COME FROM AWAY To Perform At The 10th Annual And Final ROCKIN' BIG GIVE Event

The Smiling Land Foundation is proud to announce that the Toronto cast and band from the Canadian production of the Tony Award-winning musical COME FROM AWAY will perform at the 10th annual and final ROCKIN' BIG GIVE event at Toronto's Concert Hall on Saturday May 12, 2018.

Other performers include opening act, The Irish Descendants, and headliner, The Jim Cuddy Band.

Foundation Chair, Paul Sparkes, says: "Our team is delighted that the cast of the inaugural Canadian production of COME FROM AWAY, will perform at the grand finale of the ROCKIN' BIG GIVE next month.

"Since its inception 10 years ago, our organization has been committed to showcasing the spirit of the very special place we are fortunate to call home - Newfoundland and Labrador. COME FROM AWAY truly brings the values and culture of our province to life, and it is most fitting in our final year that the show's cast will join us to both celebrate the accomplishments of the Smiling Land Foundation and help raise funds and awareness for the future."

Says co-producer David Mirvish: "COME FROM AWAY is all about community so it is truly special for us to have this opportunity to join the ex-pat NL community in Toronto as they come together for one very special night.

"Our entire cast will have performed the show twice on Saturday May 12th when they will head over to the Concert Hall at the end of their day to join in the festivities for this one-of-a-kind charitable event. They will perform the rousing opening number, 'Welcome to the Rock.'

"I'm sure it will be a rockin' time indeed. I plan to be there myself; I wouldn't miss it for anything. I hope many other Torontonians will join all of us."

Over the past decade, the Smiling Land Foundation has raised over $1.4 million for charities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Founded by Paul Sparkes and led by a voluntary Board of Directors and an Advisory Committee, consisting primarily of expat Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, the work of the foundation will continue in the years ahead with the advent of new giving campaigns and the implementation of the scholarship program.

COME FROM AWAY tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. On September 11, 2001 the world stopped. On September 12, their stories moved us all.

COME FROM AWAY features Saccha Dennis, Steffi DiDomenicantonio, Barbara Fulton, Lisa Horner, James Kall, George Masswohl, Ali Momen, Jack Noseworthy, Cory O'Brien, Kristen Peace, Eliza-Jane Scott, Kevin Vidal, Susan Dunstan, Kate Etienne, Amir Haidar, Jeff Madden, David Silvestri and Cailin Stadnyk.

COME FROM AWAY is a "Best Musical" winner all across North America. The new musical has won the Tony Award for "Best Direction of a Musical" (Christopher Ashley), 5 Outer Critics Circle Awards (NYC) including "Outstanding New Broadway Musical," 3 Drama Desk Awards (NYC) including "Outstanding Musical," 4 Helen Hayes Awards (D.C.) including "Outstanding Production of a Musical," 4 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards (Seattle) including "Excellence in Production of a Musical," 6 San Diego Critics Circle Awards including "Outstanding New Musical," 3 Toronto Theatre Critics Awards including "Best New Musical," 3 Dora Awards (Toronto) including "Outstanding New Musical/Opera" and "Outstanding Production," and the 2017 Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award (Toronto). The Original Broadway Cast Recording of COME FROM AWAY was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

COME FROM AWAY features a book, music and lyrics by two-time Tony Award nominees and Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award winners Irene Sankoff & David Hein, direction by Tony Award winner and Outer Critics Circle Award winner Christopher Ashley (Memphis), musical staging by two-time Tony Award nominee Kelly Devine (Rocky), and music supervision by Ian Eisendrath (A Christmas Story).

COME FROM AWAY is now on stage through October 21, 2018 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre.

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