Show guide
Come From Away
Come From Away is a 2017 musical that tells the true story of Gander, Newfoundland, whose residents welcomed thousands of stranded air travelers in the days after the September 11 attacks.
- Broadway premiere
- 2017
- Music by
- Sankoff & Hein
- Genre
- Rock/Pop
- Setting
- 2000s
Come From Away: quick answers
What is Come From Away about?
- Come From Away tells the true story of Gander, Newfoundland, where 38 planes carrying about 7,000 passengers were diverted after the September 11 attacks, and the townspeople who housed, fed, and befriended the stranded strangers for five days.
When did Come From Away open on Broadway?
- Come From Away opened on Broadway on March 12, 2017, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre and ran until October 2, 2022, for 1,669 performances.
What kind of musical is Come From Away?
- Come From Away is a 100-minute, one-act musical with an original score by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. It is an ensemble piece based on real people, in which the cast plays both Gander locals and the passengers they took in.
Where and when is Come From Away set?
- Come From Away is set in and around Gander, Newfoundland, Canada, in the days following September 11, 2001.
Has Come From Away played in London's West End?
- Come From Away opened in the West End at the Phoenix Theatre in 2019 and won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, running until January 2023.
Is there a Come From Away movie?
- A filmed performance of the Broadway production, directed by Christopher Ashley, was released on Apple TV+ on September 10, 2021. A separate feature film adaptation was announced but was put on hold.
The story of Come From Away
When American airspace closed on September 11, 2001, dozens of transatlantic flights were diverted to Gander, a small Newfoundland town whose airport suddenly had to absorb thousands of stranded passengers. Come From Away follows the townspeople who opened their homes, schools, and hearts to the strangers, and the passengers, including real life American Airlines captain Beverley Bass, who found themselves grounded together in fear and uncertainty.
Told through a small ensemble playing both locals and travelers, the show weaves together many intersecting stories rather than following a single lead. Its themes center on generosity to strangers, community formed under crisis, and the way an ordinary town's hospitality became an unlikely source of comfort during one of the darkest weeks in recent American history.
The music and the makers
The music and lyrics were written by the husband and wife team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, who developed the show after traveling to Gander to interview residents and passengers about their experiences. The score draws on Newfoundland folk music, with fiddles, bodhrans, and driving ensemble numbers that give the show a distinctly Celtic, foot stomping energy.
Signature numbers include the rousing opener Welcome to the Rock and the reflective Me and the Sky, Beverley Bass's account of her career as a pioneering female pilot. That folk based, community minded sound, performed by a tight knit onstage band, sets Come From Away apart from more traditional Broadway orchestration.
Come From Away on Broadway
Come From Away opened on Broadway on March 12, 2017, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, directed by Christopher Ashley. The original company performed the show as a tightly knit ensemble, with Jenn Colella originating the role of Beverley Bass.
At the 2017 Tony Awards, Christopher Ashley won Best Direction of a Musical for the production, though the show lost Best Musical to Dear Evan Hansen. Come From Away went on to become one of the most acclaimed and enduring musicals of its era, praised for turning a true story of crisis and kindness into a warm, emotionally powerful piece of theatre, and it has since toured internationally and been adapted into a filmed stage production.
Come From Away: frequently asked questions
When was Come From Away written, and when did it first premiere?
Irene Sankoff and David Hein wrote Come From Away after visiting Gander, Newfoundland, for the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks in 2011, when they spent almost a month interviewing people there. After development at Sheridan College in Ontario, including a 2013 student production, it had its world premiere at La Jolla Playhouse, officially opening on June 11, 2015.
Are the characters in Come From Away based on real people?
Many are. Pilot Beverley Bass, Gander mayor Claude Elliott, SPCA manager Bonnie Harris, and police constable Oz Fudge are real people portrayed under their own names, while some characters blend two real people: Beulah combines Beulah Cooper and teacher Diane Davis, and reporter Janice combines journalists Janice Goudie and Brian Mosher.
Is Come From Away still running on Broadway?
No. Come From Away played its final Broadway performance on October 2, 2022, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, after more than 1,600 performances.
When did Come From Away open on Broadway?
Come From Away opened on Broadway on March 12, 2017, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.
Who composed Come From Away?
Irene Sankoff and David Hein wrote the music, lyrics, and book together.
What is Come From Away about?
It tells the true story of Gander, Newfoundland, whose residents housed thousands of air travelers stranded there after the September 11 attacks.
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