Come From Away tells story of little-known aspect of 9/11 attacks

It’s a show you’ve probably never heard of but the stars of Come From Away — based on real life events following the tragedy of 9/11 — are sure it will change your life.

Katrina Retallick’s first public performance was in a year 2 talent show at her Wagga Wagga primary school.

She belted out The Sound Of Music’s Favourite Things and won a $20 voucher for the school tuckshop – and she hasn’t stopped singing since.

The 49-year-old stars in hit Broadway production Come From Away, which opens at the Capitol Theatre this week, and says in her long career the show stands out as something special.

The true story, based on how the remote, virtually unknown Canadian community of Gander housed, fed and cared for thousands of strangers – including Australians – stranded in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, has moved audiences around the world and is set to do the same for its premiere Sydney season.

Katrina Retallick and Zoe Gertz, two of the stars from hit new musical Come From Away, at The Capitol Theatre. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“It’s a privilege and a gift of a show to perform,” Retallick tells Insider. “I love that it’s all true and that at the heart of the piece is that humans can be selfless and generous to others in times of stress.

“I mean, don’t we all want that reassurance, that if we really needed to be looked after, someone would help us out?

“It really is flipping the events of the tragedy of 9/11 into a story of the best that humanity can offer.”

Her character, Diane, is based on Texan divorcee Diane Gray, who met Nick, her now husband of almost 20 years, while stuck in Gander.

“I first met Diane and Nick over Zoom before our first season of the show in Melbourne and then they travelled out here for opening night,” Katrina says.

“It was wonderful sitting down with them after one of our previews and talking through everything – they are lovely people.

“I love the fact that it’s all true and also that the story is not widely known and there are secondary stories all over the globe from this time that aren’t all doom and gloom.

“Sometimes people surprise us and I think audiences connect for this reason.”

Zoe Gertz in the musical Come From Away. Picture: Annette Dew

The Maroubra actor is happy to be home in Sydney after spending lockdown dabbling with painting landscapes – she’s currently working on a commission that “better be good” for fellow Come From Away performers Zoe Gertz and Phillip Lowe.

The real-life married couple from Potts Point play Beverley the pilot and a British tourist, and while they are rarely on stage together throughout the show, it’s a familiar place for them.

“The funny thing is how little we actually have to do with each other on stage for this one, so it’s wonderful – we can still get home and I can say ‘how was your day at work, dear?’ because I really don’t know,” Gertz says, laughing.

“We met on Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and we were in Georgie Girl, the Seekers musical, together and now we’re doing this.

“It’s not a common thing for a husband and wife to be in the same show together so we are feeling very lucky at the moment.

“I am so excited to be home in Sydney – this is the fourth show I’ve done at the Capitol so it feels like a second home.”

Production shots from the musical Come From Away

Gertz says that when she auditioned for the show, she hadn’t seen it, but her parents had and were more excited than her.

“My parents had travelled to New York and I gave
them a list of shows to see and I said ‘there’s this one called Come From Away that won best director at the Tony Awards, so go and check it out’,” Gertz says.

“And they came home and said it was their absolute favourite thing they saw – and they are theatre geeks – I think in a week they saw eight shows.

“So when I was auditioning, I think they were more excited than I was when I was getting down to the end for the role because they really understood the importance and the impact the role of Beverley has on the show.”

Gertz says in 2019 she was surprised by the producers and got to meet the real life Beverley at an international women in aviation conference, where she performed the song Me And The Sky in front of her and 300 other female pilots.

Zoe Gertz in Come From Away. Picture: Annette Dew

“It was incredibly emotional looking out at all of them while I was singing and being like ‘wow – this is all of your stories, it’s not just Beverley’s’ – so it was very special.”

Like Retallick, Gertz says singing and performing is the only thing she’s ever wanted to do, and the fact that Australian theatres are some of the few in the world that are open was testament to the strength of the local industry.

“There has been a spotlight on our industry of late and it’s nice there’s a bit of international recognition for the talent and capabilities that we have in this country, because we are on par with the rest of the world,” she says.

“The reality is Come From Away is very much a 9/12 story as opposed to a 9/11 story, and it focuses on that sense of community and generosity and humanity.

“From what people have told me, they’ve never experienced a show before that makes them feel so good about the human race.

“You can’t help but leave the theatre feeling good about people and wanting to do good with the people around you.”

Come From Away is playing at the Capitol Theatre; comefromaway.com.au