By Keith Tomasek, Oct.06, 2024

“Come From Away” has triumphantly returned to Toronto. I was there on opening night and am happy to report that the production was fabulous. There’s a reason it’s earned its reputation as a show you can see over and over again.

The company of Come From Away. Photo by Matthew Murphy

In my case, “Come From Away” touches my heart because the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, changed my life. Within days of the attacks, I was in Manhattan to attend a double-bill concert at Carnegie Hall featuring Tony Bennet and KD Lang.

The concert was fantastic, but after the performance, out on the street, the lingering, acrid stench of burning metal and human remains left an indelible impression on me.

Not long after that, my wife and I moved to the United Arab Emirates, where I taught at the American University of Sharjah. Many of my students were of Middle Eastern heritage.

Like the “plane people” at the centre of “Come From Away,” my wife and I were temporary visitors away from home, often reliant on strangers’ kindness.

To distance myself from the politics of Bush’s “global war on terror,” I shared my heritage as a first-generation Canadian as often as possible.

Seeing this new production of “Come From Away” filled my heart with hope and joy during these turbulent times.

In case you haven’t heard, “Come From Away” depicts a community opening their homes to an international group of travellers whose planes were grounded in Gander, Newfoundland, after the terror attacks.

Cailin Stadnyk. Photo by Matthew Murphy

The Newfoundlander’s heroic hospitality reminded me of the legendary hospitality of the nomadic desert-dweller Bedouins, dating back to 6000 BCE, when it was imperative for nomadic people to host and be hosted.

The empathy, compassion and kindness shared between strangers from all walks of life, displayed throughout the performance, is a salve for the soul, arguably more significant now than when the show opened in 2015 at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego before it became a critical and box-office success on Broadway and worldwide.

The all-Canadian cast now performing at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto is terrific, and I was pleased to see Steffi Didomenicantonio back in the role of Jancice (see our podcast below). She’s one of 12 members of the onstage company returning from the previous Toronto production, which opened in 2018 and was shut down due to the pandemic. 

Other notable cast members returning include Barbarea Fulton, who spent two years with the Stratford Festival; Saccha Dennis, who was at the Shaw Festival for four years; and Ali Momen, who was at Shaw for three years. Ali is also well known as the co-host of the popular podcast Soft Revolution with Torquil Campbell.

The cast is better than ever, the play’s themes are more relevant than ever, and the dazzling Tony Award-winning direction and heartwarming music are a joy to behold. Simply put, “Come From Away” gets better each time you see it.

The Come From away Band. Photo by Matthew Murphy

“Come From Away” is only the fifth musical with a Canadian writing team to reach Broadway. The others are “Rockabye Hamlet” in 1976, “Billy Bishop Goes to War” in 1980, “The Drowsy Chaperone” in 2006 and “The Story of My Life” in 2009. All but “The Drowsy Chaperone” were considered flops.

Torontonians can be proud to live in a city where artists come together to create masterpieces like “The Drowsy Chaperone” and “Come From Away.”

If you’re not from Toronto, now’s the time to invite your loved ones to get on a plane and see “Come From Away” at the historic Royal Alexandra Theatre — where it all began with the pre-Broadway engagement and the record-breaking Canadian production that played for nearly three sold-out years.

DETAILS DETAILS
Come From Away
Through March 2, 2025
Royal Alexandra Theatre
260 King St W, Toronto
Book Online: https://www.mirvish.com/shows/come-from-away
Call the box office: 1-800-461-3333