Play’s success continues though theatres remain dark
Although live performances of “Come From Away” have been temporarily halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show’s success continues to grow.
Telling the story of how the residents of Gander and surrounding areas took in close to 7,000 stranded airline passengers when American airspace was shut down during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, “Come From Away” opened as a Broadway musical in 2017. A Toronto production followed a year later, and in early 2019 the show opened in London’s west end as well as in Sydney, Australia. An American touring company has taken the musical around the United States, and a Hollywood movie based on the show is in the works.
The musical has earned a plethora of accolades around the world, including a best direction Tony award for director Christopher Ashley for the Broadway version.
This fall the show will open in Sweden with a local cast, running in the eastern Swedish city of Norrkoping in September and October and in Linkoping, southern Sweden, from November to January.
In the meantime, an original Broadway cast recording of the “Come From Away” music — featuring Newfoundland performers Petrina Bromley and Romano Di Nillo — is set to be released wordwide on blue vinyl on May 15.
While its theatres have been dark since the public health crisis began in March, the show’s Facebook page has been lit, with the “Come From Away” team doing its best to stay connected to fans and share what it calls the “kindness of Newfoundlanders.”
There have been messages of support, tributes to health care workers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and calls for people to upload videos of themselves performing music and share them.
“Come From Away” also released four custom Zoom backgrounds, available to be downloaded for free, saved to a computer or phone, and used as a personal backdrop during Zoom online video meetings.
“We learn from the Newfoundlander grace that when the world feels dark, a smile and showing the genuine kindness in your heart keeps us all going! We are in this together,” a message from the show posted April 22 reads.
Friday at 8 p.m., in an event presented by the Gander and Area Chamber of Commerce and The Squeezebox Page (a Gander-based Facebook page promoting the sharing of amateur and undiscovered musical talent across Newfoundland and Labrador), “Come From Away” performers with connections to this province will perform live online.
The event, which will be broadcast on The Squeezebox page, will feature Bromley and Di Nillo as well as members of the Toronto “Come From Away” production: musician Greg Hawco of Goulds, actor and dance captain Clint Butler of St. John’s and actor Kate Etienne, who has ties to the Corner Brook area.