Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Semi-staged reunion concerts with a purpose: Legacies at San Juan Hill brings new meaning to SHUFFLE ALONG, commemorating 9/11 via COME FROM AWAY

• By drediman
• October 2, 2026
• No Comments

This September, I was able to take in a pair of semi-staged reunion concerts that throbbed with purpose. Here are my thoughts on Legacies of San Juan Hill Festival’s starry presentation of the 2016 musical Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed — performed a mere blocks away from the site of the groundbreaking 1921 production — as well PAC NYC’s concert staging of the little 2017 musical that could Come from Away in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. As always, read on for my thoughts.

SHUFFLE ALONG, OR, THE MAKING OF THE MUSICAL SENSATION OF 1921 AND ALL THAT FOLLOWED
Lincoln Center’s San Juan Hill Festival at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center

Earlier this week, I was privileged to be in the “room where it happened” — that is, in the audience of the 10th anniversary reunion concert of Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center. As a presentation of the Legacies of San Juan Hill Festival, the musical took on broader meaning as a celebration of cultural significance of the historic San Juan neighborhood (i.e., the current site of Lincoln Center) — where the groundbreaking original Shuffle Along premiered in 1921 — in addition to having the distinction of being the first all-Black Broadway musical. In short, the concert was a night to remember, featuring much of the original star-studded 2016 cast, including Audra McDonald, Adrienne Warren, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter, Brandon Victor Dixon, Amber Iman, and Brooks Ashmanskas (in lieu of Tony-winner Joshua Henry was the more than game Norm Lewis). From the get-go, the production fired from all cylinders, with each number being met with enthusiastic applause. Particularly sensational were Tony-winners McDonald and Porter, who brought nuance and intoxicating gusto to their performances as Lottie and Aubrey, respectively (Porter’s rendition of “Low Down Blues” was downright hair-raising). As staged by original director George C. Wolfe, the semi-staged format actually focused the sprawling musical, putting the spotlight squarely on the stellar performances and Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle’s exuberant score. Perhaps the secret ingredient of the production was the exhilarating recreation of Savion Glover’s vital, connective tap choreography, which literally exploded from the stage (e.g., “Pennsylvania Graveyard Shuffle”). Shuffle Along is an important piece of musical theater that I’m happy to report is being preserved for posterity — it was announced at the top of the performance that the concert was being filmed for future broadcast as part of PBS’s indispensable Great Performances 2027 lineup.

COME FROM AWAY
Perelman Performing Arts Center

Like the aforementioned revitalization of Shuffle Along, the ecstatically received one-performance-only reunion concert of Come from Away (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) at the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC, for short) was an all around lovefest. Penned in 2017 by the then unknown writing team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the musical tells the true story of how members of the community of Gander, Newfoundland were able to selflessly accommodate and take care of passengers from 38 planes (i.e., 7,000 people) when flights were grounded following the tragic events of 9/11. With nary a star in its cast nor a recognizable franchise for theatergoers to latch on to, Come from Away is the very definition of the little show that could. Indeed, since the shuttering of the lauded Broadway run, the uplifting show has become one of the most produced musicals out there. The concert in September was presented as part of the Sounds of Remembrance series — which was put together by PAC NYC in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks (PAC NYC is literally steps away from Ground Zero) — which also included a moving concert featuring the Soldiers’ Chorus of the U.S. Army Field and the Gustavo Dudamel-led New York Philharmonic. Given the musical’s central themes — namely the enduring power of community and human kindness — the presentation was a fitting and inspirational choice to conclude the largely somber weekend of performances at PAC NYC. Given the stripped-down nature of Christopher Ashley’s original staging and the emphasis on organic, communal storytelling, Come from Away translated beautifully to semi-staged concert configuration. The performance featured cast members from various iterations of the show — including the Broadway and touring productions — most notably Jenn Colella and Joel Hatch from the original mounting on the Great White Way. Both brought tremendous goodwill to their performances, anchoring the concert with genuine heart and warmth (as expected, Colella hit “Me and the Sky” out of the ballpark).