Tag: Musical

COME FROM AWAY

“Welcome to the Rock!” 38 planes.

6,579 passengers. 1 remarkable town.

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

Presented by Virginia Rep

At: The November Theatre, 114 W. Broad St, RVA 23220

Performances: June 18 – August 2, 2026

Ticket Prices: $35/Value Orchestra – $62/Standard Orchestra – $72/Premium Orchestra; $20/Students; Military & Group Discounts available

Tickets & Info: va-rep.org; (804) 282-2620

Based on true events in recent, memorable history (for many of us), Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s amazingly upbeat musical, Come From Away,  is without a doubt one of the strongest ensemble works I’ve ever seen. The Virginia Rep cast is a comfortable collaboration of familiar (e.g., Susan Sanford, Emelie Faith Thompson, Durron Marquis Tyree, Eddie Webster) and new faces (e.g., Ti Reneé Ames, Ashley Beary, Sherri L. Edelen, James Scales, Erich Schroeder). In addition, Come From Away is jam-packed with historic and emotional content – one minute you’re crying or holding your breath at a collage of images from the devastation in the aftermath of 9/11 and the next you’re laughing out loud at a much-needed humorous aside.

The September 11, 2001 attacks on New York’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and other intended targets—some heroically diverted—had far-reaching, lasting effects. What many did not notice amid this mass chaos was the kindness shown by the residents of the small Canadian town of Gander, Newfoundland. With the closing of American airspace for two or more days after the incident, many flights were cancelled or diverted. Thirty-eight commercial planes, carrying some 6,579 passengers landed at the Gander International Airport, nearly doubling the population of the island.

Come From Away tells the story of the remarkable events that followed. The people of Gander rose to the occasion. Striking school bus drivers suspended their strike to transport stranded passengers to hastily constructed emergency shelters set up in schools, churches, community centers, and even local homes. Food and clothing were donated. The local ice hockey rink was cleared off and used as a makeshift walk-in freezer to store the donated food. Diapers, baby formula, tampons, and toilet paper were delivered. Cell phones were acquired. Accommodation was made for kosher, halal, and vegetarian diets. The local SPCA located and fed the animals traveling in the cargo holds of the planes and even delivered a baby chimpanzee. This amazing display of hospitality lasted for up to five days before the Plane People were able to resume their travels. In that time, history was made, friendships were forged, and a Broadway musical was born.

Several scenes stood out in this VaRep production. From the start, the upbeat opening, “Welcome to the Rock,” set the tone for the entire evening. The show began with power and never flagged. The first scene that nearly brought me to tears occurred when Eddie Webster, a bus driver trying to communicate with his diverse passengers, noticed that a fearful African couple carried a bible. Realizing that even though he didn’t speak the same language, the numbering system of their bible would be the same, he pointed them to Philippians 4:6 (“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”.) effectively calming their fears.

I mentioned earlier that this was a true ensemble, but some individuals stood out in several scenes. Again, it was Eddie Webster (in the role of Kevin T.) who initiated a heartfelt moment. With people of different languages and faith traditions sheltered in a church, Webster sings hymn, “Make Me A Channel of Your Faith” that segues into a beautiful scene that incorporates a Hebrew chant by a Jewish passenger and an Arabic prayer by Muslim passengers. The ensemble we saw on stage was inspired by the real-life ensemble of the Plane People in Gander, Newfoundland.

Other personalities that stood out on Wednesday night included Jianna Hurt (an understudy or swing) as Hannah – as a mother trying to contact her son, and Susan Sanford as Hannah’s newfound friend, a local woman named Beulah who was a leader in organizing the hospitality team. These two women, in real life, apparently maintained their friendship long after the disaster. Eddie Webster and David Lyve Watkins  made an indelible impression as a gay couple, Kevin T. and Kevin J., who, initially anxious about how their relationship would be received, soon discovered that they had inadvertently been stranded in “the gayest town in Newfoundland.”

Other memorable characters include Alia Bisharat Glidden as pioneering pilot Beverly Bass (first female captain for American Airlines who was piloting Americal Airlines Flight 40 from Paris to Dallas on 9/11 when her plane was diverted to Gander), and Sherri L. Edelen and Thomas Adrian Simpson as a 60-ish couple, Diane Kirschke from Houston, TX and Nick Marson from London, UK who fell in love while stranded and later married in real life. Durron Marquis Tyre provides some of the production’s most memorable comedic moments, starting with a running gag based on his suspicion of the townspeople’s kindness. Terrified that someone is going to steal his wallet, he is suddenly commissioned to collect all the neighboring barbecue grills for a communal cookout. To his surprise, rather than being accused of stealing grills, he finds that the homeowners not only help him, but each offers him a drink. Tyre’s character was based on real-life passenger Tom McKeon, son of a New York City firefighter, who stayed at the home of the mayor of Appleton, a town near Gander and struck up a lifelong friendship with a local resident, apparently after bonding over a fondness for Irish Whiskey.

After a while, the line blurs between the play’s cast of characters and the real-life people whose lives they are based on. And that is yet another of the strengths of Come From Away. This is a show you can watch more than once and probably come away with a whole new depth of perspective.

Great, unobtrusive direction by Rick Hammerly. Lively Celtic folk-rock music under the direction of Ellie Kahn. Phenomenal dialect coaching by Erica Hughes. A minimalist but far from sparse set design by Chris Raintree with evocative lighting and projections by Joe Doran and Mark Costello, respectively. Enhanced by Jonathan Pratt’s sound design. Highly recommended!

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Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and currently lives in Eastern Henrico County, (Richmond) VA. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself and occasionally performs. Julinda was awarded the Dean’s Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Award for the 2023-24 Academic Year by VCU School of the Arts and the 2025 Pioneer Award in Dance Ministry by Transformation International Worship Ministries, Newport News, VA. Julinda completed her doctorate in Educational Leadership at Regent University (EdD, 2022) and her doctorate of ministry in Worship Arts at the Eagles International Training Institute and Bible College (DMin, 2025). Next up: certification in Water Aerobics instruction.

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COME FROM AWAY

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein

Directed by Rick Hammerly

CAST

Ti Reneé Ames         ……….           Hannah & Others

Ashlee Beary            ……….           Janice & Others

Sherri L. Edelen       ……….           Diane & Others

Alla Bisharat Glidden………           Beverley & Others

Susan Sanford          ……….           Beulah & Others

James Scales            ……….           Claude & Others

Erich Schroeder       ……….           Oz & Others

Thomas Adrian Schroeder..          Nick & Others

Emelie Faith Thompson…..           Bonne & Others; U/S Beverley & Others

Durron Marquis Tyre………          Bob & Others

David Lyve Watkins ………..          Kevin J. & Others

Eddie Webster         ……….           Kevin T. & Others

Jianna Hurt               ……….           Swing (Hannah, Janice)

Aaron Thomas Moore …….          Swing (Claude, Nick, Oz)

David Ramirez          ……….           Swing (Kevin T., Kevin J., Bob)

Alanna Wilson          ……….           Swing (Bonnie, Beulah, Diane)

MUSICIANS

Keyboard/Conductor …….           Ellie Kahn

Whistle                      ……….           Susan Davis, Doreen Oroshnik

Guitar                         ……….           Brad Gunson, Drew Perkins

Mandolin                   ……….           Ed Drake

Drums                        ……….           Joe Lubman

Fiddle                        ……….           Sage Wright, Marissa Resmini, Luz Recino

Bass                            ……….           Beatrice Kelly, Alex Kehayas

Bodhrán/Percussion ………          Steve Raybould

PRODUCTION TEAM

Direction                   ……….             Rick Hammerly

Music Direction          ……….            Elie Kahn

Choreography           ……….            Bandon Kelly

Scenic Design          ……….           Chris Raintree

Costume Design      ……….           Kendra Rai+

Lighting Design       ……….            Joe Doran

Projection Design      ……….            Mark Costello

Sound Design            ……….            Johnathan Pratt

Dialect                        ……….            Erica Hughes                                                                                                                                             

Stage Management   ……….            Abby Bobb

Production Photography…….           Aaron Sutton

Promotional Photography…..           Bob White

Production Video       ………..           Austin Lewis

Performance Schedule:

June 18 – August 2, 2026

Tickets: $35-$79; Discounts available for Students & Military

Run Time: Approximately 100 minutes, no intermission

Content Warning: The show features themes of terrorism, panic, and grief. While it is generally recommended for audiences ages 10 and up, viewer discretion is advised regarding the intense emotional weight of the subject matter.

Audience Advisory: This production utilizes water-based theatrical haze.

Original Broadway production by Junkyard Dog Productions.

Come From Away was originally co-produced in 2015 by LaJolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre and presented in 2016 by Ford’s Theatre.

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WHICH WAY TO THE STAGE

The Roles We Play

At: Richmond Triangle Players at the Robert B. Moss Theatre, 1300 Altamont Avenue,  RVA 23220

Performances: April 23 – May 17, 2025

Ticket Prices: $50

Info: (804) 346-8113 or rtriangle.org

A Theater Reflection by Julinda D. Lewis

Ana Nogueira’s Which Way to the Stage is one of the funniest plays I’ve seen this season ever seen. It is also one of the most authentic plays I’ve ever seen about the theater, relationships either the theater or relationships. Which Way to the Stage is complex and layered. It’s filled with inside jokes – I’m sure that I probably only caught a quarter of them – that could be used as a test to weed out the true musical theater afficionados from the amateurs. I do know a few people – I won’t call them friends – who don’t like musical theater; this show is not for them.

Judy (Amanda Spellman) and Jeff (Matt Shofner) are best friends and theater buddies. Judy carries around a binder filled with playbills – including one from the original cast production of Rent. She and Jeff enjoy discussing things like who was the best Mama Rose in Gypsy (Bernadette Peters? Patti LuPone?) as if their very lives depend on the correct response.

“Like a caricature of a caricature of a performance by my mother in the Temple Beth Israel talent show.” – Judy

During the course of Which Way to the Stage, the two meet most nights outside the stage door of the Richard Rodgers Theatre, waiting for Idina Menzel* to appear, hoping to get her to sign their programs. She didn’t come out the night they saw the show she’s starring in, If/Then, and they are racing against time as the show is schedule to close soon.

The main part of the set for Which Way to the Stage is outside the stage door of the Richard Rodgers Theatre, located at 226 West 46th Street in New York City’s theater district. The scene was immediately familiar to my daughter, who was my theater date on opening night. When we lived in NY, she attended New York’s High School of Graphic Communication Arts on West 49th Street, a short distance from the theater. Kudos to Daniel Allen, the scenic designer, for the authenticity. The theater marquee and the hallway where the actors wait for their auditions are perfection!

On stage at Richmond Triangle Players (RTP) Spellman and Shofner start off with high spirited theater-nerd banter that – incredibly – just keeps getting better and better as the show goes on. Personal chemistry? Great acting? Let’s say it’s a balanced blending of both. The two usually enter the stage from the audience, starting their loud banter as they walk to the theater – and nearly every time they have a near miss with the NYC traffic.

“I want to be Rent poor!” – Judy

Both Judy and Jeff are actors. Judy is returning to theater after taking time to develop a career in real estate – in New Jersey. She’s talented but lacks confidence. Jeff can’t get the roles he really wants because they’re for cis gender white men – or women. He works as a drag queen and specializes in portraying Streisand as Yentl (there’s some more musical theater history for you!).

Things start to get real when Judy crosses a line. You know how it’s taboo for the white friend to use the word “nigger” around their Black friends? Well, Judy, in an act of solidarity with Jeff, whose ex-boyfriend managed to get Menzel’s autograph on the one night Jeff and Judy could not be there, calls the ex a “faggot.” The atmosphere changes, the mood shifts, and Jeff, as gently as possible, explains that, even thought they have been friends since high school and even though Judy is what we might call an  “ally” these days, she can’t say that word.

At an audition, in which Judy does quite well, but doesn’t quite get the job, she meets and later starts a tenuous relationship with Mark (Calvin Malone). Mark seems to have a leg up on getting parts. He’s tall, white, handsome, and straight – or is he??? This throws a new cog in the wheel of Jeff and Judy’s relationship. There is now sexual tension, rivalry, jealousy, and an unnamed emotion that wells up in Judy when her femininity is not so much questioned as criticized. She is advised to take lessons in being more womanly – from a drag queen.

Spellman manages this brilliantly, starting subtly with a zipper that keeps sliding down, and building up to – well, If I told you, that would be too much of a spoiler. I’ll just say, it builds up, fueled in part by Judy’s own stagnation, Jeff’s insightful but cutting observations, and the Mark triangle.

Speaking of drag queens, Shofner completely slayed in his second act drag scene. First of all, let’s acknowledge the magic of Tariq Kariem (costume designer and wardrobe supervisor) and Like Newsome (who designed the hair and makeup). Shofner’s make-up and wig were applied in record time. At one point, I believe Shofner exited a door in one outfit and reappeared less than a minute later through another door in a completely different outfit! Onstage, after his over the top drag act, ending with a hearty lip-synced rendition of “Defying Gravity,” complete with a black cape, step-ladder and…mop, yes, a mop, not a broom (sigh)…as I was saying, after this number, Shofner, as Jeff, sits at his dressing room table and completes the process of removing every trace of the makeup – and act that is both professional and symbolically profound. As he strips off his character, he reveals more of himself.

There are a lot of symbolic and metaphoric words and actions in Which Way to the Stage. How do we define femininity? Who determines which roles are suitable for a gay actor? (I mean, after all, it’s…acting.) Is bisexuality a valid choice – or is refusing to accept labels just a lack of commitment? How does friendship survive or thrive when career, life, or perhaps being unevenly yoked all sink their hooks into every breath you take, and make it impossible to breathe?

Like most good humor, in my experience, Which Way to the Stage is based on real life: people, situations, circumstances, including identity and belonging – and in this case, all of the above. Shofner and Spellman really shine as the two besties, and Malone is suitably over-confident in a way that makes it seem natural that both Jeff and Judy would be attracted to his character. There is a fourth character, a nameless and over the top entity played by Sydnee Graves.

Graves fills the shoes of an actress at the casting call, a bachelorette at the drag show, and the casting director. I didn’t much like Actress at first. She was bougie, aloof, confrontational. And then she explained to Judy how she had to learn to navigate the world, and she became less of a stereotype and more of a real person. Actress was not written as a fully rounded character, but the tags on her dress, so she can return it after the audition, and her story of sexual harassment are very much true-to-life and provide a much-needed anchor for Judy on her journey. Casting Director is a very minor character, but Bachelorette, a drunken member of a bridal party whooping it up at the drag club where Jeff performs, seems to be included strictly for laughs and seems to have no redeeming qualities other than to provide a vehicle to divert attention from the stresses of the main characters. The three roles serve hilarity to the audience and establish Graves as a versatile comedic actor.

Actress has come to terms with her life, striking an uneasy truce with theater. Jeff has adopted a realistic look at the world of make-believe, and grasps at any straws of hope and love that come his way. Mark, well, he’s the straw. And since he can pass as a straight white male, he has access to privilege. It’s Judy who is floundering, and her way of coming up for air results in one of the most brilliant scenes of the show. (Shofner’s drag show holds two of the top three places.)

Which Way to the Stage is challenging. It unwraps the carefully concealed, seamy side of theater. It’s sort of like a theatrical version of revealing the magician’s secrets. And it’s all brilliantly adorned in witty conversation, complicated friendships, and the “dainties” of life that we usually try so hard to conceal. All out there in the open. With dazzling lights, caterpillar lashes, and the sort of drama that follows you home when you leave the theater.

Directed by RTP’s Artistic Director, Lucian Restivo, who also designed the sound and projections, Which Way to the Stage isn’t a musical, but rather a play centered around a love of musical theater. There is so much familiar music in the pre-show and sound design, and so much talk of musicals, that you almost forget this isn’t actually a musical. Nogueira aptly captures the struggles that artists face in reconciling their personal aspirations with society’s expectations of and for them. Using sharp wit and unusually accurate emotional depth, Which Way to the Stage invites the audience into the inner sanctum, where we can reflect on our own journeys, and perhaps most importantly, it celebrates resilience and offers guidance on how to find and maintain connection in the midst of the chaos of the world. Yeah, you should go see it.

*Idina Menzel, the Queen of Broadway, known for her breakout performance in Rent, her award-winning performance as Elphaba in Wicked, and several award for If/Then. With a voice that spans three octaves, she has been compared to Barbra Streisand – and like her has developed a large gay following. She sand “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl LXIX and is known for powerful and empowering songs like “Let It Go” (Disney’s Frozen) and “Defying Gravity” (Wicked).

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Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, minister of dance, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and currently resides in Eastern Henrico County. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself and occasionally performs.

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WHICH WAY TO THE STAGE

Written by Ana Nogueira

Directed by Lucian Restivo

Cast

Sydnee Graves        —–     Actress/Bachelorette/Casting Director

Calvin Malone          —–     Mark

Matt Shofner            —–     Jeff

Amanda Spellman  —–     Judy

Wayne Parker           —–     u/s for Mar & Jeff

Shannon Schilstra   —–     u/s for Judy & Actress/Bachelorette/Casting Director

Creative Team

Daniel Allen              —–     Scenic Design

Paul Vaillancourt     —–     Lighting Design

Tariq Karriem           —–     Costume Design & Wardrobe Supervisor

Lucian Restivo          —–     Sound & Projection Design

Tim Moehring          —–     Props Design

Luke Newsome        —–     Hair & Makeup Design

Lauren Langston      —–     Production Stage Manager

Performance Schedule

Wednesday, April 23          8:00PM, Preview

Thursday, April 24               8:00PM, Preview

Friday, April 25                    8:00PM, Opening Night

Saturday, April 26                8:00PM

Sunday, April 27                  4:00PM

Thursday, May 1                  8:00PM

Friday, May 2                        8:00PM

Saturday, May 3                   8:00PM

Sunday, May 4                      4:00PM

Thursday, May 8                  8:00PM

Friday, May 9                        8:00PM

Saturday, May 10                 8:00PM

Sunday, May 11                   4:00PM

Wednesday, May 14           8:00PM

Thursday, May 15                8:00PM

Friday, May 16                     8:00PM

Saturday, May 17                 8:00PM

Tickets

Ticket Prices: $50

Run Time

About 2 hours; one intermission

Setting

2015. The stage door of If/Then at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, an audition waiting room, and a drag club

Which Way to the Stage had its WorldPremiere at the MCC Theater in 2022.

Photos from the RTP Facebook page

Matt Shofner, Amanda Spellman
Matt Shofner, Amanda Spellman, Calvin Malone
Calvin Malone, Amanda Spellman
Calvin Malone, Amanda Spellman, Matt Shofner, Sydnee Graves
Amanda Spellman
Calvin Malone, Amanda Spellman