NEW YORK _ A new musical set on Sept. 11 _ yes, that Sept. 11 _ may not seem like a laugh riot, but as Jenn Colella knows, laughter can crop up in unexpected places.
She was a stand-up comedian before switching gears and establishing herself among a new generation of Broadway belters. And now she's starring in "Come From Away," a new musical from the Canadian songwriting team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, which opens at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 12.
The title is a local Newfoundland phrase describing outsiders _ and it was used a lot on 9/11, when scores of international flights were forced to land once American airspace shut down. The musical recounts what happened in one town _ Gander, pop. 9,000, plus suddenly 7,000 tourists on its doorstep for several days with only carry-ons (luggage was off limits for security reasons). The locals provided food, clothing, shelter and, in this version, rip-roaring songs. The story is based on interviews with real people, with Colella playing both a local woman and Capt. Beverley Bass _ American Airlines' first female pilot _ who wound up in Gander.
A South Carolina native, Colella, 42, has starred on Broadway in "High Fidelity," "Urban Cowboy" and "If/Then."
Q: I bet you hear a lot of 9/11 stories at the stage door.
A: Yes, which is ... quite lovely. That's the whole reason for this _ to make people feel something and open up.
Q: OK, well, here's mine. In the opening number you sing "I'm an islander" _ meaning Newfoundland. I thought, "Hey, I'm an islander, too." I grew up on Long Island, and live on Manhattan Island. But I never felt that "islander-ness" so acutely until 9/11, when they shut down the bridges and tunnels and I thought ...
A: You're trapped ... on this island.
Q: Yeah. The opening number took me back to that.
A: It's interesting _ we did a concert version in Gander in their hockey rink.
Q: You performed in a hockey rink?
A: Yes. Huge hockey rink. Jam-packed. And when we sang that lyric, they jumped to their feet and roared. It changed how we sing it. There was this deep ... sense of pride we felt from them. I'll never forget their faces and the sound of them yelling.
Q: Playing a real person must be daunting.
A: The moment I met Capt. Beverley Bass was after a preview in La Jolla. I walked into a restaurant near the theater _ she saw me, came over and said, "Excuse me, but I think you're playing me." I looked at her and said, "I think you're right." We just knew. We had this instant ... connection. I can't explain it.
Q: Have you ever flown a plane?
A: No, but she wants to get me into a flight simulator. That would be great. I'm so much more attuned to flight crews when I travel now, and how hard they work. I look the pilot in the eye on the way out the door and thank him or her. This isn't the first time I've played a pilot. I played Amelia Earhart in the musical "Take Flight," and I've played Peter Pan, too. So ... it's funny _ there's something about me being in the air. It's like I'm meant to be up there or something. I have a photo in my dressing room of Amelia Earhart climbing out of a Lockheed. I keep it up for inspiration.
Q: OK ... so, what the heck are "honey buckets"?
A: Ohhh, yeah. I say that in the show. Whenever a plane lands, they empty out the passengers, cargo and the honey buckets _ which is a lovely euphemism for the toilets.
Q: Ohhh. And an ugly stick? You play that weird-looking thing with the band onstage.
A: I'm not a percussionist but I have to learn to rock that thing. It's a traditional instrument from Newfoundland, dating back for who knows how long. It's basically a broomstick with cans and bells attached. And you bang it on the floor and hit it with a stick. I'd just gotten used to what I have to play, and now they're rewriting music, giving me new rhythms to learn. It's hard. I have to take it home to practice. I'm sure my neighbors are thrilled.
Q: Well, the audience approves. You can feel a buzz in the house before the show starts.
A: I was prepared for a cooler reception in New York. I thought this subject matter might hit too close to home. But they love it. I think people associate that day with such tragedy and yet here's a story that makes you laugh and cry and appreciate the human capacity to care for one another. And ... really ... that's what it's all about.
