COME FROM AWAY

“Welcome to the Rock!” 38 planes.

6,579 passengers. 1 remarkable town.

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

Presented by Virginia Rep

At: The November Theatre, 114 W. Broad St, RVA 23220

Performances: June 18 – August 2, 2026

Ticket Prices: $35/Value Orchestra – $62/Standard Orchestra – $72/Premium Orchestra; $20/Students; Military & Group Discounts available

Tickets & Info: va-rep.org; (804) 282-2620

Based on true events in recent, memorable history (for many of us), Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s amazingly upbeat musical, Come From Away,  is without a doubt one of the strongest ensemble works I’ve ever seen. The Virginia Rep cast is a comfortable collaboration of familiar (e.g., Susan Sanford, Emelie Faith Thompson, Durron Marquis Tyree, Eddie Webster) and new faces (e.g., Ti Reneé Ames, Ashley Beary, Sherri L. Edelen, James Scales, Erich Schroeder). In addition, Come From Away is jam-packed with historic and emotional content – one minute you’re crying or holding your breath at a collage of images from the devastation in the aftermath of 9/11 and the next you’re laughing out loud at a much-needed humorous aside.

The September 11, 2001 attacks on New York’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and other intended targets—some heroically diverted—had far-reaching, lasting effects. What many did not notice amid this mass chaos was the kindness shown by the residents of the small Canadian town of Gander, Newfoundland. With the closing of American airspace for two or more days after the incident, many flights were cancelled or diverted. Thirty-eight commercial planes, carrying some 6,579 passengers landed at the Gander International Airport, nearly doubling the population of the island.

Come From Away tells the story of the remarkable events that followed. The people of Gander rose to the occasion. Striking school bus drivers suspended their strike to transport stranded passengers to hastily constructed emergency shelters set up in schools, churches, community centers, and even local homes. Food and clothing were donated. The local ice hockey rink was cleared off and used as a makeshift walk-in freezer to store the donated food. Diapers, baby formula, tampons, and toilet paper were delivered. Cell phones were acquired. Accommodation was made for kosher, halal, and vegetarian diets. The local SPCA located and fed the animals traveling in the cargo holds of the planes and even delivered a baby chimpanzee. This amazing display of hospitality lasted for up to five days before the Plane People were able to resume their travels. In that time, history was made, friendships were forged, and a Broadway musical was born.

Several scenes stood out in this VaRep production. From the start, the upbeat opening, “Welcome to the Rock,” set the tone for the entire evening. The show began with power and never flagged. The first scene that nearly brought me to tears occurred when Eddie Webster, a bus driver trying to communicate with his diverse passengers, noticed that a fearful African couple carried a bible. Realizing that even though he didn’t speak the same language, the numbering system of their bible would be the same, he pointed them to Philippians 4:6 (“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”.) effectively calming their fears.

I mentioned earlier that this was a true ensemble, but some individuals stood out in several scenes. Again, it was Eddie Webster (in the role of Kevin T.) who initiated a heartfelt moment. With people of different languages and faith traditions sheltered in a church, Webster sings hymn, “Make Me A Channel of Your Faith” that segues into a beautiful scene that incorporates a Hebrew chant by a Jewish passenger and an Arabic prayer by Muslim passengers. The ensemble we saw on stage was inspired by the real-life ensemble of the Plane People in Gander, Newfoundland.

Other personalities that stood out on Wednesday night included Jianna Hurt (an understudy or swing) as Hannah – as a mother trying to contact her son, and Susan Sanford as Hannah’s newfound friend, a local woman named Beulah who was a leader in organizing the hospitality team. These two women, in real life, apparently maintained their friendship long after the disaster. Eddie Webster and David Lyve Watkins  made an indelible impression as a gay couple, Kevin T. and Kevin J., who, initially anxious about how their relationship would be received, soon discovered that they had inadvertently been stranded in “the gayest town in Newfoundland.”

Other memorable characters include Alia Bisharat Glidden as pioneering pilot Beverly Bass (first female captain for American Airlines who was piloting Americal Airlines Flight 40 from Paris to Dallas on 9/11 when her plane was diverted to Gander), and Sherri L. Edelen and Thomas Adrian Simpson as a 60-ish couple, Diane Kirschke from Houston, TX and Nick Marson from London, UK who fell in love while stranded and later married in real life. Durron Marquis Tyre provides some of the production’s most memorable comedic moments, starting with a running gag based on his suspicion of the townspeople’s kindness. Terrified that someone is going to steal his wallet, he is suddenly commissioned to collect all the neighboring barbecue grills for a communal cookout. To his surprise, rather than being accused of stealing grills, he finds that the homeowners not only help him, but each offers him a drink. Tyre’s character was based on real-life passenger Tom McKeon, son of a New York City firefighter, who stayed at the home of the mayor of Appleton, a town near Gander and struck up a lifelong friendship with a local resident, apparently after bonding over a fondness for Irish Whiskey.

After a while, the line blurs between the play’s cast of characters and the real-life people whose lives they are based on. And that is yet another of the strengths of Come From Away. This is a show you can watch more than once and probably come away with a whole new depth of perspective.

Great, unobtrusive direction by Rick Hammerly. Lively Celtic folk-rock music under the direction of Ellie Kahn. Phenomenal dialect coaching by Erica Hughes. A minimalist but far from sparse set design by Chris Raintree with evocative lighting and projections by Joe Doran and Mark Costello, respectively. Enhanced by Jonathan Pratt’s sound design. Highly recommended!

———-

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and currently lives in Eastern Henrico County, (Richmond) VA. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself and occasionally performs. Julinda was awarded the Dean’s Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Award for the 2023-24 Academic Year by VCU School of the Arts and the 2025 Pioneer Award in Dance Ministry by Transformation International Worship Ministries, Newport News, VA. Julinda completed her doctorate in Educational Leadership at Regent University (EdD, 2022) and her doctorate of ministry in Worship Arts at the Eagles International Training Institute and Bible College (DMin, 2025). Next up: certification in Water Aerobics instruction.

———-

COME FROM AWAY

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein

Directed by Rick Hammerly

CAST

Ti Reneé Ames         ……….           Hannah & Others

Ashlee Beary            ……….           Janice & Others

Sherri L. Edelen       ……….           Diane & Others

Alla Bisharat Glidden………           Beverley & Others

Susan Sanford          ……….           Beulah & Others

James Scales            ……….           Claude & Others

Erich Schroeder       ……….           Oz & Others

Thomas Adrian Schroeder..          Nick & Others

Emelie Faith Thompson…..           Bonne & Others; U/S Beverley & Others

Durron Marquis Tyre………          Bob & Others

David Lyve Watkins ………..          Kevin J. & Others

Eddie Webster         ……….           Kevin T. & Others

Jianna Hurt               ……….           Swing (Hannah, Janice)

Aaron Thomas Moore …….          Swing (Claude, Nick, Oz)

David Ramirez          ……….           Swing (Kevin T., Kevin J., Bob)

Alanna Wilson          ……….           Swing (Bonnie, Beulah, Diane)

MUSICIANS

Keyboard/Conductor …….           Ellie Kahn

Whistle                      ……….           Susan Davis, Doreen Oroshnik

Guitar                         ……….           Brad Gunson, Drew Perkins

Mandolin                   ……….           Ed Drake

Drums                        ……….           Joe Lubman

Fiddle                        ……….           Sage Wright, Marissa Resmini, Luz Recino

Bass                            ……….           Beatrice Kelly, Alex Kehayas

Bodhrán/Percussion ………          Steve Raybould

PRODUCTION TEAM

Direction                   ……….             Rick Hammerly

Music Direction          ……….            Elie Kahn

Choreography           ……….            Bandon Kelly

Scenic Design          ……….           Chris Raintree

Costume Design      ……….           Kendra Rai+

Lighting Design       ……….            Joe Doran

Projection Design      ……….            Mark Costello

Sound Design            ……….            Johnathan Pratt

Dialect                        ……….            Erica Hughes                                                                                                                                             

Stage Management   ……….            Abby Bobb

Production Photography…….           Aaron Sutton

Promotional Photography…..           Bob White

Production Video       ………..           Austin Lewis

Performance Schedule:

June 18 – August 2, 2026

Tickets: $35-$79; Discounts available for Students & Military

Run Time: Approximately 100 minutes, no intermission

Content Warning: The show features themes of terrorism, panic, and grief. While it is generally recommended for audiences ages 10 and up, viewer discretion is advised regarding the intense emotional weight of the subject matter.

Audience Advisory: This production utilizes water-based theatrical haze.

Original Broadway production by Junkyard Dog Productions.

Come From Away was originally co-produced in 2015 by LaJolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre and presented in 2016 by Ford’s Theatre.