Come From Away at Ford’s Theatre Is Nearly Flawless and Full of Heart
Updated: 6 days ago
Hot Take
Ford’s Theatre’s Come From Away is a production that knows exactly what it is about and has the company to prove it. Ten years after its first run on this historic stage, the show returns as the nation marks 25 years since 9/11, and it feels like the story we need most right now: strangers choosing kindness. A dozen performers carry the whole town of Gander and a planeload of “come from aways” with warmth, precision, and an ensemble chemistry that never lets up. There is one small bruise, but nothing that keeps it from landing.
Twelve Actors, Thousands of Stories
The ensemble is the show, and this cast treats it that way. Laurel Harris (Beverley), Lawrence Redmond (Claude), Caitlin Brooke (Diane), Joe Mallon (Nick), Kelli Blackwell (Beulah), Montel B. Butler (Bob), Sarah Corey (Hannah), Julia Wheeler Lennon (Janice), Evan Casey (Oz), Michael Perrie, Jr. (Kevin T.), Jonathan Atkinson (Kevin J.), and Erin Weaver (Bonnie) each find a specific, human center in their principal roles. They also shift between townspeople and travelers in a heartbeat, with only a hat, a jacket, or a change in posture to mark the switch. Every character feels like a real person, which is the point. The big comic moments are generous and the quiet ones are devastating, and the cast never pushes for either. Director Kevin S. McAllister keeps the pace brisk and the emotion honest, and Katy Tabb’s choreography keeps the stage in constant, purposeful motion.
The Band Brings the Roof Down
Music director Mason Moss leads a band that is phenomenal. The folk-rock score is joyful, driving, and aching by turns, and the musicians are as much a part of the storytelling as the actors. When the music swells, the whole house goes with it.
Design in Service of Humanity
The production’s design is clean and purposeful, built to keep the focus on the people. Emily Lotz’s scenic design, Xavier Pierce’s lighting, and David Budries’s sound all work to make a bare-bones world feel full.
The Blackbox Grit
Seams were small. A few of light cues that were meant to land with an actor’s line arrived a beat early or a beat late (hard to tell if this was actor or operator error). In a show this precise and this fluid, the moments are easy to forgive, but they did peek through, and tightening them would make an excellent production close to perfect.
The Verdict: GREEN LIGHT
Come From Away is a story about what happens when ordinary people open their doors, and Ford’s Theatre tells it with great craft and enormous heart. Go see it. It's a story we so badly need right now.
The Details
Come From Away plays at Ford’s Theatre (511 10th St NW), September 10 through October 25, with an extension through October 25. Book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Directed by Kevin S. McAllister. Running time is 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission. Visit fords.org for information and tickets.
