Welcome to the rock! Music Theatre International has released Come From Away licensing in North America, opening up the title for new productions in the U.S. and Canada. Written by real-life husband-and-wife team Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the work was a Best Musical nominee in 2017.
Based on a true story, the work centers around the thousands of people who found themselves stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, when 38 planes were forced to make emergency diverted landings on September 11, 2001. Born of tragic circumstances, what unfolded was a heartwarming show of human kindness even across the divide of cultures and languages. The musical played pre-Broadway try-outs at San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Washington, D.C.'s Ford's Theatre, and Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre before opening on Broadway in 2017, closing in 2022 after 25 previews and 1,669 regular performances.
“We are so excited to have Come From Away licensed widely by MTI,” say Sankoff and Hein in a joint statement. “Come From Away is all about community, and out in the community is where it belongs. When we first wrote Come From Away, we hoped that Canadian high schools might be forced to do it—and now, over a decade later, that day has finally arrived! To see this true story about our friends from Newfoundland and from away reach so many people is truly beyond our wildest dreams. There’s never a bad time to tell a story about people being kind to one another, but particularly now, at a time when the world seems so divided, it means so much to see the story of generosity and kindness being embraced by so many.”
“At its core, Come From Away is about the power of community—not just as a geographical concept, but as a human one," adds MTI President and CEO Drew Cohen. "Gander’s residents showed that even in the face of global crisis, ordinary people can do extraordinary things simply by choosing to care for others. Irene and David captured the spirit of this event with a remarkable musical that mirrors the real-life experiences of those involved. With a soaring score and a touching book, this show will now inspire new performers and audience members across the world with this deeply universal story.”
Theatres producing Come From Away, or any of MTI's catalogue, can make their own Broadway-quality Playbill programs using PLAYBILLDER, Playbill's fully customizable program creation platform—the only authorized way to have a real Playbill, complete with the iconic yellow-and-black logo, at a school production. Users can auto-populate their program with all the MTI-approved data for the show, including billing information and song and character lists.
Find more info about licensing Come From Away at MTIShows.com.
