Weathervane Playhouse

Steven A. Miller...... Pit Conductor, Keyboards
Toussaint English...... Bass
Dylan Gomez...... Drums
Steve Miller...... Guitars, Mandolin
Miette Schloneger - Violin

About the Show

Come from Away is based on the true story of the time when the isolated community of Gander, Newfoundland, played host to the world. What started as an average day in a small town turned into an international sleepover, when 38 planes, carrying thousands of people from around the globe, were diverted to Gander’s airstrip on September 11, 2001. Undaunted by culture clashes and language barriers, the people of Gander cheered the stranded travelers with music, an open bar and the recognition that we’re all part of a global family.

Come from Away was conceived by Michael Rubinoff, a former dean of visual and performing arts at Sheridan College near Toronto, Canada. He approached the composer/lyricist team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein to further develop the musical about a small Newfoundland town and the days immediately following the September 11 attacks. Real residents of Gander, Newfoundland inspire many of the characters in Come From Away.

The initial show was presented as a 45-minute workshop as part of the Canadian Music Theatre Project at Sheridan College in 2012. In 2013, a full production at Sheridan College was presented as part of the regular season. The show was included in the 2013 National Alliance for Musical Theatre in New York and presented in a full production. A collaboration between La Jolla Playhouse and the Seattle Repertory Theatre enabled the show to play at both of these regional theaters in 2015 before productions of the show in 2016 in Washington, D.C., and Toronto, Ontario, where it broke box-office records.

After 25 preview performances, Come from Away officially opened on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 12, 2017, starring many of the original cast members from the La Jolla Playhouse/Seattle Repertory Theatre co-production. The show was nominated for seven Tony Awards and ran for 1,669 performances before closing on Oct. 2, 2022.

About the Show's Creators

Irene Sankoff and David Hein (Book, Music, Lyrics) are a Canadian married writing team. Their first show — My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding (based on David’s mother’s true story) — was the hit of the Toronto Fringe Festival, and was then picked up for a commercial run by Mirvish Productions. It has now played and won best musical awards in the New York Musical Theatre Festival and across North America, with Sankoff and Hein performing in most productions. Come From Away was developed at the Canadian Music Theatre Project and Goodspeed Musicals’ Festival of New Artists, showcased at the NAMT Festival of New Works and enjoyed a record-setting world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory, followed by Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto and the Gander Community Centre Hockey Rink. Come From Away won three 2017 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, four Helen Hayes Awards, five Outer Critics Circle Awards and three Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, as well as four 2019 Olivier Awards, including Best Score and Best Musical. David and Irene were nominated for Tony Awards for Best Book and Score and won the 2017 Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards for Best Book. Irene and David are proud members of the Dramatists Guild and ASCAP. “Immeasurable thanks to all of Molly’s People, to everyone who helped us on this journey and to our extraordinary friends from Away and in Newfoundland for inspiring and trusting us to tell your story.” @SankoffAndHein.

Crew Listings

Set Construction Crew
James Boyd, Jr.
Elijah Chase
Dale Gilbert
Kathy Kohl
Dave Moledor
Ben Neiberlein
Richard Morris, Jr.

Design Team
Lighting Designer: Jack-Anthony Ina

Electrics Crew
Master Electrician: Jack-Anthony Ina
Electricians: Fiona Cook, Anabelle Otto, Van Wornkey

Show Crew
Programmer: Jack-Anthony Ina
Light Board Operator: Van Wornkey
Followspot Manager: Annabelle Otto
Followspot Operators: Jonah Chance, Ben Gonzalez, Abby Hetman, Wittman Sullivan

Sound Operators
Kevin Lambes
Christopher Pepe

Costume Construction
Beth Desberg
Millie Keyser
Sabrina Kim
Lindy Lincicome
Jasen J Smith
Barb Zubenko

Costume Inventory
Jenny Banker
Patrick Michael Dukeman
Pam Groom
Adalyhn Roberts
Jasen J. Smith

Front of House
Jenny Banker
Steve Brown
Sharon Emling
Douglas Fidler
Patti Gabb
Timothy Gabb
Ellen Garrett
Pamela Groom
Tonya Gulley
Noah Knapp
Marcia Korane
Bunny Lacey
Kate Lombardo
Patti McCoy
Ben Neiberlein
Katherine Peck
Mega Rankin
Rev. Rito
Katie Rito
Paige Sheeks
Nancy Shorts
Anna Smith
Marie Smith
Verna Vander Kooi
Becky Zaman

Backstage
Patti Alderson
Andrew Allen
Kenneth Hardman
Gia Maglione
Dan Reichert
Robin Ungerleider