That's a Wrap for "Kiss the Cod"

 

Five Standing Ovations, A Rooftop Soirée, Bagpipe-Playing & Cod-Kissing…

That’s a wrap for “Come From Away”

 

Every season at Broadway Theatre League there always seems to be that show that becomes affectionately known as our sleeper hit. Come From Away certainly fits the bill as this hidden gem. This show gave you all the feels. In fact, what comes to my mind is “I laughed, I Cried! It Was Better than Cats!”

The mood was perfectly set by Firefighters Erick De La Pena and Clint Adams from Huntsville Fire and Rescue, who played 9/11 Memorial Bagpipes for our patrons as they entered the Concert Hall to see CFA. Only 343 of the pipes will be made to honor the 343 fallen firefighters on September 11, 2001. Huntsville Fire and Rescue has bagpipes numbers 11, 12 and 13.

"And the crowd goes wild!" And they did too. After each of the five performances of CFA the audience leapt to their feet with a standing ovation. The show is constructed so that there are only three applause breaks throughout. Thus, at the end after the audience has been through such a meaningful journey filled with laughter, nostalgia and some tearjerking moments too, they are more than ready to respond with an uproarious standing ovation.

Dare I say that the most memorable character from the show could be the cod! And that’s largely due to the efforts of BTL staff members, Wil Elrick and Lisa Bollinger. Not only did they have the show sponsors, 89.3 FM/HD WLRH Huntsville and Laughlin Service Funeral Home, Inc. and Crematory, “Kiss the Cod” to become honorary Newfoundlanders, but they also grabbed numerous patrons before each show with the promise of an upgrade to the Orchestra Pit (first two rows) if they would “Kiss the Fish”. And boy did they ever! Don’t worry there will be photographic evidence at the end of this blog post.

The fun continued with a Rooftop Halloween Party on Saturday night at Rhythm on Monroe that we threw for the full company of CFA, including Alabama native Addison Garner who played Captain Beverley Bass. The weather was perfection and there was lots of delicious food & drinks, as well as our friend Jackson Love on the piano with the occasional company member singing along with him. We didn’t take any photos of the cast during the party to share because we wanted them to feel comfortable letting loose a bit without fear of the paparazzi in tow.

And what was the word on the street about Come From Away you might ask? How about we let you hear it directly from the audience members themselves. Here’s what they had to say:

·        Second time seeing it and just amazing! Recommend this show to everyone – Denise T

·         A fantastic production! It was wonderful to see how engrossed the audience was with this production – Dottie L

·         Saw it last night. It was amazing. Would love to see it come back – Kimberleigh J

·         LOVED the show – Shana A

·         Great production – Lu M

·         Best show EVER!!!! – Sherri R

·         It was wonderful! So much talent and energy! – Joan M

·         What a great show! Thank you to BTL for bringing such a high quality and timely show to Huntsville! – Kathi S

·         It was fantastic! THANK YOU for bringing it here! – Elaine O

·         So enjoyed this show. Great way to start the season! – Leslie G

·         Love love love this show! Thank you for bringing this one! Yes, it was the 3^rd time I’ve seen it but I would see it 30 more times! It’s just that good! – Robin L

·         I think it was our favorite by far, and we’ve seen a lot of shows!!! – Cheryl G

·         Tonight’s show was great, so much energy. We had seen it in New York and we both thought this performance was better! – Cathy S

·         This was one of my all-time favorites!! Loved it! – Margaret W

·         It was an absolute phenomenal show!!! Thank you, BTL – Tanya K

·         This was my 3^rd time for this play. I did not remember the hymn. That was especially poignant for me with all the faiths together – Nancy D

·         The show was fantastic! The acting and choreography and set … the orchestra … everything was top notch! A show everyone should see. – Randy C

·         Amazing! The best show I have ever seen! Phenomenal cast and an amazing production of a true event that had me mesmerized from start to finish. – Diana R

·         I had streamed a recorded performance before and loved it, but I was surprised how much more moving it was in person. FANTASTIC performance! Extra thanks to the musicians who ended the show on a fun note, giving all of us a chance to recover. – Amber O

·         THANK YOU BTL for bringing this Fabulous Show to us. And please let the actors know they did a magnificent job. – Jill S

·         Saw it today with no expectations. It was one of the best shows I have ever seen. – Steven C

 

And there were so many more thoughtful reviews….  We sure do love our BTL Patrons!

 

                           Sarah Chappell from Laughlin