The most successful Canadian musical ever made on Broadway is closing.
The popular and award-winning Come From Away will end its tour at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater on October 2, the producers announced on Wednesday evening.
The production, based on real-life stories of people in and around Gander, NL, who provided food, shelter and comfort to thousands of stranded passengers after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, opened for the first time. on the Gran Via Blanca in March 2017, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien later attending performances there.
“With all our hearts, thanks to our outstanding company, on and off stage, we will be playing our last Broadway performance on October 2,” said the producer of the Broadway show, Junkyard Dog Productions, in a statement. “We hope you can join us this summer as we celebrate the last few months on Broadway. Join us at The Rock!”
Written by Canadian husband and wife David Hein and Irene Sankoff, Come From Away was first performed in Oakville, Ontario, through the Sheridan College theater program. It then operated in select locations in North America, including Toronto, before reaching Broadway.
The announced closing date will represent 1,670 shows on Broadway. The production there was nominated for seven Tony Awards in 2017, winning Best Musical Direction for Christopher Ashley, while also winning three Drama Desk Awards, including Best Musical.
Last year, Apple TV + released a filmed version of the production to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center. That show took place in May 2021, directed by Ashley and starring Broadway cast members Petrina Bromley, Joel Hatch and Jenn Colella.
The performance is still available on Apple TV.
For the 20th anniversary of 9/11, there was also a free Come From Away performance at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.
Productions around the world
Come From Away has been shown in cinemas around the world since its inception, including Europe, Australia and China. The British production won four Olivier Stage Awards in 2019.
The show also hit Newfoundland in 2019.
St. John’s Morning Show8: 19Come From Away – 9/11 Anniversary
As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, we talk to Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the writers of Come From Away, about the story of hope and goodness that emerged from the tragedy.
Come From Away ran for several years in Toronto’s main theater district at the Royal Alexandra Theater until Canadian producer Mirvish Productions announced last December that it was “clearly obvious that it would be impossible to continue” given the unpredictability of the coronavirus and its effect. on theater attendance. .
Toronto production had just reopened after a 21-month pandemic break days earlier, but capacity limits made the return economically unviable.
It is a reflection of the struggles still going on for the theater industry. A few days ago, the American musical Dear Evan Hansen, which beat Come From Away to win the Tony Award in 2017, announced that it would close on Broadway in September.
As for Come From Away, tickets will be available this month for a production to be unveiled at the National Arts Center in Ottawa in December, with plans to return to Toronto in 2024, according to Broadway Across Canada promoter.
There had been plans for a film adaptation of Come From Away, written by Hein and Sankoff, although it is unclear whether the project will be able to move forward.