Metro Weekly

Editor’s Pick: ‘Come From Away’ At The National Theatre

A stirring, uplifting masterpiece of musical theater, 'Come From Away' revisits D.C. this week as part of Broadway at the National.

Come From Away -- Photo: Matthew Murphy
Come From Away – Photo: Matthew Murphy

Gander, Newfoundland, is a small town in the easternmost part of Canada that became the setting for the musical Come From Away, focused on the heroic welcome the town’s citizens gave to international passengers stranded as a result of 9/11.

It’s always inspiring to visit that town by way of this show, and fortunately, the theater gods are blessing us with another opportunity to do just that. The show is returning to Washington next week (it was last here in Dec. 2019), for a brief stint at The National Theatre, part of the organization’s Broadway at the National series.

Created by the married musical-writing duo of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Come From Away depicts what happened in Gander when 7,000 international passengers and airline staff were stranded in the days immediately following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Christopher Ashley won the 2017 Tony as Best Director for his work, with its fluid staging and seamless transitions that keep the musical, with many moving parts and settings, from becoming cluttered or confusing.

Marika Aubrey leads a cast that also features Kevin Carolan, Harter Clingman, Sharone Sayegh, Danielle K. Thomas, and Jeremy Woodard, all accompanied by a nine-person band bringing to life the joyous and vibrant score of Celtic-inspired folk and rock, including a number of stirring big group sing-alongs.

Come From Away runs from April 12 to 17, 2022.

The National Theatre is at 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.

Tickets are $50 to $110. Call 202-628-6161 or visit www.BroadwayAtTheNational.com.

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