheered for Shoppers Drug Mart!). The technical ability of the actors seamlessly transitioning between roles and settings on such a minimal set was remarkable. The recording captures some of that, but there is something that much more visceral about seeing done live on stage. soleo, I would 100% recommend going if you are able to do so.
posted by btfreek at 3:15 PM on November 2, 2021 [2 favorites]

I was at the Broadway reopening a few weeks ago. It was a wonderful night; it was my first time seeing the show, and like everyone says above, it's so well put together. I look forward to watching this recording soon.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 4:13 PM on November 2, 2021 [2 favorites]

Same as btfreak, I was not familiar when I saw the touring show a few years ago. It has become my absolute favorite!! Just a joy to watch. The movie version has made me so happy. I’ve also enjoyed the related you tube videos about the original cast.
posted by pearlybob at 3:18 AM on November 3, 2021 [1 favorite]

A friend of mine was one of the “Come From Aways” in real life (he was on a red eye from Heathrow to Dulles, returning from a late summer visit to friends and family in the UK, I believe, when the attacks happened). I’ve not seen the musical, but he had very kind things to say about the community, in his dry British way. I was just discussing with my wife how musicals generally don’t do anything for me, but since I have a personal connection, this one might. This is on my to-see list.
posted by Alterscape at 2:25 PM on November 3, 2021 [3 favorites]

I saw this in December 2019, and -- despite having to tell the person next to me to just TURN OFF HIS PHONE -- it was amazing, and, as is so often the case for a well-done video production of the stage show, this was nearly as good. I was weepy the entire time watching it. And honestly I don't see how this could have been as effective as a standard movie musical.
posted by jeather at 11:50 AM on November 5, 2021 [1 favorite]