Farmers Alley Theatre is experiencing unprecedented ticket sales for its upcoming production of "Come from Away," which executive director Rob Weiner describes as "the fastest selling show in Farmers’ history."
The musical tells the true story of what happened on September 11, 2001, in the small community of Gander, Newfoundland. When U.S. airspace was shut down for the first time ever, 38 planes carrying nearly 7,000 passengers were diverted to this town of just 9,000 residents.
"Basically the population of the town doubled," Weiner tells Cara Lieurance. "And for several days, those stranded passengers had to stay in Gander. And what they found there was the best part of humanity, kindness, open arms, people welcoming them into their homes, into their communities."
Director Kathy Mulay admits she initially had reservations about seeing a "9/11 musical." But after experiencing the show in New York, she discovered something entirely different. "It is such pure joy and uplifting that I've never experienced a musical like this," she says.
Weiner echoes this sentiment: "While you could easily sort of label this as the 9/11 musical, it really isn't about 9/11. It's about 9/12. It's about these people, these stories."
The production features 12 actors playing approximately 60 characters combined, with each performer taking on multiple roles as both Gander residents and stranded passengers. Cast member Denene Mulay, who plays passenger Diane Marston, explains the unique storytelling approach: "We all start the show as our Newfoundland character... then we all of a sudden switch from being in Gander, all of a sudden we're in an airplane."
Mulay brings a deeply personal perspective to the production, having been in New York City on September 11, 2001. She recalls narrowly missing being caught in the chaos by running late for work that morning. "I walked out the door about an hour later than I usually do. And it was 8:43. And as we all know, the first plane hit at 8:46," she remembers.
The impact of that day didn't fully register for Koch until two weeks later when she returned to the city: "From floor to ceiling, every pillar, every wall, every surface was papered with, have you seen me? Have you seen my daughter? Have you seen my dog?"
The original run sold out a month before opening, prompting Farmers Alley Theatre to add multiple weekend performances. The intimate 110-seat theater creates what Weiner calls "a very intimate space that's going to work extremely well for this show."
"I think one of the reasons why it's selling so well is people are very hungry for that feeling right now,” says Weiner. “There's a lot of division, a lot of chaos in this country. And to know that deep down we're all made of the same stuff. We can all come together."
Remaining tickets are available at FarmersAlleyTheatre.com or by calling the box office at 343-2727.
This interview was summarized by Claude AI and edited by the author.
