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The cast and the audience at Come From Away got a special treat from up north this evening when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the stage ahead of the Canadian-born musical to address the audience. Trudeau is in the city to celebrate the show and to attend his first in the Broadway musical.
According to a report from Michael Paulson with the New York Times, the Counsel General of Canada booked 500 seats for Canadians and friends of Canada in New York for tonight's show.
In his address, Trudeau thanked the cast, who "worked to pull together such an extraordinary crowd to celebrate this story of friendship during extraordinarily difficult times between individuals between countries" and "spoke about "the close relationship between the United States and Canada."
"The world gets to see what it is to lean on each other and be there for each other," he told the audience in his brief remarks.
Also in attendance at tonight's performance was the eldest daughter of Donald J. Trump, Ivanka, who attended the show with the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley.
Come From Away is the breathtaking new musical that played record-breaking engagements in La Jolla, Seattle, Washington D.C., and Toronto. Written by Canadians Irene Sankoff and David Hein, this is the stunning production from Tony-nominated director Christopher Ashley (Memphis) that the Los Angeles Times calls "an affecting and stirring new musical."
In a heartbeat, 38 planes with 6,579 passengers were stranded in a remote town in Newfoundland. The locals opened their hearts and homes, hosting this international community of strangers-spurring unexpected camaraderie in extraordinary circumstances.
See Trudeau's full remarks below
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