Multi award-winning, international hit musical Come From Away will make a welcomed return to the West End early next year with a very special staged concert version performed for a limited run at the Phoenix Theatre, London from 10 – 27 February 2021.
Come From Away: The Concert will reunite cast, band and company with specially adapted staging and a reduced audience capacity to allow for safe social-distancing. The 100 minute concert production will be the first chance to see the critically acclaimed musical since the production closed, alongside all theatreland, in the wake of international lockdown measures in March 2020.
There will also be an invited dress rehearsal performance of the concert, which will be free for key workers to attend on 10 February at 2.30pm, to return some of the kindness they have given us this year and always. Details on how to apply for free tickets to this performance will be announced in January 2021.
Come From Away tells the remarkable and inspiring true story of 7,000 stranded air passengers during the wake of 9/11, and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but as uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.
On 11 September 2001 the world stopped. On 12 September, their stories moved us all.
Producers of Come From Away, John Brant and Joseph Smith, say: We are thrilled to be able to present Come From Away in this specially adapted staged concert. It’s been too long since we were able to welcome people to ‘The Rock’ and we’ve really missed our audiences. The resilience and kindness of Newfoundlanders is known the world over and constantly provides inspiration to us all in these challenging times. Theatre is integral to the vibrancy of the UK’s creative sector; it is one of the key drivers of the night-time economy of many cities across the UK so now more than ever we want to tell our story and give audiences the chance to see us live again.
The international hit musical celebrated sold-out, record-breaking engagements on Broadway, in Canada, in Australia, on a 60-city North American Tour and recently opened in Sweden.
Come From Away: The Concert will star Jenna Boyd (Beulah and others), Tarinn Callender (Bob and others), James Doherty (Claude and others), Mary Doherty (Bonnie and others), Mark Dugdale (Kevin T/Garth and others), Alice Fearn (Beverley/Annette and others), Kate Graham (Diane and others), Alasdair Harvey (Nick/Doug and others), Jonathan Andrew Hume (Kevin J/Ali and others), Harry Morrison (Oz and others), Emma Salvo (Janice and others), and Cat Simmons (Hannah and others), with Ricardo Castro, Stuart Hickey, Sorelle Marsh, Alexander McMorran, Micha Richardson, Jennifer Tierney and Matthew Whennell-Clark.
Come From Away features a book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein and is directed by Christopher Ashley, with musical staging by 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, hair design by David Brian Brown, orchestrations by August Eriksmoen, and casting by Pippa Ailion CDG and Natalie Gallacher CDG.
In addition to winning 4 Olivier Awards (London) including “Best New Musical”, the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for “Best Musical” (London) and 4 What’s On Stage Awards (London) including ‘Best New Musical’, Come From Away has scooped multiple awards across the globe. In North America they include: the Tony Award for “Best Direction of a Musical”, 5 Outer Critics’ Circle Awards (NYC) including “Outstanding New Broadway Musical”, 3 Drama Desk Awards (NYC) including “Outstanding Musical”, 4 Helen Hayes Awards (Washington DC) including “Outstanding Production of a Musical”, 4 Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Circle Awards, 4 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards (Seattle) including “Excellence in Production of a Musical”, 6 San Diego Critics Circle Awards including “Outstanding New Musical”, 3 Toronto Theatre Critics Awards including “Best New Musical”, 3 Dora Awards (Toronto) including “Outstanding New Musical/Opera” and “Outstanding Production”, and the 2017 Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award (Toronto).
Come From Away was originally co-produced in 2015 by La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre, and presented in 2016 by Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC and Mirvish Productions at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, Canada, all in partnership with Junkyard Dog Productions. Come From Away (NAMT Festival 2013) was originally developed at the Canadian Music Theatre Project, Michael Rubinoff Producer, Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, and was further developed at Goodspeed Musicals’ Festival of New Artists, in East Haddam CT. The Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle WA also provided development support.
Come From Away is produced in the UK by Junkyard Dog Productions and Smith & Brant Theatricals. The European premiere of Come From Away was co-produced with the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s National Theatre.