(photo by Zach Rosing)

(Correction from previous version, Crissy Guerrero plays Diane)

As much a concept musical as “Cats” or “Company,” “Come from Away’ is a show that came from, seemingly, out of nowhere to captivate Broadway audiences.

The first I heard of it, I had the same reaction that I believe many had: A 9/11 musical? Really.

Learning that the biggest credit up to this from the team that concocted the show was a Toronto Fringe show called “My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding” didn’t exactly instill further confidence.

That the show reached Broadway at all is amazing in and of itself, given that its challenges were compounded by not having any well-known performers. Likely of more concern to potential investors, it wasn’t preceded by a movie version or even a concept album.

Oh, and it’s primarily focused on people being nice to each other.

“Come from Away” is a musical collage, a series of vignettes about people who were in the air during the terrorist attacks and the people who hosted them when their planes were diverted to tiny Gander, Newfoundland, and surroundings. There are small stories woven in, but they don’t develop in the traditional musical sense.

That doesn’t mean it’s short on songs. There are plenty, from the earnest opening “Welcome to the Rock” to the earnest “I am Here” to the earnest “Me and the Sky.” As if to offer a counterweight to the cynicism and world-weariness of a lot of contemporary theater, “Come From Away” overflows with sincerity.

And in spite of its defining incident, it’s surprisingly packed with laughs. It never trivializes the catalytic events, but it does find humor in both the passengers and their hosts. The actors playing multiple parts, are in near constant motion, switching characters at the drop–or the add–of a hat.

I had the pleasure of seeing the original Broadway company twice as well as the tour that played Clowes Memorial Hall in 2020. Indiana Repertory Theatre’s production, a bit more modest in scale than those, doesn’t make any significant design changes or surprising character choices. The band is still on stage, the set pieces primarily limited to chairs, the costumes flexible enough for quick changes.

One of the challenges on a show like this (not that there are many shows like this) is maintaining the show’s momentum while also allowing the characters to breathe. The show is going to produce emotional reactions regardless (I was, once again, teary eyed), but to reach its full potential, a production needs to show these folks as people, not as caricatures. For the most part, that happens on the IRT stage with only occasional moments that, on opening night, felt a bit mechanical, as if the actors were playing to pre-recorded tracks instead of a live band and needed to keep up.

It’s at its best when the actors are able to suggest a life beyond the script and the action. That happens most often with Crissy Guerrero, Brett Mutter and Jesse Bhamrah, as Diane and the two Kevins (plus many other characters) but just about all have the chance to shine even if accents sometimes seem tacked on rather than organic. The musicians, led by music director Angie Benson who’s also on accordion and keyboards, sound terrific, especially when some taking center stage, albeit briefly, in the “Screech In”/fish kissing number — even if the sound mix led to some lost lyrics.

In writing about the national tour, I said, “Next stop, no doubt, will be dozens of regional productions. I look forward to seeing it again then.”

I’m glad I did. A small wonder of a show that managed not only to win hearts on Broadway and pull off a tour that played well in larger venues, it has also proven adaptable to regional theaters around the country. On the IRT stage, “Come from Away” remains a cathartic balm.

Now I look forward to seeing it with a fully Indianapolis-area cast.

Civic? Footlite? Beef & Boards?

I won’t be surprised if, over the next few years, it moves audiences at all of the above.

Note: It’s unlikely, but some of the above may seem vaguely familiar to long-time readers of this column. Since my feelings about the show itself have not changed, I’ve pillaged some of the text from my column about the touring company of “Come From Away” that landed at Clowes Memorial Hall back in 2020.