COME FROM AWAY National Tour Performs At U.S. Military Installations

For the first time in modern American history, the national tour of a  Broadway show performed for the military community at U.S. military installations.
 
The national tour of COME FROM AWAY, a Tony-award-winning musical, performed an exclusive live concert version of the show at three military installations, organized by the USO and No Guarantees Productions. COME FROM AWAY tells the remarkable true story of the people of Gander, Newfoundland, and 7,000 stranded airline passengers who were forced to land there when U.S. air space was closed on September 11, 2001. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.
 
Bringing Broadway shows to the military community has long been on the USO’s radar. In 2022, No Guarantees Productions approached the USO with the idea of bringing a Broadway production directly to service members and their families. COME FROM AWAY, given its story and themes around family and forging connections, was determined to be the perfect fit for the exclusive tour. Over the past twelve months, the teams worked together to make the tour a reality.
 
The first stop of the tour was Wright-Patterson Air Force Base outside of Dayton, Ohio on August 20.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base was one of the first bases to be notified on 9/11. The second stop was at Fort Knox in Kentucky on August 21.
 
On August 23, the tour headed to Fort Campbell on the Kentucky–Tennessee border. This stop is especially poignant as the COME FROM AWAY company participated in base engagement activities, which included interactive unit visits, a visit to the USO Fort Campbell Center, and a visit to the Gander Memorial. The Gander Memorial commemorates the over 200 members of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) who lost their lives in 1985 in a plane crash in Gander, Newfoundland, the same location COME FROM AWAY takes place.
 
“We are so grateful to No Guarantees Productions and the COME FROM AWAY cast and crew for including these military communities and bringing this remarkable show exclusively to service members and their families,” said Jennifer Wahlquist, Vice President, USO Global Entertainment. “Providing live entertainment is a thrilling experience the USO delivers – there is nothing quite like it – and we were so honored by the opportunity to host not only the cast and crew but feature a national tour performance for the first time during a USO tour.”
 
“No Guarantees is honored to bring a Broadway musical to U.S. military installations for the first time in our country’s modern history,” said Christine Schwarzman, President of No Guarantees. “COME FROM AWAY’s poignant portrayal of one community’s compassion and resilience perfectly mirrors the very ethos of U.S. military members and their families: selfless service, unwavering commitment, and boundless generosity. This extraordinary show, based on a remarkable true story, has become a beacon of hope and humanity for everyone who experiences it. We are deeply grateful to the USO for partnering with us on this significant endeavor, and we hope this inaugural production is only the beginning of our partnership.”
 
“We are so excited and honored to bring COME FROM AWAY to a brand new audience of American service members and their families,” said David Hein and Irene Sankoff, the show’s writers. “ COME FROM AWAY is a story about kindness, overcoming differences, and the world coming together that feels more relevant now than ever.”
 
"We are so thrilled to partner with the USO to bring COME FROM AWAY to these military installations this summer,” said Executive Producer, Mimi Intagliata.  “There's no better way for us to celebrate the best of humankind than sharing this remarkable true story with military members and their families."
 
The USO is the leading nonprofit dedicated to the well-being of all people serving in the U.S. military and their families. USO Global Entertainment is just one of many programs the organization provides for the military community. The program partners with entertainment, gaming, and sports industries, to bring celebrities and athletes to military locations worldwide which creates meaningful interactions that raise the morale of service members and their families and remind them how much their sacrifice is valued. Last year, USO Global Entertainment led 22 in-person tours with 175 events traveling to 11 countries including to one ship at sea.