Come From Away musical coming to Sydney in June 2021
The musical Come From Away, which tells the story of a remote island community that rallied to care for the passengers and crew of 38 international flights diverted there after the September 11 terror attacks, is still set to be performed in Sydney — but just later than expected due to the pandemic.
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For the cast of the musical Come From Away, sitting out COVID-19 is like being in a plane that endlessly taxis and never takes off.
Lockdowns forced the musical’s closure in Melbourne in March and the cancellation of its tour of China, which was meant to be now.
But, when performances finally take wing in Sydney next year, ensemble member Zoe Gertz believes audiences will get just the lift they need.
“I think it’s a show that everyone will need when we open because it’s so hopeful and it reminds everyone that out of a really dark period in history that it does bring out the best in people,” Gertz said.
Come From Away tells the true story of a remote island community that rallied to care for the 7000 passengers and crew of 38 international flights diverted there after the terror attacks on the US on September 11, 2001.
All those flights arrived in Gander, on the Canadian island of Newfoundland, where locals opened their hearts and homes to stranded travellers who, for security reasons, couldn’t even access their luggage.
Gander clothed, fed and housed what came to be called the “plane people”. At a reunion in Gander 10 years later, Canadian writers Irene Sankoff and David Hein recorded hours of interviews and wrote their award-winning musical.
Come From Away has been rescheduled to open at the Capitol Theatre on June 3 next year, with tickets on sale now.
Gertz considers herself one of the lucky ones. She has been drawing on JobKeeper and has made one commercial. Other than that, she’s been running to keep up her fitness for the “marathon” of Come From Away.
Gertz’s main role in the show is the real-life American Airlines pilot Beverley Bass but all 12 cast members play four or five roles each.
The Sydney actor can’t wait to be back on stage when restrictions ease.
“I have so much faith that we are all going to go into this renaissance, because people will have such a need for escapism,” she said.