INTERVIEW: ‘Come From Away’ and how it ‘smoothes our edges’
Photo: Come From Away tells the story of a community in Newfoundland, Canada, that welcomed travelers from around the world on 9/11. Astrid Van Wieren is pictured in the middle. Photo courtesy of Matthew Murphy / Provided by Polk and Co. with permission.
Come From Away continues to play to sold-out audiences on Broadway at the Schoenfeld Theatre. Theatergoers have obviously found that the musical strikes a nerve and leaves them with a sense of humanity and gratefulness as they exit the theater.
The intermission-less show tells the true story of a small town in Newfoundland, Canada, that welcomed several commercial airlines on 9/11. As skies were shut down in the United States, passengers and pilots were stranded and needed to reroute to the nearest airports. Many of them landed at Gander International Airport, and after deplaning, the guests were welcomed by the local community — and they were met with open arms and big hearts.
Astrid Van Wieren, who plays Beulah and other characters, has been with the show for a few years, ever since its out-of-town tryouts. She made her Broadway debut with Come From Away, and the sparkle of this dream come true has not dimmed one bit.
She joined this journey thanks to Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the husband-wife team responsible for the show’s book, music and lyrics.
“I did their first show called My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding,” Van Wieren said in a recent phone interview. “I was in the chorus of that, and so I guess I got my foot in the door. I actually got to see an early production of [Come From Away] done by the students at Sheridan College because it was originally commissioned in the musical theater [program] there in Canada in Toronto, and I remember saying to them at the intermission — there used to be an intermission — oh, I’ll be in the show when it goes to Broadway — ha, ha, ha, joking.”
Little did Van Wieren know that the show would keep on gaining life in each iteration. She eventually auditioned for the musical by sending the director, Christopher Ashley, a tape. That led to her being invited to New York City.
“So I went to New York, and I thought I did OK,” she said. “I wasn’t sure. I was pretty happy with the audition, but then I didn’t get it. I wasn’t the first choice. They offered it to somebody else, and she turned it down. And I am so grateful.”
Van Wieren’s character of Beulah is based on two real-life people, one of whom is called Beulah Cooper. Recently, the actor traveled on her vacation from the show with the actor who portrays Beulah in the Toronto company, and they decided to head to Gander and meet the real-life Beulah Cooper.
“She helped a lot of people, and she also still has that friendship, that relationship with Hannah, [another character],” she said. “They’re still very close, and they still call each other every once in a while and have seen each other through some hard times. I’ve actually just recently went to visit Beulah in Newfoundland, which is really fun, with my friend, Lisa, who plays Beulah in Toronto. We decided to take our vacation together and go to Newfoundland and go visit Beulah Cooper in Gander and hang out with her, stay at her house.”
Another real-life person that inspired Van Wieren’s role is a teacher from Gander named Diane Davis. The actor found particular inspiration from the many teachers who pitched in to help these travelers who were so scared and uncertain about the news of 9/11.
It would be a lie to say Van Wieren hasn’t herself been changed by the positive message of Come From Away.
“I think we all like to say that it kind of smoothed our edges being in this show,” she said. “It’s made us all want to be better, kinder people. I’ve always been a nice person, but now I kind of go out of my way to see if I can be of service. … And it actually enriches my life so much because I constantly meet people. You give somebody a hand opening the door, help people with a stroller, and they smile at you. The day is better. Every day is better because of that. This show has really enriched my life that way.”
When Van Wieren performed the musical at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, she was admittedly nervous. She wasn’t sure how the material would be viewed by the audience and whether the Celtic folk songs would stir the theatergoers into feeling hurt, joy and hope.
“When we were in La Jolla we really didn’t know what we had,” Van Wieren said. “We were sitting around the table and reading it, and a lot of us were really moved by the first reading. … We thought there were a lot funny and joyful moments in it as well, but we weren’t sure how it was going to be received by an audience. We knew we loved it in the room, which can happen, but you don’t know how the public is going to receive it. And our very first preview in La Jolla, the lights went out — without getting emotional thinking about it — and everybody just rose to their feet in the dark. The lights came up, and everybody was standing and cheering. It was really like a tsunami of love or something coming at us, and I remember thinking, oh my God, this is really special. This is a real dialogue with the audience.”
She added: “They really were the last piece. They really listened, and they really were moved. And I thought in the back of my little Canadian brain, I thought this could go to Broadway. I really hope I get to go with it. Yeah, honestly, since then, since that first reaction, I haven’t been surprised because it’s really an extraordinary theatrical exchange. There’s a real catharsis in the audience, and people have been really lovely about it. It’s been great.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Come From Away, starring Astrid Van Wieren, is currently playing the Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
