<p><span style="color:#000000">The title of the hit Canadian musical <em>Come From Away</em> is no random jumbling of words but in fact, a real term that's widely used in Canada's Atlantic provinces (i.e. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, </span><u><a href="https://www.londontheatredirect.com/venue/10/prince-edward-theatre.aspx"><span style="color:#000000"><strong>Prince Edward</strong></span></a></u><span style="color:#000000"> Island, and the easternmost province of Newfoundland and Labrador). A "come from away" is an outsider who has moved to the local area from elsewhere. The plural form for "come from away" is "come from away<u><strong>s</strong></u>." An example of the term used in a sentence is: "I'm a <em>come from away</em> from Toronto but my grandfather was born here."</span></p>
<br/> Who wrote Come From Away?<p><span style="color:#000000">New <a href="https://www.londontheatredirect.com/tickets/west-end-favourites"><strong>West End favourite</strong></a> <em>Come From Away</em> was written by Canadian married couple<strong> Irene Sankoff</strong> and <strong>David Hein</strong>, who together penned the musical's book, music, and lyrics. Their work on the show earned them the 2017 Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Book of a Musical as well as the 2019 Olivier Awards for Best New Musical and Outstanding Achievement in Music. The pair have also earned multiple award nominations for <em>Come From Away</em>, including Tony Award nominations for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, and more.</span></p>
<br/> What's Come From Away about?<p><span style="color:#000000"><em>Come From Away</em> is set in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks when 38 commercial aircraft were ordered to make an emergency landing in the tiny Canadian town of Gander in Newfoundland and Labrador as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon. The musical's eclectic cast of characters is based on real-life people, including the residents of Gander who selflessly took care of over 7,000 stranded travellers, providing them with food and shelter. The musical <em>Come From Away</em> has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from audiences and critics alike, and it has been praised for its warm reminder that humans are capable of being kind even under dire circumstances and can overcome populist hatred and xenophobia. </span></p>
<br/> How was Come From Away written?<p><span style="color:#000000">The idea to write the musical came from Toronto lawyer <strong>Michael Rubinoff</strong>, who is also a theatre producer and an Associate Dean of Visual and Performing Arts at Oakville's Sheridan College. His idea caught the attention of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, whom he had known from their 2009 stand-out musical, <em>My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding</em>, which became a huge hit at the Toronto Fringe Festival. </span></p> <p><span style="color:#000000">Sankoff and Hein visited the town of Gander on the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks to interview some of the local residents as well as returning passengers. The result was a 45-minute workshop version of <em>Come From Away</em> put on as part of the Sheridan College Music Theatre Performance Program. After it enjoyed initial success, the rest was history as the musical is now a major international production.</span></p>
<br/> Who is in Come From Away in London's West End?<p><span style="color:#000000">A casting update for the London production of <em>Come From Away</em> was <a href="https://www.londontheatredirect.com/news/the-new-come-from-away-cast-has-been-announced"><strong>recently announced</strong></a></span><span style="color:#000000">, with the hit West End show <strong>welcoming to the rock</strong> new 'come from aways' <strong>Alasdair Harvey</strong> (<em>EastEnders</em>) as Nick/Doug and others, <strong>Alice Fearn</strong> (<em>Wicked</em>'s Elphaba) as Beverley/Annette and others, <strong>James Doherty</strong> as Claude and others, <strong>Kate Graham</strong> as Diane and others, and <strong>Tarinn Callender</strong> as Bob and others. </span></p> <p><span style="color:#000000">They are joined by returning cast members <strong>Cat Simmons</strong> as Hannah and others, <strong>Emma Salvo</strong> as Janice and others, <strong>Harry Morrison</strong> as Oz and others, <strong>Jenna Boyd </strong>as Beulah and others, <strong>Jonathan Andrew Hume</strong> as Kevin J/Ali and others,<strong> Mark Dugdale</strong> as Kevin T/Garth and others, and<strong> Mary Doherty </strong>as Bonnie and others.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#000000">The West End cast of <em>Come From Away</em> is completed by new ensemble members <strong>Matthew Whennel-Clark</strong>, <strong>Micha Richardson</strong>,<strong> Ricardo Castro</strong>, <strong>Sorelle Marsh</strong>, and<strong> Stuart Hickey</strong> alongside returning ensemble members <strong>Alexander McMorran</strong>,<strong> Chiara Baronti</strong>, and <strong>Jennifer Tierney</strong>.</span></p>
<br/> Where is Come From Away playing now?<p><span style="color:#000000"><em>Come From Away </em>is currently running major productions on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in New York, in the West End at <a href="https://www.londontheatredirect.com/venue/2/phoenix-theatre.aspx"><strong>London's Phoenix Theatre</strong></a>, in Canada at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, and on a North American tour.</span></p>
<br/> When is Come From Away closing?<p><span style="color:#000000"><em>Come From Away</em> <a href="https://www.londontheatredirect.com/news/come-from-away-extends-again-in-the-west-end-and-releases-shiny-new-production-photos"><strong>recently extended</strong></a> its West End run and is now <strong>booking until 8 May 2021</strong> in an open-ended run. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the show's overwhelming popularity, it is highly likely the show will extend again to allow for as many London theatregoers to see it as possible.</span></p>
<br/> When did Come From Away open on Broadway?<p><span style="color:#000000">The<em> Come From Away </em>musical opened for previews on 18 February 2017 at Broadway's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, where it continues to run to this day. The show's official Broadway opening night took place on 12 March 2017.</span></p>
<br/> Will Come From Away tour the UK?<p><span style="color:#000000">So far no plans have been announced for a nationwide UK tour of<em> Come From Away</em>. The Australian production of <em>Come From Away</em> was due to tour China this year (2020) but was delayed to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is also likely that due to COVID-19 we will not see a UK touring production any time soon.</span></p>
<br/> Will Come From Away be a movie?<p><span style="color:#000000">It was announced back in November 2017 that <strong>The Mark Gordon Company</strong> had acquired the rights to produce a major motion picture adaptation of<em> Come From Away</em>, with Sankoff and Hein returning to write the screenplay and <strong>Christopher Ashley</strong> returning to direct the film. </span></p> <p><span style="color:#000000">Currently, no further developments have come out about the <em>Come From Away</em> movie and it may be a while before fans see this heartwarming musical in cinemas. </span></p>
<br/> How long is Come From Away The Musical?<p><span style="color:#000000"><em>Come From Away</em>'s running time is <strong>approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes</strong>, including an interval.</span></p>
<br/> What time does Come From Away finish in London?<p><span style="color:#000000">Matinee performances of <em>Come From Away</em> run on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2.30pm and finish at approximately 4.30pm. Evening performances of London's <em>Come From Away</em> musical take place from Tuesday through Saturday at 7.30pm and finishes at about 9.30pm.</span></p>
<br/> Where is Come From Away set?<p><span style="color:#000000"><em>Come From Away </em>is set in the small town of Gander, located in the northeastern part of Newfoundland in the Newfoundland and Labrador province in Atlantic Canada. The population of Gander is now approximately 11,688 people and it became a household name in 2001 when it played a big role in the displacement of thousands of passengers during the 9/11 disaster.</span></p>
<br/> How much of Come From Away is true?<ul> <li><span style="color:#000000">Quite a bit of <em>Come From Away</em> is true. <a href="https://www.londontheatredirect.com/news/real-life-couple-nick-and-diane-marson-who-inspired-the-hit-broadway-musical-come-from-away-to-appear-on-the-one-show"><strong>Nick and Diane Marson</strong></a> were a real-life couple who fell in love in a shelter in Gander.</span></li> <li><span style="color:#000000">The song "28 Hours" is a reference to how passengers were forced to stay on board their aircraft for up to 28 hours, after which they were only permitted to step foot on the runway with their carry-on luggage.</span></li> <li><span style="color:#000000">A total of 255 planes were diverted to several Canadian towns with 38 of them diverted to Gander. Several planes began sinking into the tarmac due to an intense heatwave.</span></li> <li><span style="color:#000000">Bonnie is based on the real-life head of the SPCA, who rescued 11 dogs, nine cats, and two Bonobo apes from the various cargo holds.</span></li> <li><span style="color:#000000">Beverley Bass is based on the real-life <strong>Beverley Bass</strong> who made history in 1976 when she became American Airline's first female captain and later captain of the first-ever all-female crew in the world. The lyrics from the song "Me and the Sky" are almost exactly the same word-for-word from an interview she did with Sankoff and Hein. The pilot is reportedly one of the show's #1 fans and has seen <em>Come From Away</em> over 100 times.</span></li> </ul>
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