Ford’s Theatre revives ‘Come From Away’ with renewed resonance for divided times
The musical about kindness and community in the wake of September 11 has returned to Ford’s Theatre, with its run extended through October 25. Directed by Kevin S. McAllister, the production celebrates the Newfoundland town of Gander that welcomed stranded travelers. The show’s themes of neighborliness feel especially timely on the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
The production marks a decade since the musical's East Coast premiere at Ford's Theatre in September 2016, the staging that helped launch the Tony Award–winning show toward Broadway and international success. Creator duo Irene Sankoff and David Hein developed the piece from interviews conducted with Gander residents and stranded passengers after experiencing the September 11 attacks firsthand in New York City.
Director Kevin S. McAllister leads a cast of local artists through the intermission-less production, which features an eight-piece band blending traditional Irish instrumentation with contemporary pop. The musical's continued popularity is reflected in American Theater magazine's survey, which listed it among the most frequently produced titles at regional theaters across the country last season.
This production arrives at a moment when themes of cross-cultural welcome and mutual aid may resonate deeply with audiences navigating political and social polarization. The show's portrayal of diverse faiths uniting in prayer and strangers becoming community could offer a counter-narrative to division, potentially reinforcing civic values of hospitality and shared humanity. Theatergoers, particularly those who lived through September 11, may find the piece serves as both remembrance and gentle call toward neighborliness in their own communities.