Come From Away
About the show
This Broadway sleeper hit musical tells the heartwarming true story a tiny Canadian town that cared for thousands of grounded travelers in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
On September 11, 2001 the world stopped. In a heartbeat, 38 planes with 6,579 passengers were stranded in the remote town of Gander in Newfoundland, effectively doubling its population. The locals opened their hearts and homes, hosting this international community of strangers–spurring unexpected camaraderie under extraordinary circumstances. Directed by two-time Tony nominee Christopher Ashley ('Memphis,' the revival of 'The Rocky Horror Show'), and starring Tony nominee Chad Kimball.
"'Come From Away,' the inspiring, funny and kick-ass beautiful new musical...takes a true story that began on September 11th, 2001, and tells it in an exhilarating fashion that celebrates decency and human kindness...Director Christopher Ashley's production seamlessly moves from tense moments to humorous ones to unabashedly joyous ones...As long as 'Come From Away' is playing on Broadway, I will recommend it to everyone. Everyone." Full Review
"One of the triumphs is how it so incredibly captures the culture of Newfoundland. It's a Canadian/Irish blend that is unlike anything we've seen in theater, and everyone involved clearly went above and beyond to accurately reflect the area. The score and book, by the married couple Irene Sankoff & David Hein, sounds authentic...What makes ‘Come From Away’ work is that it displays the exceptional generosity of humanity that took place in Newfoundland. This brings to Broadway a story of hope." Full Review
"The genius of this production, which I regard as the best new musical of the season, is that from the very beginning a skilled group of 12 actors thrillingly take on assorted roles and slip in and out of the characters in a free-flowing staging...The goodhearted nature of 'Come from Away' is at the forefront without being cloyingly sentimental...The show appeals to our finer qualities as human beings, and manages to be exuberantly entertaining at the same time." Full Review
"A brilliant achievement...The show makes you laugh and cry at the resiliency of the human spirit...The cast, all of whom play multiple roles, are quite simply fantastic. Christopher Ashley’s direction is letter-perfect, and Kelly Devine’s excellent musical staging includes a rousing opening sequence that helps to establish a small-town atmosphere for Gander. Alternatively funny and profoundly moving, 'Come From Away' is a brilliant example of all that musical theater can be." Full Review
“It’s this truth that anchors ‘Come From Away,’ giving it a documentary-like power that is enhanced a thousand-fold by a driving musical score, the best ensemble acting you will see on any stage this season, and direction by Ashley that doesn’t deserve a Tony Award, it deserves a Nobel Prize…The result is a work that is, considering the events it depicts, restrained, delicate, and piercing…A cry-fest and an absolutely joyful expression of what is best in the human animal: compassion.” Full Review
"For once a 'feel-good' musical that also has depth and resonance! 'Come From Away' at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre takes on one of the darkest periods in our contemporary history and spins it into a goldmine of goodwill, compassion and gentle surprises." Full Review
“Brilliant…It is this show’s ability to surprise and touch even the most cynical, jaded New York theatergoer that makes it so unusual and emotionally powerful… In addition to the outstanding cast, expertly directed by Christopher Ashley, there is innovative choreography by Kelly Devine…A musical that celebrates and glorifies humanity…It’s a new type of never-before-seen, uncharted musical territory much like 'Hamilton' was, and should also make musical-theater history." Full Review
"Why do you go to theater? Because it’s entertaining and fun. Because it opens your heart, teaches life lessons and transports you to another time, another place. Because, occasionally, it conveys the essential goodness and resiliency of the human spirit at the same, shared moment in time. That’s why I stood up and cheered...Director Ashley cleverly utilizes his talented cast of 12...The crowd-pleasing performance fittingly concludes on a life-affirming note." Full Review
"Will make you laugh and cry and restore your faith in humanity...This Canadian export, written by the husband and wife team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and directed by Christopher Ashley, comes at a time when divisiveness is far more prevalent than inclusivity, where countries talk about building walls rather than building bridges...It’s one you won’t want to miss. If you see just one show on Broadway this season, this should be it." Full Review
"This show has gorgeous music and lyrics. It is the CD I can’t wait to own...This show is entertaining, uplifting and sweet. It was the perfect afternoon out and a show you can’t help but love. I was tapping my feet to the fantastic Celtic rock music, and I had the best time. It is a must see...This show is very moving, and you might need tissues!" Full Review
"The beautifully crafted musical leaves us not just feeling good, we’re transported on a wave of hope for humanity...A huge bravo to director Ashley who masterfully orchestrated the complex work...Sankoff and Hein created this wonderful work with a moving score that's both melodic and rousing...Every member of this extraordinary collaboration deserves the highest praise. With great warmth and humor, 'Come From Away' is a soul-stirring antidote to the terrors we face near and far." Full Review
"Should warm the heart of even the world’s worst cynic. But the musical, directed by Christopher Ashley, has much more to praise. First there’s Sankoff and Hein’s spirited score, driving, buoyant and often tuneful, with an appropriately Celtic undertone...Then there’s the tremendous acting of the 12-member ensemble...It is a musical about people who do their best in the worst of times. And for this we can only say thank you." Full Review
“Rarely has altruism and compassion been as deeply explored and conveyed, much less in a hundred-minute musical...Music and lyrics mesh seamlessly, as the portrayals switch on a dime from townspeople to passengers and back again…A uniformly excellent cast…The show is in constant motion, with locations evoked by simple shifts in alignment of chairs. You’re never in doubt about where you are, and for the duration of ‘Come from Away’ you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Full Review
"The book, music and lyrics are the inspired work of Irene Sankoff and David Hein. With a cast of 12 backed by eight musicians, the production, for a Broadway musical, is relatively small-scale...But all of it is managed with big-time ingenuity by director Ashley...Story theatre techniques are used to the nth degree. The performers switch characters, from townspeople to passengers and back again...There are indeed a lot of upbeat goings-on...But the darker side of the events is hardly ignored." Full Review
"This feel-good musical is infectious, enchanting and just what this country needs right now...Director Christopher Ashley and his amazing 12-member cast recreate the story...Each have their moment to shine but they are a true ensemble...It is hard not to be moved. Even as I am writing this I find myself choking up...'Come From Away' is tuneful, smart and heartfelt, and is sure to have you leaving the theatre feeling just a little bit more positive than when you entered." Full Review
“Despite that it is really just an excellent off-Broadway musical trying to make it in the big-time world of Broadway, it’s pretty darned good with some excellent music and a great cast of unknowns…The music...is catchy and memorable and the ensemble cast who perform all the numbers are all incredibly talented…An excellent musical…A must small-time see." Full Review
"There are 10 new titles debuting across the year, but 'Come from Away' towers over the rest in terms of originality and daring...Sankoff and Hein's folk-based score has an easy affability and an earnest sincerity. Christopher Ashley's production gives the show a homespun honesty, and the 12-strong ensemble company, each of whom plays multiple characters, invest it with real feeling and emotion...A musical that tells an unusual, unfamiliar 9/11 story with tact and tremendous feeling." Full Review
"An excellent ensemble of twelve play both the residents and the guests, changing roles faster than you can blink...The style of the music is mainly Celtic folk. Many of the songs sounded alike to my untrained ear. There is one lovely number where several passengers pray, each according to his or her custom....Christopher Ashley’s direction keeps things flowing smoothly...Judging from the audience’s enthusiasm, Broadway will welcome this feel-good musical." Full Review
"It is a refreshing, warm, and very humane tale that attends to the lump that will be in your throat, and the tears of love and compassion that will run down your cheeks, by also putting a big grin on your face...This writing team does create the most musically lovely story about that day in the most humanly way possible...Beautifully staged by the creative team, 'Come From Away' is one of the most singularly engaging new musicals to come to Broadway this spring." Full Review
"A very entertaining musical that is given a near pitch-perfect production...The show is full of humor and a company of 16 talented performers play multiple characters with aplomb and warmth. Most of the music is sung in ensemble and is staged with imagination and skill...Much of the music sounds the same but it blends perfectly with the story...As the show progressed...something was tugging at me. This was 9/11...I felt almost a sense of guilt for being seduced by the show." Full Review
"A big bearhug of a musical...Even the most stalwart cynics may have trouble staying dry-eyed during this portrait of heroic hospitality under extraordinary pressure...'Come From Away' is smarter than it first appears...The show covers a vast expanse of sensitive material with a respect for its complexity...It sustains an air of improvisational urgency, which feels appropriate to a show about making do in crisis, and it doesn’t linger on obvious moments of heartbreak and humanity." Full Review
"Creators Sankoff and Hein have crafted a heartwarming and thoroughly entertaining musical...Despite the doubling and tripling of roles, the numerous characters are all vividly rendered, thanks to the skillfulness of the writing and performances...Although not particularly memorable, the music proves consistently engaging and serves the story line beautifully...Serving as a welcome reminder of people’s inherent goodness, 'Come From Away' is the feel-good show of the season." Full Review
“It’s a celebration of the best human instincts, and, particularly coming at this time, doesn’t seem at all hokey. It’s cheering and refreshing...’Come from Away’ tells its many-sided story in an effective, fast-moving style...The well-integrated songs, which range literally from foot-stompers to ballads, are mostly performed by the entire company, emphasizing the theme of community...Tells its story efficiently, but also with a sense of completeness. It’s a tale well-worth hearing.” Full Review
“The lump that forms in your throat in the opening minutes is the physiological confirmation that this effervescent musical, enveloped in Canadian good will, is an antidote for what ails the American soul...The alternating stories of the townspeople and the strangers in their midst are communicated vivaciously by book and songwriters Sankoff and Hein, in a bracingly kinetic production directed by Christopher Ashley, doing some of the most impressive work of his career. ” Full Review
"As rousing, entertaining, and tremendously moving as any other show currently playing in New York...The show never gawks, sensationalizes, or trivializes the horrific events of that day. Rather, it renders the incomprehensible in real, richly human terms...If the show falls short in any way, it’s in its ambition to do too much...Director Ashley’s staging is, for the most part, slick and efficient, achieving the show’s multitude of character and location changes with dazzling effectiveness." Full Review
See it if You want to see a musical that just might help you believe in the power of humanity again - with truly incredible music and performances.
Don't see it if You don't have a soul. (Exception - if you were directly affected by the 9/11 attacks, this may be hard to watch.)
See it if Moving story, characters you care about, some stirring music, inventive staging-- works better than it should.
Don't see it if you find melodramatic, manipulative drama a turn off. It's really kind of simple of substance and in the production.
See it if you would enjoy a very fast-paced, ensemble production that uses cast and staging to portray multiple elements of a compelling true story.
Don't see it if you don't enjoy actors constantly switching roles on a single, constantly changing set during two hours of uninterrupted singing.
Also Like some other reviewers, I initially had reservations about the some... Read more Read less
See it if you're interested in learning more about how a tiny town housed thousands stranded on 9/11. There are many poignant stories.
Don't see it if you're expecting a musical with memorable songs. The soundtrack moves the action along, but there weren't one or two show-stopper songs.
See it if This show is MANDATORY, MUST SEE for all of humanity. It is musical theatre perfection.
Don't see it if You don't like humanity.
See it if You want to believe in the goodness of human beings and strangers doing random acts of kindness.
Don't see it if You do not like sentimentality, or it is hard for you to watch anything about September 11th.
See it if Masterfully narrates a national tragedy that quickly transforms into a big emotional ride with variety of hospitable personalities
Don't see it if No one really stands out despite everyone being above-average. One of the rare times where I wish this was two-act show instead of one.
Also A very tall gentleman in front of me blocking at least 30% of my view ... Read more Read less
See it if you value an original, thoughtful & vital production based on the events following the 9/11 attack, told with heart, humor & compassion.
Don't see it if no reason not to see it.
See it if up for an epic story about thousands of souls, distilled very effectively; you need evidence that humanity prevails & is worth striving for
Don't see it if you'd struggle tracking multiple characters inhabited by only 12 actors; looking for a straight musical—music feels incidental, story is key
See it if the first half w/ wit & grace makes u care/laugh bout fate of 7,000 people landing in Gander on 9/11 & its impossibly hospitable residents
Don't see it if once planes land and passgrs settle, show flags; need to do more than tell random funny/touching pssgr stories
Also (1) Show is theatrical tour de force by having both the passengers and... Read more Read less
See it if you like very exuberant musicals with actors playing several parts.
Don't see it if you don't like musicals with very similar music throughout.
See it if You want to experience a somber albeit uplifting musical about the depth and warmth of the human spirit.
Don't see it if You can't stand ensemble musicals or linear, chronological storytelling.
See it if you enjoy a musical that is not only entertaining, but meaningful, particularly if 9/11 is relevant to you.
Don't see it if very young kids. Middle school, and up, go! Can't think of any other reason not to see it. Excellent!
See it if You like good writing, singing and dancing, and are interested in true stories that were behind main situations, (9-11), but never told!
Don't see it if Don’t like watching events that occurred because of 9-11-although there is a lot of good that came out of this situation..(I think it was 👍
See it if You enjoy well-done stories with heart. Wonderful to see how the town of gander interacted with stranded passengers. Uplifting & memorable.
Don't see it if Can't think of a reason not to see it.
See it if Like great writing, wonderful singing and a heartwarming true story, don't miss this show
Don't see it if Don't like musicals or don't like stories based on real events but rather fantasies then this isn't for you
Also For the editors, hit the wrong button, actually was $95 for the show a... Read more Read less
See it if you want an uplifting play that is well staged, great lighting and very funny as well as moving. Simple, yet complicated. very good show.
Don't see it if If you don't like musicals, otherwise a very touching, smooth running musical.
See it if You want to feel good.
Don't see it if You want to see classic broadway
See it if great score, difficult story executed really well, an amazing story that's deep but that doesn't take itself too seriously
Don't see it if you want to avoid a show whose plot centers on 9/11
See it if you want to rejoice at humanity. This is a show about the joys of human connection.
Don't see it if you have a problem with simplifying stories. While the show doesn't shy away from Islamophobia, entirely, it's mostly telling kind stories
See it if you like interesting outstanding current musicals
Don't see it if you only like fantasies
See it if you like uplifting, heartwarming musicals about people helping people during the 9/11 tragedy. Singing is great and characters are likeable.
Don't see it if you can't deal with memories of 9/11 or if you're expecting any kind of dramatic conflict, memorable music, or lavish production sets.
Also This is a very heartwarming "feel good" show about people reaching out... Read more Read less
See it if you want to see ensemble theater at its best. Great music, great story, great singing, humor, poignancy...this has it all.
Don't see it if you hate ensemble theater. A slightly over miked show where you can't always catch every word will ruin your whole experience.
See it if You want a heartwarming meaningful tale of how people helped each other get through the difficulties of displacement & 9-11
Don't see it if You only like a traditional musical. The material is treated so well everyone should see it. I especially liked the female pilot narrative
Cast & Creatives (29)
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