When I first heard of "Come From Away", it was in the fall of 2016, nearly four years ago. My parents and I were visiting Washington D.C. and my task was to find a show to watch on one of the nights we were free. While looking at the Fords Theatre website, I was shocked to see that there was a musical about 9/11. My parents were less than thrilled when I told them what I found but reluctantly agreed as tickets were relatively cheap, and we'd always wanted to see the historic site.
Fortunately for my family, "Come From Away" was one of, if not the greatest show that I have ever seen. Even my dad, a man who professes his dislike of musical nearly on the daily, had to admit that it was an incredible performance. The music is unique, the story is heart-wrenching, and the actors are simply stunning in their roles. After the show, we hung out in the lobby and mingled with cast members and audience members alike.
Around half a year after the performance at Fords Theatre, I had the pleasure of going to the last preview of "Come From Away" on Broadway before its opening night. During that trip to New York I also got to interview Kenny Alhadeff, one of the producers of "Come From Away", who gave me a backstage tour of the stage. Just like in Washington D.C., the show was spectacular, and it was great to see the same cast and some of the changes that had been made for the new run of the show.
At BroadwayCon 2018, I had the pleasure of presenting a panel entitled "We All Come From Away", a meetup for fans of the show to talk about the impact it's had on their lives. During my time hosting the meetup I met some wonderful people, including one woman with an incredible cod tattoo! After the meetup, I was able to wander around and meet some of the cast members who were also at the convention for different panels and events.
During the school year of 2017 to 2018 I had the difficult task of applying to colleges during my senior year of high school. As any high school senior can attest, choosing an essay topic can be incredibly challenging. But luckily, I had an interesting topic to write about - "Come From Away". Throughout my essay, I talked about my experiences with the show and how it had changed my life over the past two years.
Indeed, "Come From Away" has taught me more about not just the world, but myself as well. Learning about the stories of September 11th, 2001, from so many different perspectives has expanded my world view and made me think about my own relationship with the terrible events of that day and how the world has changed since then. One of the people who inspired a character in the show, Kevin Tuerff, inspired me to perform more "random acts of kindness" for strangers.
The last time that I saw "Come From Away" was on the West End with one of my friends while on our university's fall break. I was especially excited about this performance as it was the first time my friend had seen the show after I had been raving about it to her for months. Seeing the show in the UK was a unique experience and I had the chance to be "screeched in" by kissing a rubber fish a taking of shot of Screech (which, to quote Diane, is "delicious"!).
Ultimately, "Come From Away" has had an incredible impact on my life, not just in the theatre world. The show has inspired me to become a better person and to treat people with more kindness than I had before. I've met people from all around the world through the musical including cast and crew members, fans, and even people who inspired different characters! Exploring the story of "Come From Away" has brought great joy to my life and the lives of those around me, and I cannot wait to see where it takes me next.
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