Anyone Else Obsessed With Jenn Colella? No? Just Me? Cool.
I have a long drive to and from work every day, and there usually comes a point where I am dramatically and emphatically singing along to whatever playlist I have chosen that day. On the longest and dreariest of days, Broadway is often my music of choice. Unlike the radio, the slow build and dramatic release of emotion found in the "my life is ending, what am I going to do" ballads of our darling leading characters provides the energy boost needed for those long stretches of highway.
After one day that proved to be particularly long and dreary, I was feeling especially in touch with my inner Broadway leading lady, ready to pour my heart out to no one in particular. Song after song came and went, but it was Come From Away's "28 Hours/Wherever We Are" that stuck with me. Full of fear, love, and humor, the emotion in every beat is palpable. But when Jenn Colella's brief solo moment began, I was ready to cry. The strength and power in her voice is perfectly balanced with a kind of vulnerable softness, effortlessly bringing her audience into the moment with her.
Colella (left) and the real Beverley Bass (Photo Credit: Joseph Marzullo/WENN)
Set in the week following 9/11, "Come From Away" tells the true story of 7,000 people that were stranded in the small Canadian town of Gander in Newfoundland when 38 planes were unexpectedly forced to land following the attacks. Colella originated the role of Captain Beverley Bass in the original Broadway production, earning high praise for her depiction of Bass as the first female commercial captain for American Airlines.
Maybe it was Colella's enviable talent. Maybe it was the honesty with which she portrayed the character. Maybe it was the character of Beverley Bass herself and the impact she has had. Either way, I was moved to tears listening to Colella sing. It reminded me of why I love theater. While a recording of any song is obviously not the same as hearing the artist live, I am always amazed at the effect live theater has. As the one year anniversary of the Broadway shutdown looms closer and closer, here's hoping the first anniversary is the last.
Feature Photo: Jenn Colella and the cast of Come From Away (Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy)