Come from Away

Come from Away
MusicIrene Sankoff
David Hein
LyricsIrene Sankoff
David Hein
BookIrene Sankoff
David Hein
Productions2017 Broadway
2018 North American tour
2019 West End
2023 US non-equity tour
2024 UK tour
AwardsDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical
Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical
Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music

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,[1] 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.[2]

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.[3] The London production closed on January 7, 2023.[4]

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.[5]

  1. ^ Viagas, Robert [1]Archived January 16, 2017, at the Wayback Machine "Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre Will Get a $2.5 Million Facelift" Playbill.com, May 6, 2016
  2. ^ Hall, Margaret (June 8, 2022). "Come From Away Will Close On Broadway This Fall". Playbill. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  3. ^ Gans, Andrew. "What Did London Critics Think of West End's Come From Away?" Playbill, February 19, 2019
  4. ^ "Come From Away extends again - For the last time". London Box Office. July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  5. ^ "Come from Away Awards and Nominations" ibdb.com. Retrieved January 6, 2020