Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Orlando Shakes has opened its season with the Tony-winning musical Come From Away as both a remembrance and a gift.
The production is based on the true story of what happened when 38 airplanes carrying 7,000 people were diverted to the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, in the wake of the shocking events that precipitated the War on Terror.
There, “Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere,” as one song goes, strangers helped one another, grieved with one another and formed lasting bonds. “It’s a musical about how people can come together in the face of tragedy,” says Jim Helsinger, artistic director at the Shakes. The staging on September 11 will double as a benefit for first responders in Orlando.
Come From Away features 12 actors, each playing multiple roles. A voice coach was required, not merely for the distinctive Gander accent—townspeople speak their own subdialect of English—but also for a Brit, a Texan, an Egyptian and others on the international flights.
The action happens on an 18-foot-revolving stage, conceived by scenic designer Tim Brown, with locations established by the placement of chairs and the lighting of signs around the stage.
With book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, a Canadian writing team, the musical had its Broadway run from 2017 to 2022 and toured through May last year.
Theatergoers who saw the show on Broadway will find a different and more intimate experience of the production at the Shakes. Says Helsinger: “With the audience on three sides of the thrust stage, your proximity and involvement with the piece is always immersive.”
