Tag: olive-branch-theatricals

🎭 Best of Times, Worst of Times | “Come From Away” @ Olive Branch

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userpic obt olive branchIt is strange to think of one of the worst times in America’s history as one of the best times. But, in many ways, it was. We saw the nation come together in ways we haven’t seen before, and in ways we really need again: for the nation, not for party. And we saw our neighbors and allies be there for America in our time of need, expressing friendship and helping people, without questions. In these times, where current American leadership is attacking our neighbors to the North and South (but, thankfully, not the real people), it is something we need again.

This is something that was going through my mind today as I saw the EXCELLENT production of Come From Away at Olive Branch Theatricals in Valencia (Santa Clarita). There are many productions of Come From Away in Southern California right now, including one that is well publicized over in Pasadena at A Noise Within (which starts tonight). You’re going to be seeing many many more in the days and months to come; for example, Chance Theatre is doing the show in January 2027.  But we specifically chose to see the show at Olive Branch, and reworked our schedule to fit it in. The reason is important.

Back in 2006, when I started getting back into heavy theatre attendance and writing up the shows I went to, one of our favorite small theatres was REP East in Santa Clarita. They did consistently great productions, but alas, they went away. In their space, another theatre opened, this time run by the City of Santa Clarita: The Main. The Main booked all sorts of shows into their tiny black box space, and helped (together with established venues like Canyon Theatre Guild) revitalize Main Street Newhall and the theatre scene in Santa Clarita. Out of their hard work, companies like Olive Branch Theatricals were formed: To do ambitious professional level theatre in Santa Clarita, and in doing so, upping the overall quality of theatre in the area. Alas, in August 2026, the entire block where The Main was located burned to the ground. We felt it was VITALLY important to keep supporting live theatre in our backyard, in Santa Clarita. So we specifically chose to see Olive Branch’s production of the show. It would also give us the opportunity to see the Olive Branch venue (they are located inside the Valencia mall), and to assess the overall quality of their work.

I’m pleased to say that our mission was a success. We came back VERY impressed. Olive Branch converted a former retail space (I’m guessing either Contempo Casuals or Charming Charlie) into a black box theatre on the dining / plaza level of the mall. There are under 99 seats, and the nature of the venue appears to allow flexible repurposing of the space. The major problem is that it isn’t a purpose-built space, so the seating isn’t raked. But the venue works well enough and the company has been very ambitious in the shows they are attempting, with a mix of larger musicals (they did Anastasia recently) to a mix of dramas. The quality of the performance was also very strong. The actors tend not to be AEA, but they have strong skills from film and TV in the area, as well as numerous other local intimate theatre productions. The upshot is: We’ll be back—they have a number of shows projected for 2027 that appear to be of interest. It also looks like they are providing a home to productions that lost theirs due to the fire; in particular, the production of Every Brilliant Thing we had hoped to see at The Main in September appears to have relocated to OBT the weekend of November 13.

But what did you think of the show, Mrs. Lincoln?

We first saw Come From Away at the Ahmanson Theatre in 2018. We saw it again at the Ahmanson in 2022. We love the show. We love the music. We love the message. We love the humor. It is one of those shows that uplifts you; that makes you realize the good that is in people if you just give them the chance. More on that in a minute.

Here’s what I wrote when I first saw this show back in 2018:

For those unfamiliar with the story behind Come From Away: It tells the story of the small town of Gander, Newfoundland. A small town of perhaps 7,000, it was at one time a major airport with the responsibility of fueling any trans-Atlantic flight. But by 2001, jets had rendered that function obsolete, and they had perhaps a half-dozen flights a day.

Then 9/11 happened. Then the US airspace was closed, and every flight destined for the US was diverted to the nearest airport. For 38 jets from across the world, that airport was YQX, Gander. With no notice, this small town saw its population double, and a need to accommodate, feed, and take care of passengers from these 38 planes for almost a week.

They stepped up. They did. They made friendships. They demonstrated the human spirit of caring and compassion. They didn’t asked to be paid, or for any compensation.

Come From Away is this story. Authors, composers, and lyricists Irene Sankoff and Devid Hein take the thousands of citizens of Gander, and the thousands of airplane passengers, and tell their story with just 12 actors. Under the direction of Christopher Ashley, it becomes a theatrical fugue or theatrical tapestry, weaving together different voices / threads that come together, when viewed at a distance and as a completed whole, that ultimately is captured in the refrain, “Welcome to the Rock”. It is that phrase, “welcome”, that is at the heart of this piece — and that welcome is successful because it is part and parcel with the notion of respecting the Come-from-aways because, ultimately, they are Islanders as well.

This year marked the 25th anniversary of 9/11. America, as a nation, is much more divided. Political leaders have exploited hatred—in particular hatred and fear of the other—to divide. Our political leaders have destroyed our relationship with our neighbor to the north, Canada. Where once they are friendly to the USA, the tariffs and posturing of the 47 administration have soured the relationship, to the point where Canada is much more independent, and turning much more towards the EU for their friendship. But the musical Come From Away reminds of the those better times, those better relationship. It reminds us that the people of Canada are good people, and we can have good relationships if we see them as people like us. Perhaps this administration needs to see more Come From Away, and less Evita and the Andrew Lloyd Webber canon.

Yesterday, I wrote about seeing The Outsiders at Broadway in Hollywood. This was a show filled with teen angsts, with drama, with violence, with anger, with societal clashes between classes, with death and fighting. It was a real downer, and I don’t really care to see it again. Come From Away, on the other hand, is uplifting. There is great music. There are uplifting people doing good without asking for something in return. There is love and friendship. In this divided era, this is what we need to see. Perhaps this is why so many companies are mounting Come From Away, and having great success with the show.

It doesn’t help that the musical is deceptively simple to put on (although I don’t know licensing costs). Twelve actors. A set that primarily consists of a large number of chairs. Lots of costumes, but none very elaborate. Your biggest expense is live music (if you go that route), having good choreograph, and a good dialect coach. If you cast strong actors and dancers, given the strong material, the show will be successful.

The Olive Branch production succeeded in most of those areas. The main one lacking was the use of live music: the lack of musician credits in the program makes me believe that OBT used recorded performance tracks from MTI. That’s not a surprise for a small company, but live music is always preferred.

The casting of the show was very strong. I could go on and say good things about every cast member: they were all that strong. In fact, I would, but I can find only so many superlatives in the thesaurus. I do want to highlight a few of the performances. Lauren Leland was outstanding as Capt. Beverly Bass and her other characters. She had a remarkably strong singing voice, but I also noticed the small mannerisms and facial expressions that brought her character to life. I also particularly liked Rachel Kellum’s Hannah and Tammie Pearson Richards’ Beaulah. They brought wonderful characterizations to the roles. Lastly, we always enjoy seeing Meggan Taylor on stage; we’ve know her for years and she brings a special something to her roles. On the male side, we enjoyed Ed Hill’s characterization of Nick, Castello Domingo’s characterization of Ali, Brandon McCravy’s Claude. We also enjoyed whoever played the rabbi. But, as I said, all of the performances were remarkable (especially when you consider that most of these folks don’t make their living as stage actors).

I also particularly noted the choreography. This is a tricky dance show, with a large number of dances that incorporate celtic dance steps as opposed to the traditional modern or ballet dance. The performance team executed them flawlessly, which is likely the result of a talented choreography team, led by Musette Caing Hart.

The direction team of Timothy Hart and Colin Sickafoose also did a good job. I often have trouble separating what the actor brings to a role from what the director brings. But in Come From Away, the director’s job is clear: They have to manage and work with all the actors to create multiple different characterizations from a single person. They have to create multiple distinct dialects from one individual, they succeeded. About the only weakness was that the firefighter’s mother, when adopted that persona, needed a stronger New Yawk accent (it came through near the end, but not as much during).

Were there any flaws? A few minor things. I found the moving lights at the top of the stage to be distracting at times, when they were aimed up and moving fast. The eyes tend to catch motion, and so that distracted. There were a few microphone glitches, in a venue that likely only needed amplification to be heard over the recorded instrumentation. That’s about it.

In short, this was an excellent production, and showed off Olive Branch Theatricals quite well. I’d encourage you to go see it, but the show we saw was the last one. So instead, I’m going to encourage you to do two things. First, go out to the Olive Branch Theatricals website and The Olive Branch website, and get tickets to other shows they will be doing. Second, determine what companies near you are doing Come From Away, and support them. Especially support the small companies that can really use your attendance. You might discover a company that you love.

Credits

Come From Away. Book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Directed by Timothy Hart & Colin Sickafoose. Choregraphed by Musette Caring Heart.

Cast: Michael Colon Bob, and others; Castello Domingo Kevin J, Ali, and others; Ed Hill Nick Marson, Doug, and others; Rachel Kellum Hannah, and others; Lauren Leland Annette, Captain Beverly Bass, and others; Brandon McCravy Claude, and others; Samantha Georgette Reed Bonnie Harris, and others; Tammie Pearson Richards Beulah Davis, and others; Ryan Stair Kevin T., and others; Meggan Taylor Diane Gray, and others; Jeremy Thompson Oz, and others; Yu Tsutsumi Janice Mosher, and others.

Music Department: Robby Good Music Director; August Eriksmoen Orchestrations; Ian Eisendrath Arrangements. Performance tracks likely provided by Music Theatre International (MTI), which provided all authorized performance materials.

Production and Creative: Timothy Hart and Colin Sickafoose Directors; Musette Caing Hart Choreography; Emily Pandise Props; Jeremy O’Brien Lighting Design; Chloe Koons Stage Manager; Natalie Arrendondo & Emily Holmen OBT Props; Jessica Morent, Ryan Sotdart, & Casey Padilla OBT Stage Managers and Crew; Colin Sickafoose OBT House Manager; Annette Sintia Duran OBT House Choreographer; Janet McAnany OBT Costume Director; Jeff McAnany OBT Marketing & Outreach; Jeremy O’Brien Facilities & Technical Direction.

Administrivia

I am not a professional critic. I’m a retired cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; The Soraya, Chromolume Theatre, and 5-Star Theatricals.

Want to find a show: Check out the Theatre Commons LA show list. Other good lists are the Theatre in LA listings; the TodayTix listings; OnStage 411 (use the “shows” drop down); and Theatermania. If you are looking for discount tickets, TodayTix (unlike their predecessor Goldstar Events) doesn’t handle the small theatres in LA. Luckily, Theatre Source LA has a new initiative: StageRushLA for discount tickets.

Sadly, we recently lost one of my favorite theatrical venues due to fire: the historical building housing Newhall Refinery, Care/Tucker Design, The Main, and El Troc was destroyed by a 3-alarm fire. Luckily, Canyon Theatre Guild next door was spared. I’ve been attending “The Main”, and it’s previous incarnation, Rep East Playhouse, since all the way back in 2006. Twenty years. Let’s pour a glass for the art and artists of Rep East/The Main, and hope that small and vital venues like The Main return to Santa Clarita soon. While you’re at it, contribute to support the artists of The Main who lost all their gear (they were in the middle of a show run). Do what you can to support theatre in Santa Clarita. I am: Our outing today for Come From Away is to the Olive Branch Theatricals production, in the Valencia Town Center. The leaders there got their start through REP and CTG.

Upcoming

Key: 🎭 Theatre / 🎼 Music / 🎙 Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (🎫 indicates ticketing is pending).

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