One of the most affecting stories to come from the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 – one that instills a faith in humanity in spite of the horrifying events of that day – was about the generosity of the residents of a small Canadian town towards several thousand stranded, anxious travelers.
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that → come → travelers
In the wake of the attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all air traffic, forcing 38 international flights headed to the United States to land at an airport in Newfoundland near the small town of Gander.
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Administration → ground → Gander
The locals responded to the emergency by providing aid and comfort to seven thousand passengers and flight crew members, many desperate for news from home.
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many → respond → home
The locals' individual and collective acts of kindness became the basis of the acclaimed musical "Come From Away."
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acts → become → Away
With book, music and lyrics by the husband-and-wife team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the show features an ensemble cast of 12 actors playing all the characters, from the "plane people" stranded on the island, to the Newfoundlanders who took them in.
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who → feature → them
Sankoff and Hein conducted research while visiting Gander during the 10th-year reunion held in 2011.
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Sankoff → conduct → 2011
With a book and lyrics taken from their interviews, and a score infused with folk music, "Come From Away" bowed in New York in March 2017, and went on to win three Drama Desk Awards (including outstanding musical and outstanding book of a musical) and a Tony Award (for best director).
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Come → take → director
It played on Broadway for 5 1/2 years (with a break for COVID), and has been produced around the world ever since.
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It → play → world
[A live capture of the show featuring the Broadway cast is currently available on Apple TV+.
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capture → feature → TV+
]
Sankoff (a native of Ontario) and Hein (born in Saskatchewan) talked with "CBS Sunday Morning" about the origin of the show, and about the impact it has had on the people of Gander.
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it → bear → Gander
Conception
Sankoff and Hein, who were living in New York City in a residence for international students on September 11, 2001, said they were not aware of what was happening at Gander at the time that Manhattan was shrouded in the dust of the collapsed World Trade Center:
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Manhattan → live → Center
"All of our neighbors came out and took care of us," Hein said.
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Hein → come → us
"There's a lot of musicians there, they played music, we had meals together, they checked in on us.
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they → be → us
My cousin was in the towers, but fortunately escaped, she was on the first floor.
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she → escape → floor
And so, we were all waiting for news together, and this community, this international community, came together to take care of each other.
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community → wait → other
At the time, one of the residents actually said thank you to us for taking planes on that day, and we didn't even know what they were talking about.
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they → say → what
But later, when we heard the story of what happened in Gander, it resonated with us because, not only the kindness that we saw in our immediate community, but in the kindness and generosity that New Yorkers showed on 9/12 and the days afterwards – giving blood, being there for one another – and that the theater community did as well."
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community → hear → one
In interviewing the residents of Gander and the passengers, what was your initial intent, or did you not have one?
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you → interview → one
Sankoff: "Well, we had been commissioned to write a musical for Sheridan College out in Oakville for the very new Canadian Musical Theatre Project.
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we → commission → Project
I remember being afraid, like, there are so many stories, this cannot be, like, the typical musical.
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this → remember → ?
How do we do this?
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we → do → this
I think maybe this is like a 'Laramie Project' sort of play."
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this → think → play
Hain: "But I had grown up on Newfoundland music, and everyone we interviewed out there brought out an instrument, and brought up the music that they played growing up.
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they → grow → that
Music is how the Newfoundlanders get through hard times.
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Newfoundlanders → get → times
They have terrible winters out there, and they all come together in kitchen parties and play music and tell stories, and we knew that they had entertained everyone who had been there [on 9/11].
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who → have → 9/11
Sankoff: "It was at a benefit concert to give back to the survivors of 9/11 and the family members, and so, as soon as that music started, I turned to David, and I was like, 'Oh my God, you're right, it is a musical.'
"
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it → give → David
As soon as we told people this is what we were talking about, they wanted to talk to us.
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they → tell → us
They wanted the story told, and at that time, you know, we were doing this for a college, and they still would travel two hours on the train to come out and talk to us in person and say, like, you can't understand how smart and generous and kind these people were, and this story deserves to be told.
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story → want → person
And that was really what fueled us: okay, these people who experienced it firsthand and are so grateful want this told.
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this → fuel → it
We've gotta do it.
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We → get → it
We've gotta tell it.
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We → get → it
Using people's testimony as book and lyrics is reminiscent of "A Chorus Line" and "Studs Terkel's Working."
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Using → use → Line
What were the models for you in translating the interviews with the Gander locals and the plane people into book and song?
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models → translate → book
"We did talk about 'Chorus Line,' I remember when we did a lot of the direct address, and obviously the testimony, [and] Irene's memories of seeing 'Chorus Line' as a kid.
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we → talk → kid
We obviously looked at 'Laramie Project,' because it was about interviewers going into a community that had, you know, dealt with a tragedy, and also finding some hope in the middle of it.
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you → look → it
It was group storytelling, and it was a group that goes through an experience and comes out changed on the other side.
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that → go → side
'Once' told us that that musical vocabulary could be on a Broadway show.
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vocabulary → tell → show
Sankoff: "'Peter and the Starcatcher,' the direct address into scenes, you know, and just the theatricality of pulling things out of nothing, which is a very big Canadian thing to do.
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which → know → nothing
But, you know, we just didn't know if that was a Broadway thing to do.
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that → know → ?
But the other thing was, we weren't aiming to Broadway at that point."
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we → aim → point
…and 136 more, not listed.
