Taking a Gander of the Stage

After 9/11 the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, with a population of 10,000 residents, was overrun with nearly 7,000 stranded passengers after the FAA shut down airspace nationwide, forcing all planes to land at nearby airports.

A total of 38 planes, carrying 6,579 passengers and crew, landed in Gander as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon, remaining on the aircraft for five hours before deplaning.

Only after five days, enjoying the bountiful hospitality of the Canadian town, were the passengers finally allowed to depart.

Cultures clashed, nerves ran high; but uneasiness turned into trust, music played into the night, and gratitude turned into enduring friendships.

Written by Tony nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein, directed by Tony-winning Best Director Christopher Ashley, the American Theatre Guild’s one hour, 40-minute production of Come From Away at the Granada was directed by Daniel Goldstein with music by Richard J. Hinds, based on the original Broadway direction and choreography when the show opened on the Great White Way in 2017, becoming the longest running Canadian musical in Broadway history.

The show has great charm, showing how people even in the worst of times can come together through adversity.