Welcome back to the Rock. The musical Come From Away will return to Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre this fall, with performances beginning September 21. Tickets are now on sale.
The new date is the latest in a string of notices after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his expectation for productions to resume at full capacity in September. Select shows have since put tickets back on sale for performances beginning in September and October.
As with all other shows, exact details and safety protocols have yet to be determined. CDC and state guidelines may change between now and the fall, but the production anticipates mask requirements for all patrons and proof of a negative COVID-19 test or full vaccination. The production also plans to join others in relaxing return policies, with ticketholders being allowed to request refunds or exchanges up until two hours before curtain.
Unlike most shows that have announced fall reopenings, however, Come From Away intends to play eight performances a week (the pre-pandemic standard) for at least the first three months, with seven-performance weeks (including three matinees) beginning in December.
While the Broadway production of Come From Away has been shuttered for 13 months, the musical has found a few places to land elsewhere, including a live capture filmed at the Schoenfeld in May to eventually be released on Apple TV+. The Olivier-winning West End production will return to London’s Phoenix Theatre July 22. An Australian staging played Melbourne earlier this year and a Swedish-language version opened in September 2020.
At the time of the shutdown, the Broadway production's cast included Petrina Bromley, Paul Whitty, Pearl Sun, De’Lon Grant, Joel Hatch, Chad Kimball, Caesar Samayoa, Kenita R. Miller, Rachel Tucker, Astrid Van Wieren, Jim Walton, and Sharon Wheatley. Casting for its return will be confirmed later, though you may be able to spot some familiar faces in the video above.
Come From Away tells the true story of 7,000 stranded air passengers during the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks, and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. The ensemble cast take on a variety of roles, from passengers to locals to airline personnel.
The show features music, lyrics, and a book by Sankoff and Hein with direction by Tony winner Christopher Ashley, choreography by Olivier winner Kelly Devine, music supervision and arrangements by Ian Eisendrath, scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Gareth Owen, orchestrations by August Eriksmoen, and casting by Rachel Hoffman of Telsey & Company. After opening March 12, 2017, was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Come From Away, Chicago, and The Phantom of the Opera are among the first shows that were already open on Broadway to share a reopening date. New shows are a bit more spread out, with Six set to begin September 17, Mrs. Doubtfire aiming for October, and others like Diana and The Music Man eyeing a December start.
