Okay, so we normally review books which is great because I read a lot of those and rarely do I get to go to a Broadway Show at 2 pm on a Wednesday (this is a first) but today, that is exactly where I was. I knew very little about the play beforehand (okay, literally nothing) other than our gorgeous Prime Minister had flown the 45 minutes from Toronto to watch it in New York because it’s about Canada and frankly if it’s good enough for him… so I bought some outrageously expensive ticket because if I am going to go to Time Square it’s got to be for a VERY good reason (I avoid it like the plague) and settled down in my seat among the other daytime patrons who were obviously American (yes, it’s sometimes obvious) and visibly older (who else goes to broadway in the middle of the day?) And from the very first song I was spellbound.
It’s the story (I found out) of 7,000 people from all over the world, who were grounded on Sept 11, 2001, when the USA closed their airspace after the attacks on New York city. This tiny town called Gander in Newfoundland, population 10,000 was home to these displaced passengers for over 5 days and this is the musical that tells the tale. A true event, since named Operation Yellow Ribbon has but a small cast all playing many parts and it’s absolutely the best thing I’ve seen since Carole King’s Beautiful.
Sitting in this intricate theater in the heart of New York city, tears flowed down my cheeks and deep guttural belly laughs escaped all within the same breath. I felt very humbled and proud to be Canadian and to witness it surrounded by Americans who all had their own tragic experiences and memories from that day was even more emotional.
The music, the incredible cast, and voices were magically interwoven to create 90 fully captivating minutes. This is a MUST see. As a Canadian, as an American, as a person of this world. Go.