08/10/2026
IT'S COME FROM AWAY FUN FACT FRIDAY!
Few musicals capture humanity the way Come From Away does. Its storytelling, staging, and music all work together to create something truly extraordinary. Here are the key elements that make it unlike anything else on stage:
• The story is built from real stories. Hours of recorded interviews with locals and returning passengers, at the 10th anniversary of 9/11 in Gander, were woven directly into the narrative.
• Just a small number of actors play more than 70 different roles, switching between townspeople and stranded passengers using only a hat, jacket, or a change in accent.
• The show uses no large set pieces. A handful of wooden chairs are constantly rearranged to become airplane seats, buses, bars, shelters, and more.
• Because the cast moves and flips chairs throughout the show, the stage floor is marked with tiny arrows and numbers to guide exact placement.
• An intermission was originally included right after the "Screech In" song, but it was removed when the team realised that "no one in Gander was able to take a break" during the crisis. Now the show runs straight through in 100 continuous minutes, mirroring the non-stop flurry of activity in Gander during those critical days
• The music blends traditional Celtic folk, fiddle tunes, and rockabilly style with standard theatrical numbers, featuring an on-stage band playing instruments like the accordion, bodhrán, and tin whistle.
• It incorporates real Newfoundland traditions, such as the "Screech-in" ceremony where newcomers kiss a codfish to become honorary locals.
Did you know?
• Captain Beverley Bass - whose life inspired the song "Me and the Sky" - is a mega fan and has seen the musical close to 200 times! The lyrics in her signature song are nearly word-for-word from interviews she gave the writers
• Many of the actual Gander residents and stranded passengers portrayed in the show have become close personal friends with the actors who play them
• The original Broadway set featured real birch trees — which began sprouting new leaves under the heat of stage lights.
• For early productions, local knitting groups were asked to mail in handmade crochet "granny squares" to decorate the set. Expecting about 100 squares, they received nearly 2,300, enough to also wrap the auditorium walls.
All of these things make this a musical that you just don’t want to miss!!
Strathfield Musical Society’s Come From Away opens in TWO WEEKS and the cast are so excited for you to see it! There are still some great seats, so book your tickets now!
https://www.trybooking.com/DNDYG
