The popular and award-winning Come From Away will end its performance at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater on October 2, the producers announced on Wednesday night. The production, based on true stories of people in and around Gander, NL, who provided food, shelter and comfort to thousands of trapped passengers after the 9/11 attacks, first opened on the Great White Way in March 2017, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien later attended performances there. “With a full heart, thanks to our remarkable company, on stage and off stage, we will play our last show on Broadway on October 2,” Broadway show producer Junkyard Dog Productions said in a statement. “We hope you will be able to join us this summer as we celebrate our last months on Broadway. Come to The Rock!” Written by Canadian husband David Hein and Irene Sankoff, Come From Away was first staged in Oakville, Ontario, through the Sheridan College Theater program. He then ran to selected locations in North America, including Toronto, before hitting Broadway. The announced closing date will represent 1,670 Broadway performances. The production there was nominated for seven Tony Awards in 2017 – winning Best Musical Direction for Christopher Ashley – and won three Drama Desk Awards, including Best Musical. Last year, Apple TV + debuted a film-produced version to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. This show took place in May 2021, directed by Ashley and including the original Broadway cast members Petrina Bromley, Joel Hatch and Jenn Colella. The performance is still available on Apple TV. For the 20th anniversary of September 11, there was also a free Come From Away performance at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC
Productions around the world
Come From Away has been in theaters around the world since its inception, including in Europe, Australia and China. The British production won four Olivier stage awards in 2019. The show also came to Newfoundland in 2019. The Morning Show of St. John 9:36 Come From Away is over Yesterday, we learned that Come From Away will conclude its Broadway run in October. We speak with local musician Bob Hallett, who helped develop the music for global success. Come From Away premiered for several years in Toronto’s main theater district at the Royal Alexandra Theater until Canadian producer Mirvish Productions announced last December that it was “crudely obvious that it would be impossible to continue” given the unpredictable coronavirus and its effects on theater attendance. . Toronto production had just reopened after a 21-month pandemic pause days earlier, but capacity limits made a return financially impossible. It is a reflection of the ongoing struggles for the theater industry. A few days ago, the American musical Dear Evan Hansen – which won Come From Away to win the Tony Award in 2017 – announced that it would close on Broadway in September. As for Come From Away, tickets will be available this month for a production that will be released at the National Arts Center in Ottawa in December, with plans to return to Toronto in 2024, according to Broadway Across Canada. There have been plans for a film adaptation of Come From Away, written by Hein and Sankoff, though it is unclear if the project will be able to begin.
