What does it take to create an award-winning musical, and what does it take to stage that musical in an entirely new language with an entirely new vision? These were the questions that the creators and crew of “Come from Away” attempted to answer during a two-part talk hosted by the UvA’s musical theatre chair at the DeLaMar theatre the afternoon before the very first performance took place on the 25th of March. 

For those unfamiliar with “Come from Away” the musical focuses on the 38 planes forcibly grounded in Newfoundland -a small island off the Canadian coast- after the US airspace closed in the wake of 9/11. The twelve members of the ensemble cast each portray multiple different characters, quickly switching between roles in order to recount the story of the almost 7000 stranded passengers and the islanders that rallied together to feed, clothe and house them.

The interviews were moderated by UvA’s own Millie Taylor, who was named Chair of the musical in the theatre department in 2020, the first person ever to occupy this newly created position at the UvA. Across from her sat David Hein and Irene Sankoff, the original writers of the musical. The couple talked about the research that went into the writing process, which began even before they landed in the small town of Gander, where most of the action takes place. As welcoming as they had been almost 10 years prior, the islanders invited David and Irine into their homes and eagerly shared their stories and music, often pulling out instruments in the middle of the conversation- despite not being quite sure what the two writers really wanted to do with them. 

After a short break professor, Taylor took the interviewers chair once again, this time in conversation with the crew that worked behind the scenes in the DeLaMar production, to talk about the goals and challenges behind adapting a musical to an entirely new language and context. On the stage behind them unfolded the set, a simple geometric wooden structure designed to emulate both the wingspan of a plane and a goose- the symbol of Gander, with two levels on the inside creating the image of a greek amphitheatre, which complimented the director’s vision of a “Greek chorus”- one of the many examples of different departments working together to create a cohesive and memorable final product. The production crew also includes Rosite van der Woude, the only female musical director currently working for a major theatre in the Netherlands, who learned to play the button accordion in under a year for the performance. Finally, the show’s translator, Danny Westerweel- better known for his acting role as Hulppiet in het Sinterklaasjournal- talked about the process of translating his very first musical, and how he landed such an important job on his first attempt. 

For any Dutch speakers interested, the show will play at the DeLaMar theatre until the 2nd of April. Even as a non-dutch speaker, after seeing this show I can confidently say that the performance did not disappoint with the quality of its singing, acting, set design and choreography. A truly brilliant reimagining of a brilliant show!