Matthew Murphy
The North American tour of "Come From Away"
For over a year — or what seemed like forever — signs that read “This is only intermission” stood around a closed and quiet Bass Performance Hall as COVID-19 set back live performances across the globe.
On Tuesday, those signs were replaced with a new message: “Welcome back.”
The musical “Come From Away” marked the return of Broadway to Bass Hall, part of the venue’s signature Broadway at the Bass series that took a nearly 18-month hiatus during the pandemic. Fort Worth, like New York City, waited until this fall to see national touring companies perform live at the theater.
Tuesday was opening night for "Come From Away" — and what a way to kick things off.
"Come From Away" is based on a true story, set in the small Canadian town of Gander, Newfoundland, which welcomed passengers from 38 international planes diverted during 9/11. Twelve cast members play all the roles, impressively switching accents and swapping articles of clothing to transform into a different character. The plot follows an ongoing narration, as different characters take turns in the spotlight telling (or singing) their perspective of the events — but it's in no way boring. The show tackles 9/11 with somberness and sincerity but isn't averse to humor, creating a storyline that's equal parts entertaining and emotional, tying up each character arc with a nice bow at the end.
It's also worth noting that the real-life pilot of one of those planes — American Airlines' first female captain, Beverley Bass, played by Marika Aubrey — lives in Fort Worth. She was in the audience Tuesday night watching the show for the 159th time and plans to attend every performance after that.
Samantha Calimbahin
Audiences entering Bass Hall prior to curtain for "Come From Away," which reopened the Broadway at the Bass series on Oct. 19
While not every seat was filled, Bass Hall felt like a packed house. Staff was relatively efficient, getting audiences' tickets scanned quickly. There’s no social distancing, but there is a strong mask requirement (staff will call you out if your mask slips off); and Bass Hall is also touting its highly scored HVAC system with enhanced filtration capabilities.
Despite a few reminders that COVID-19 still a thing, that didn’t stop hundreds of theater fans from dressing up and enthusiastically piling into Bass Hall to see a musical again. They cheered after every number, laughed out loud, tapped their feet to the beat of the Irish-inspired soundtrack — and when the lights went dark at the show’s conclusion, the audience erupted in thunderous applause.
“Y’all just lit it up tonight,” actor Julie Johnson told the audience during a Q&A following the performance. “Fort Worth audiences, y’all can’t be beat … We feel it up here on stage.”
Ticket information for “Come From Away” and other Bass Hall events is available here. Click here to read our exclusive interview with Marika Aubrey, who plays Beverley in the show.
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TIPS FOR RETURNING TO BASS HALL
Download the Bass Hall app and have your tickets pulled up on your phone before you walk in. Starting this year, all tickets are 100% digital. If you’re coming with friends, you can email them their individual tickets so you don’t all have to meet up at the same time.
Keep your mask on. Masks are required and strongly enforced — if you take your mask off, you will get told to put it back on.
Go to the bathroom before the show starts. There’s no intermission.
Consider not taking your kids. “Come From Away” includes some language and innuendo which may not be suitable for younger audiences.
