Come frm away - July 2026
"Discover the remarkable true story of the small town that welcomed the world."
The musical Come From Away tells the true, uplifting story of what happened in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada, in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
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The Event: When U.S. airspace was suddenly closed, 38 international flights, carrying nearly 7,000 passengers and crew from all over the world, were diverted and grounded at Gander International Airport, nearly doubling the town's population of about 10,000.
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The Story: The musical focuses on the remarkable real-life experiences of both the stranded passengers, referred to as the "Plane People" or "Come From Aways," and the residents of Gander and surrounding communities, known as the "Islanders," who welcomed and sheltered them for five days.
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The Themes: It's a story that highlights humanity, compassion, kindness, and community in the face of fear and global tragedy. The show follows an ensemble of actors who play both locals (like the town mayor, a new reporter, and an SPCA worker) and various passengers (including a female airline captain, an American mother worrying about her firefighter son in New York, and a couple who meet and fall in love).
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The Tone: Despite the tragic backdrop of 9/11, the musical is fundamentally a life-affirming and often humorous account of how a small, isolated community rose to the occasion with extraordinary generosity.
It's a one-act musical with a driving, folk-rock score, based on interviews conducted with the people in Gander and the passengers ten years after the events.
Would you like to know more about the creative team behind the musical or some of the specific real-life characters featured in the show?