A love for Newfoundland
The world should take heed of the ‘Come From Away’ message, say real-life people portrayed in show
Once the Tony Awards ceremony was finished Sunday night and the lights inside New York’s Radio City Music Hall were turned down, the real lovefest for Newfoundland began.
Cast, crew, investors and others connected with “Come From Away” gathered at a Manhattan restaurant-bar for a private celebration of the musical’s seven Tony nominations, which resulted in a win for Best Direction of a Musical.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Christopher Ashley,” a voice announced as the smiling show director entered the party, his golden trophy in hand.
Along with the flowing cocktails and shots of Screech was a buffet with some Newfoundland-inspired food, but fancied up: cod au gratin, for instance, and pan-fried cod, but not like the kind your mom makes. There was nar scruncheon in sight, but “Kiss the cod” was cutely spelled out in letters with white fairy lights.
This love and promotion of all things Newfoundland, creatively emphasized or not, is a theme of “Come From Away,” both on stage and in the audience. Since the show opened on Broadway in March, there have been Newfoundlanders at almost every one of its eight weekly showings.
“There are a lot of you here in New York and you all travel with flags,” jokes David Hein, one half of the “Come From Away” writing team, with wife Irene Sankoff.
There’s a significant reason to be proud: a musical set during the events of 9-11, telling the tale of how the people of Gander and surrounding areas opened their homes to close to 7,000 stranded airline passengers, has earned international buzz, outstanding success and interest in this province. It’s a feel-good story, and a good reason to stand tall as a Newfoundlander.
But, for some of those attending Sunday night’s Tony after-party who are actually portrayed in “Come From Away,” it’s also about the show’s value as a cultural exchange.
Kevin Tuerff and his thenpartner, also named Kevin, were flying from France to New York on Sept. 11, 2001, and were among the passengers stranded in Gander. He is played in “Come From Away” by actor Chad Kimball.
Tuerff doesn’t mince his words when he speaks of how he wishes the show had skipped its run in Toronto and come straight to New York a year ago, out of necessity.
“The people of not only Gander but all of Newfoundland say, ‘We just did what anybody else would do.’ Well, I came back to the United States in 2001 and I’m embarrassed to say I don’t think that would be the same thing there.”
Tuerff has written a book about his experience in Gander called “Channel of Peace: Stranded in Gander on 9-11,” which he released this spring. He will come back to the province this summer for a book tour. Tuerff is also known for starting Pay It Forward 9-11, a movement to encourage 10,000 others to commit random acts of kindness.
“Maybe part of my goal is to try to keep telling this story for Americans to say, ‘Canadians aren’t better than we are, we’ve just somehow lost our compass a little bit. We could do this,’” he explains. “We live in a lot more fear, fear of the stranger. Especially now, and it’s not a healthy
thing, in my opinion.”
At the Tony party, Beverley Bass spent most of the night in the corner in a sparkly gown, happily chatting with person after person looking to meet her. Her story is integral to “Come From Away,” and there’s an entire musical number, “Me and the Sky,” devoted to her career as a pilot, the first female pilot for American Airlines. Bass is played in the musical by actress Jenn Colella, who earned a Tony nomination for the role.
“Oh my God, she’s better than great,” Bass says of Colella, with whom she’s close. “She portrays me so accurately, my mannerisms, my personality, even when we sit together, we’re sitting the same way.”
Bass admits she was disappointed when Colella lost the Tony to Rachel Bay Jones of “Dear Evan Hansen,” not only because of the dedication she puts into the role, but for how she represents her cast mates and the work she does in promoting the show.
Like her relationship with Colella, Bass also has a special connection to Newfoundland and the friends she has there, and has been back to Gander a number of times, most recently last October when “Come From Away” played for two nights in the local arena. She’s coming back again this summer, this time with her kids.
“It’s been on my bucket list to take them because before I check out of this world, I want my children to know where I was on 9-11 and I want them to meet the people that took such good care of us. It’s very important to me.”
Bass is delighted to hear about people wanting to visit Newfoundland after seeing “Come From Away,” and hopes an increase in tourism might result in more direct flights to Gander from Toronto. Like Tuerff, she’s confident the world needs “Come From Away,” but not for the same reasons.
“I don’t necessarily think it’s because of the political atmosphere, which is what so many people want to tie it to. I think it’s something that’s always needed. We always need to know how to be good people, and that’s what Gander showed us during that time. No matter what’s going on in our country, we always need to be that way.”
At a table near the windows, “Come From Away” writers Hein and Sankoff greet a steady flow of people looking to shake their hands and take their picture. Hein stands to chat; Sankoff, wearing a gold sequin gown, sits because her feet hurt.
Both speak of their excitement over the seven Tony nominations (but voice their disapproval over awards show host Kevin Spacey’s mispronunciation of “Newfoundland,” feeling he should have known better since he filmed “The Shipping News” there), and of how honoured they feel to be sharing Newfoundland with the world.
“Regardless of the awards, what we’re doing tonight is bringing a little bit of Newfoundland to New York, and we heard that in the audience the entire night,” Hein says. “All of the (nominated) shows are great shows, and one of them is celebrating the kindness of Newfoundland. Everybody saw that on national television, and we couldn’t be more honoured.”
People often ask the couple which is better: bringing the show to Broadway or bringing the show to Gander. For Hein and Sankoff, it’s a no-brainer. Both are important, but one was life-changing.
“Gander was about sharing the show with the people who shared their stories with us and it meant so much; (Broadway) is about sharing Newfoundland with the world.”
Hein and Sankoff have just cast a touring version of “Come From Away” in Toronto, and are looking forward to spreading the message even further. Whether or not the continent could use a lesson in kindness at this particular point in time, Hein doesn’t come out and say.
“Well, I think we do,” he says about himself and Sankoff. “It has inspired us, and it’s what we try to teach our daughter. The reason we’re telling it is because it inspired us and we want it to inspire other people.”