Come from Away

Come from Away is a musical, with book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. It is based on the events in the Newfoundland town of Gander during the week following the September 11 attacks, when 38 planes, carrying approximately 7,000 passengers, were ordered to land unexpectedly at Gander International Airport. The characters in the musical are based on actual Gander residents and stranded travelers they housed and fed.
After having record-breaking runs at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, the Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2015, the Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., and the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto in 2016, it opened on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 12, 2017, and became a critical and box office success. A live recording of the production was released on September 10, 2021, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the attacks. The Broadway production closed on October 2, 2022, after playing 25 previews and 1,669 regular performances.
The musical premiered at The Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, in December 2018 and then transferred to the Phoenix Theatre in the West End in February 2019. The London production closed on January 7, 2023.
At the 71st Tony Awards in 2017, the musical was nominated for seven awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Jenn Colella, winning for Best Direction of a Musical for Christopher Ashley.
The show was conceived by Michael Rubinoff, a Toronto lawyer, theatre producer, and Associate Dean of Visual and Performing Arts at Sheridan College in Oakville. After approaching various writing teams about the project, Rubinoff attracted Irene Sankoff and David Hein, whose work he knew from their 2009 musical My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding, which was a hit at the Toronto Fringe Festival and later picked up by Mirvish Productions.
In 2011, Sankoff and Hein visited Gander on the tenth anniversary of the attacks to interview locals and returning passengers. The couple translated some stories directly to the musical while others were merged for story purposes. Rubinoff used their initial script to produce a 45-minute workshop version for the Canadian Music Theatre Project, part of the Sheridan College Music Theatre Performance Program, in 2012. The workshop was sufficiently successful that Rubinoff invited Sankoff and Hein to finish writing it for a full production at Sheridan in 2013, as part of the college's regular theatrical season. The full production, directed by Brian Hill, was an artistic success, but Rubinoff was unable to attract a Canadian producer for further development.
In the meantime, Goodspeed Musicals of East Haddam, Connecticut, included the show in its Festival of New Musicals. The National Alliance for Musical Theatre in New York selected it as a showcase presentation in autumn 2013, where a performance, also directed by Brian Hill, led to the show being optioned by Junkyard Dog Productions, the production company behind Memphis and First Date.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, the townsfolk of Gander (including Claude the mayor, Oz the police constable, Beulah the teacher, Bonnie the SPCA worker, and others) describe life in Newfoundland and how they learn of the terrorist attacks taking place in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania ("Welcome to the Rock").
The attacks result in the closure of US airspace, diverting 38 international aircraft to Gander International Airport. The passengers on these aircraft doubled the population of the small Newfoundland town, which is unequipped for the influx of stranded travelers ("38 Planes"). The Gander townspeople spring to action and prepare to house, feed, clothe, and comfort the nearly 7,000 passengers, along with 19 animals in cargo ("Blankets and Bedding"). Meanwhile, the pilots, flight attendants, and passengers are initially forbidden from leaving the planes, forcing them to contend with confusing and conflicting information about what has happened and why they were suddenly grounded ("28 Hours / Wherever We Are").
Once allowed off the planes and transferred to nearby emergency shelters ("Darkness and Trees"), the passengers and crew watch replays of the attacks on the news and learn the true reason why they were grounded ("Lead Us Out of the Night"). The frightened and lonely passengers desperately try to contact their families and pray for their loved ones while the townsfolk work through the night to help them in any and every way they can ("Phoning Home / Costume Party"). The travelers are initially taken aback by their hosts' uncommon hospitality, but they slowly let their guards down and begin to bond with the quirky townsfolk and each other. The "islanders" in Gander and the surrounding towns open up their homes to the "plane people", regardless of their guests' race, nationality, or sexual orientation. Two women, Beulah (from Gander) and Hannah (from New York), bond over the fact that both of their sons are firefighters, but Hannah's son remains missing after the attacks ("I Am Here"). Hannah asks Beulah to take her to a Catholic church, and a number of characters make their way to other houses of worship around town ("Prayer").
To alleviate rising fear and mounting tensions ("On The Edge"), the townspeople invite the passengers to be initiated as honorary Newfoundlanders at the local bar ("Heave Away / Screech In"). The gravity of the attacks nevertheless continues to set in as US airspace is eventually reopened. One trailblazing pilot, Beverley Bass, comments on how her once optimistic view of the world has suddenly changed ("Me and the Sky"). While one pair of passengers develops a romance despite the terrible circumstances ("The Dover Fault/Stop the World"), another couple's long-term relationship falls apart under the stress of the event.
As the passengers and crew fly away to their homes, they joyously exchange stories of the immense kindness and generosity that the Newfoundlanders showed the strangers in their time of need ("Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere"), but not before a Muslim traveler, faced with increasing prejudice from his fellow passengers, undergoes a humiliating strip search prior to boarding. The townsfolk in Gander return to normalcy but comment on how empty their town now seems and how different the world now feels. The passengers and airline staff who return to the United States are faced with the horror of the attacks' aftermath — including Hannah, who learns that her firefighter son died during the rescue efforts ("Something's Missing").
Ten years later, the crew and passengers of the once stranded planes — the "come from aways" — reunite in Gander, this time by choice, to celebrate the lifelong friendships and strong connections they formed in spite of the terrorist attacks ("Finale"), as Claude the mayor professes, "Tonight we honor what was lost, but we also commemorate what we found."
† Not listed on the show's Playbill
Come from Away had its first professional production in 2015. It premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, where it opened on May 29, 2015. It was directed by Christopher Ashley and choreographed by Kelly Devine. It was originally expected to close on July 5, but was extended to July 12, 2015, because of popular demand.
The musical then played at the Seattle Repertory Theatre, where it began performances on November 13, 2015. It was extended by one week, through December 20, 2015, because of popular demand. Come from Away broke all box office records at the Seattle Repertory Theatre, including highest grossing show and largest single ticket sales day.
Come from Away opened at the at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.It played there between September 2, 2016, and October 9, 2016. After this, the cast performed a concert version of the musical in Gander at the Steele Community Centre.
It played a final pre-Broadway engagement at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto. Performances began November 15, 2016, and the show's entire run sold out during the second week of performances. The musical also set a ticket sales record for the theatre, selling $1.7 million in tickets in a single week. As a result of strong demand, Mirivsh Productions announced they would be adding an additional four box seats and standing room tickets for the remainder of the show's run. An additional show was also added on the evening of December 18, 2016. The show ultimately played its final performance in Toronto on January 8, 2017.
The musical opened in previews on Broadway on February 18, 2017, and officially opened on March 12, 2017, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. The show has been playing to standing-room-only audiences. Direction is by Christopher Ashley, choreography by Kelly Devine, scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Gareth Owen, and music direction by Ian Eisendrath. The performance of March 15, 2017, on Broadway was attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (who addressed the audience before the show), other current and former Canadian federal politicians and provincial politicians from Newfoundland and Labrador, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and Ivanka Trump.
On March 12, 2020, the show suspended production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 10, 2021, it was revealed that the show would be returning to Broadway on September 21. From June 21, 2022, until August 7, 2022, original cast member Jenn Colella briefly returned as Beverley/Annette. On June 8, 2022, it was announced that the Broadway production would close on October 2, 2022, after 25 previews and 1,669 regular performances, making it the 49th longest running show on Broadway.
Following the success of the pre-Broadway engagement, Mirvish Productions announced they would be opening a Canadian production of the show that would include an all-Canadian cast. In July 2017, the cast for the Canadian production was announced.
The original Canadian production played a limited engagement in Winnipeg at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, where it played there between January 12 and February 3, 2018. The entire four-week run was sold out. Following this, the production began an open-ended run at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto on February 13, 2018. It recouped its full capitalization in 14 weeks. Due to the continued demand and sold-out performances, the show ended its run at the Royal Alexandra Theatre on January 20, 2019. This allowed the production to move to the nearby Elgin Theatre, since Mirvish had previously promised the Royal Alexandra Theatre to Dear Evan Hansen which would be opening a Canadian production at the theatre in March 2019.
During the hiatus, eight benefit concerts of the show were performed at the Holy Heart Theatre in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Come from Away re-opened at the Elgin Theatre on February 5, 2019. Following the early closure of Dear Evan Hansen, the musical again transferred back to the Royal Alexandra Theatre, where it resumed performances on December 13, 2019. The musical played there until March 2020, when it had to close because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After a 21-month hiatus, Come from Away reopened at the Royal Alexandra Theatre on December 15, 2021. Amidst cast illnesses, the show closed on December 21 and planned to re-open on December 28. However, because of the omicron variant, and restrictions imposed by the Ontario government, the production announced on December 27, 2021, that it will be closed permanently.
In May 2022, it was reported that a revival of the Canadian production of Come from Away will occur in 2024, with the support of federal government funding In June 2024, it was announced that most of the original Canadian cast will be returning to the show.
Come from Away played a limited engagement at the Babs Asper Theatre in Ottawa between August 14 and September 1, 2024. After this, it began an open-ended run at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, where it began performances on September 22, 2024.
In 2023, a non-replica production of Come from Away played in Gander at the Joseph R Smallwood Arts & Culture Centre. The production, which ran between July 7 and September 3, 2023, starred original Broadway cast members Petrina Bromley as Beverley and others and Astrid van Wieren as Diane and others. A local production of Come from Away also played in Gander during the summer of 2024. A local production will also play in Gander during the summer of 2025. A German production will run from February to June 2025 in Regensburg.
The musical started its North American tour of more than 50 cities in October 2018 at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Washington.
The musical ran at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, from December 2018 to January 2019, before transferring to the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End from January 30, 2019, with a British cast. Rachel Tucker played Captain Beverley Bass until a major cast change in February 2020, when Alice Fearn took over the role. The original cast also included Clive Carter in the role of Claude.
The West End production closed on January 7, 2023, after 1,048 performances.
An Australian production opened at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, in July 2019. The Australian Company was planned to tour China, but this was cancelled due to SARS-CoV-2. Although the initial Melbourne Fall Season was cut short due to SARS-CoV-2, a short encore in Melbourne in February 2021 occurred before briefly stopping at Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane before transferring to Capitol Theatre in Sydney. The Melbourne production became the Comedy Theatre's most successful musical in its history. The production has since toured to the Gold Coast, Perth, and Canberra, with return seasons in Melbourne and Sydney.
A UK touring production began on March 1, 2024, at the Leicester Curve Theatre. From 12 to 23 March 2024 they performed at the Liverpool Empire Theatre, and will be performing at the New Theatre Oxford from 23 April.
A production in Argentina by The Stage Company was announced at the Teatro Maipo in Buenos Aires for April 2020 onwards, with Carla Calabrese as director and cast member. It was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and eventually opened in April 2022.
Misha Berson, writing for the Seattle Times, praised Christopher Ashley's fluid staging, calling the show a "meaningful balm to the benumbed psyche". Berson closed the review noting how the show "honors our capacity for humble goodness and mutual empathy in the shadow of faith-shattering evil".
Jay Irwin with Broadway World called the production "emotionally transcendent" and "the best musical I've seen all year and possibly ever".
David Gerson with DC Metro Theatre Arts called the show "one of the most refreshing pieces of art that I have seen in years. The folk and country influenced pop score is tuneful and the cast sings the hell out of it." Peter Marks, in his review in The Washington Post, noted that the musical "stirs powerful memories of 9/11 ... if the book's mechanics unfold with too much sugar, the score has an infectious, gritty vitality: Especially good is a number set in a Gander pub, choreographed by Kelly Devine, during which a risibly nutty local initiation rite is performed, involving the embrace of a recently caught codfish."
Kelly Nestruck of The Globe and Mail wrote that "the heartwarming musical lives up to the hype" and that "the accessible story, strong emotional core and gorgeous songwriting should not distract from how original and smart this gem of a musical is." Robert Cushman of the National Post called the production "outstanding". Liz Braun of the Toronto Sun gave the show a perfect 5-star review, writing "Blame Canada: a grim day in American history has been transformed into a joyous and emotional musical about the indomitable human spirit." Alan Henry of Broadway World said "You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be a better person when you leave the theatre. Don't miss 'Come From Away'."
Ben Brantley, chief theatre critic for The New York Times, wrote "Try, if you must, to resist the gale of good will that blows out of 'Come From Away,' the big bearhug of a musical", though it "starts off in a grating key of deep earnestness" and there are "moments that feel a little too heartwarming". However, "even the most stalwart cynics may have trouble staying dry-eyed during this portrait of heroic hospitality under extraordinary pressure." He awarded the show the Critics' Pick designation, given to productions the critic believes have particular merit.
Joe Dziemianowicz of the New York Daily News called the show "big-hearted and crowd-pleasing" and "a singing reminder that when things are at their worst, people can be at their best".
Joe Westerfield with Newsweek wrote that "'Come From Away' accomplishes what all the best musicals do: It takes you to a place where you didn't know you wanted to go, and makes you not want to leave."
Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter called the musical "heartwarming and thoroughly entertaining ... especially in these politically fractious times".
Johnny Oleksinski with the New York Post wrote that "Every New Yorker must see this show", referring to the musical as "Broadway's biggest and best surprise of the season".
Peter Marks of The Washington Post called the show "an effervescent musical" and "an antidote for what ails the American soul".
Michael Dale of Broadway World called the show an "inspiring, funny and kick-ass beautiful new musical" and went on to say that "as long as 'Come From Away' is playing on Broadway, I will recommend it to everyone. Everyone."
Steven Suskin, drama critic for The Huffington Post, wrote that "'Come From Away' is altogether different and altogether gripping, ... brave and new and unusual and overwhelmingly heart-tugging."
Robert Kahn with NBC called the piece "a dignified, often funny new musical" which "find[s] a spiritual angle to a horrific story, depicting the goodness in humanity while still allowing us room for the feelings of loneliness and fear that will always be connected to that time."
Jennifer Vanasco with WNYC called the show "a love letter – to Newfoundland, to New York, to what people can do if they set aside fear and hate. Don't miss it."
In a more negative review, Jesse Green of New York Magazine called it "aggressively nice", and wrote that "New Yorkers may be permitted a bit of side-eye about a work that borrows our local tragedy as background for 100 minutes of Canadian civic boosterism." However he called it "tightly directed" and "sung beautifully".
An original Broadway cast recording was released on March 10, 2017, through Molly Records. It peaked at number 92 on the Top Current Albums chart and number two on the Cast Albums chart.
The musical has been criticized for playing a part in protecting Newfoundland from the history of Islamophobia post September 11. The town of Gander is described as being largely altruistic and friendly in nature, while still depicting underlying issues of discrimination in the days after the attack. Although the show goes into some detail about the Islamophobia one man faces in Gander after 9/11, the Canadian stereotype of unending kindness found in Come from Away has been seen as problematic. This stereotype is often used as an excuse to look past racism and hateful rhetoric found in and beyond Newfoundland.
In November 2017, it was announced that The Mark Gordon Company would produce a feature film adaptation of the musical, with Sankoff and Hein writing the screenplay and Christopher Ashley as director. In April 2019, Sankoff and Hein stated that the intention was to shoot in Gander and cast lesser-known actors, with Gander residents as extras.
In February 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the film industry and the performing arts, the film adaptation was cancelled in favor of producing a live recording of the stage production with the members of the Broadway cast reprising their roles, to be released in September 2021 on the 20th anniversary of the attacks. Produced and financed by Entertainment One and RadicalMedia, a May 2021 staging at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater with Ashley directing and Gordon as producer was used. Joining the producing team are Jennifer Todd, Bill Condon and one of the stage production's producers, Junkyard Dog Productions. Sankoff, Hein, Jon Kamen, Dave Sirulnick and Meredith Bennett executive produced. The film employed 222 people, including the members of the New York cast, crew, staff, and creative and film teams. In April 2021, Apple TV+ acquired the film's distribution rights. It was released on September 10, 2021.