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The hottest musical at this year's TONY Broadway theater awards is the story of one of the few good things to come out of the disaster of Sept. 11, 2001.
"Come From Away" tells the story of a tiny Canadian community in Newfoundland that welcomed nearly 7,000 people into their midst when their planes were forced down because US airspace was closed.
In the opening moments of the show, actor Joel Hatch sings, "On the northeast tip of North America on an island called Newfoundland there's an airport and next to it is a town called Gander."
And Gander welcomed those "plane people" – as they came to be known, received when 38 planes descended from the skies over the Atlantic for an unscheduled stop-over in Newfoundland. The passengers found it remarkably hospitable.
Playwright David Hein said, "Any Newfoundlander will tell you what they did. They say it's just ordinary.
It's what anyone would have done and it's been amazing to watch the world say it's not; it's extraordinary, it's really wonderful."
In fact, for Hein and his writing partner – and wife – Irene Sankoff, being nominated for seven TONY awards is way beyond what they had in mind for the show.
When they wrote the play, Sankoff said, they thought they had little more than "a good history story that will be performed in every Canadian high school and college forever."
But in these troubled times "Come From Away" is a feel-good musical that's being lapped up by Broadway audiences.
One theatergoer told CGTN, “To see that human spirit just brings everyone together and that's really what this show's about."
Another said, "At this time in the United States, it shows the goodness that people do have."
Maureen Murray and Sue Riccardelli live about 20 kilometers from Broadway in the state of New Jersey.
They were on an Air France flight from Paris when it was diverted to Gander. They fell in love with the Celtic way of life so much that they've been back every other year since 2001.
They're excited about “Come From Away.”
Sue said, "A Newfoundlander will ask you where are you from and if you say New Jersey, they say, ah, you come from away. So it's a great title.
Everybody comes from away and now with the hit of this Broadway show and the publicity they’re getting, everybody's going to be coming from away up to Newfoundland!"
Whatever the outcome of this year's TONY awards on Sunday, "Come From Away" will likely run and run.
There are at least three touring productions planned and hopes of taking it to London' West End too.
(CGTN)
