It’s hard to perfectly encapsulate the breadth of emotions that go into a live theatrical performance on film, but “Come From Away” brings so much heart and soul to the stage that the performance by the Broadway cast is easily transferred onto film. The proshot (filmed stage production) of the Broadway show dropped on Apple TV+ this past weekend in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Flight 93.

The show is based on true events surrounding that fateful day, but instead of focusing on Manhattan, it looks at another island, this one about 1,500 miles to the northeast.

The play opens on the locals of the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada as they talk through their morning routines, opening school, the mayor’s daily trip to Tim Hortons, the usual gab of this heavily accented crowd as they welcome the audience to their home in the foot-stomping opener “Welcome to the Rock.” Then the world changed.

Since airspace travel closed immediately following the attacks, any inbound flight to the U.S. was redirected to Gander’s airport, which we learn was at one point the largest in North America. As the town hurriedly prepares for the traveler’s arrivals (“Blankets and Bedding”), we get a look at some of the passengers who landed there. Here, the ensemble cast quickly changes accents, adding hats or coats to signify they’ve changed characters and we see meet some of the passengers who still don’t know what’s happened as they struggle through boredom and stress that comes from the reroute and the lingering on the tarmac for someone to say what’s going on (“28 Hours/Wherever We Are”).

When they eventually are able to disembark (“On The Bus”) and make it to shelters that have been set up, they find out the inevitable. But the town makes the “plane people” feel welcome for days until the skies finally open and they can return home in this new world that has developed as a result of the attacks.

Over these days, we see the communities around Gander open their hearts and homes, lend shoulders to cry on, drink with them and keep their spirits as high as they can, given the circumstances. We get to know them and a few of the passengers but no one is particularly singled out as the “star” of the show. Instead, it’s a true ensemble piece with some breakout numbers like “Me and the Sky” sung by Beverly Bass (played by Jenn Colella) the pilot of the plane to Dallas, and “I am Here,” sung by Hannah O’Rourke (played by Q. Smith), the mother of a New York City firefighter whom she cannot reach.

While setting a show in direct aftermath of 9/11 could get very, very serious, “Come From Away” focuses more on the community that formed from the tragedy and the displacement. There are obviously heartbreaking and serious moments highlighted by the raw emotions the characters experience, but they are matched by a salve of good humor and levity (as seen during the number “Screech In”).

The stage is small and sparsely populated by a few chairs and tables the actors move constantly, signifying changes in place. The whole show is constantly moving, but not so much as to make the constant shift in place, character or story confusing. The pace keeps it from lingering too much in the darkness, instead choosing to focus on the light.

Though we may not be in Gander long, the show sticks with you, between the incredible staging (including probably one of the best proshots I’ve ever seen), strong performances by each member of the company and specific-sounding music that brings together Broadway contemporary stylings with a distinctly Canadian folk feel.

“Come From Away”

106 minutes

TV-14

4 stars