Last year, my “bestie” and I were talking about gifts. I’m in my 70s, and she’s getting there. Both of us said that we have enough “stuff” and don’t need any more things in our lives. That poses a problem when occasions like Christmas and birthdays arrive, which one would normally commemorate with a small gift of some sort.
I solved the Christmas issue a few years ago by making a few calendars using my photographs and having some printed for close friends. They are, in essence, disposable at the end of each year (or they can keep the pics – whatever). Birthdays are a different issue.
We decided that having some kind of joint experience would be the nicest gift – both the giver and receiver get to enjoy it together. So…
In honour of my last major birthday, she gave me two tickets to a play at a nearby theatre. We headed into the city yesterday to enjoy lunch together and then off to the Imperial Theatre in uptown Saint John, New Brunswick, to see the highly acclaimed “Come From Away” musical.
It’s the true story about the community of Gander, Newfoundland, as it hosted thousands of unexpected visitors from 38 planes when airspace was shut down across North America due to the 911 tragedy in the USA. Hundreds of planes heading there had to be diverted.
Told with great humour and sensitivity, we were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at how all the citizens of the town came together to help and comfort those people who were stranded far from their destinations and desperate to have news about their loved ones, as well as to reassure them that they were ok, wherever they were, somewhere in Canada.
It’s a high-energy production, running non-stop for almost two full hours. The cast (actors and musicians) from New Brunswick delivered an incredibly professional show. Originally booked for three performances, they added two extra ones due to demand for seats. When we booked ours, we got the last two seats together that were available.
The acting, singing and dancing were nonstop. I can’t imagine how the actors remembered all of their lines, the songs and the choreography.
It’s a touching story. Many personal stories (from real people who experienced the trauma) were heartbreaking. In one scene, a character was trying desperately to reach her son in New York. He was a firefighter and would have been one of the first responders when the Twin Towers went down. Call after call went unanswered until his voicemail box was filled. Her son’s name was David. I empathized and ended up sobbing quietly because, two years ago, my son was missing for 12 days and I did the same thing – leaving message after message. The ending for both of us was sad – her son died while saving people, and my son, also named David, died on the first day he went missing. She found out about hers on September 14th – my son’s birthday. That scene ripped my insides out.
In another scene, they talked about one plane that was loaded with children travelling with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to Disneyland in Florida. Stranded in Newfoundland, local folks came together to provide special entertainment for them, ranging from clowns to hay rides, keeping the kids happy and entertained.
Friendships were forged between the residents of Gander and their international travellers. Romance blossomed between two unlikely people stranded together, who later married and returned to Gander for their honeymoon. The local lady from the SPCA found pets, who were being transported on the planes, and took care of their needs with bedding and food. No one was neglected.
At the end of the performance, the entire packed house rose as one, giving them a standing ovation that seemed like it would never stop. I’m sure the performers were exhausted, but it didn’t show. They had one more performance to do last night before the event closed. Congratulations to all involved in this incredible production!
If you ever get a chance to see it, make sure you grab your tickets early and enjoy being transported to a remote, kinder, gentler world that believed in support for anyone in need.
Capturing Cherished Memories 