By Bob Goepfert
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – It would be a major understatement to say we live in uncertain times. It’s also true to say that it’s a rare achievement to create a thing of beauty out of a time filled with tension and fear.
Yet the creators of the musical “Come From Away” accomplished that feat. They took a true story about a small town in Newfoundland that took thousands of stranded airline passengers into their midst and made them welcome in the uncertain days that followed 9/11.
“Come From Away” is an uplifting story about people being good to each other in times of crisis.
It’s almost ironic that a national touring show that speaks to the healing powers of courage and community comes to Schenectady just when those attributes are needed most. No segment of society has been unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but few have been hit harder than the entertainment and the hospitality industries.
Today, in the world of theater you might hold a ticket to a prized show running on Broadway, but there is no certainty your performance won’t be canceled or postponed. Just as the unknown citizens of Gander, Newfoundland became the heroes of post-9/11, in theater the normally unheralded stand-bys are saving shows daily.
Indeed, it is the stand-bys in the cast of “Come From Away” playing Proctors Jan. 25-30, that will give you confidence that if you hold a ticket for the show – not only will it go on, it will be of high quality.
In a recent telephone interview with one of the show’s standbys, Amelia Cormack, she wanted to be certain to make the point that at any given production the cast might fluctuate.
However, she is adamant in saying, “Even if an understudy is in a role, or two, or more – you will see the show you paid for.”
After a thoughtful pause she added, “Maybe even better.” She explained by offering a long list of major stars who started out as understudies. “Personally, I’m very excited to attend a show with a replacement. I figure I could be at the start of a major career.”
Cormack, a veteran of several major tours, admits the position of standby is much more demanding now. She explained that in the past you had one major track to learn, and possibly had to be familiar with a couple of others. She says for “Come From Away” “I cover five principle roles and some swings cover nine different tracks.”
Indeed, on the tour’s website they list a cast of 13, plus 7 standbys. It seems the tour takes seriously the adage, “The show must go on.” She tells of a recent production in Minneapolis when all seven standbys were in the same show and they flew in a standby, Holly Butler, from the Broadway show to complete the cast. “Holly nailed it, and the show was seamless. It was such a great, exciting night.”
Despite the stress of not knowing what role you’ll be performing on a nightly basis, added to the stringent care and isolation the cast maintains off stage, Cormack is relishing this experience. She played Proctors Theater twice; once with “Les Misérables,” the other in “Kinky Boots.” “I love performing in that space,” she says.
She also performed in Glens Falls at Adirondack Theatre Festival in the delicate and tender musical “Beau.” It is work she feels was thwarted by the pandemic, but believes it will one day have a bright future.
As for her stay in Schenectady Jan. 25-30, she is looking forward to bringing “Come From Away” to audiences. “I am so grateful to be in this show at this time. It shows how incredible and good people can be in times of crisis. People ask me how a show about 9/11 can be joyful. I tell them this is a show about 9/12.”
She speaks fondly of a song in the show “Darkness and Trees.” It’s a poignant song about being in a safe place in a time of crisis. “Every time I hear it I think about being alive, here in the now. I forget about the danger that surrounds us and it helps plant my feet in the present.”
She continues, saying that peace is the subliminal power of “Come From Away.” She describes it as “An optimistic play that takes place in a dangerous time.”
“Come From Away” is at Proctors Tuesday, Jan. 25 to Sunday, Jan. 30. For tickets and scheduling information call (518) 462-6204 or go to proctors.org. Proof of vaccination is needed for entry and face masks must be worn in the theater.
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‘Come From Away’ – Peace and Joy in a time of uncertainty - The Saratogian
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