BILLINGS— Billings Studio Theatre is opening “Come From Away” this weekend, a musical retelling the true story of how a small town had to host thousands of grounded passengers following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The musical has won a Tony Award and spent five years on Broadway. It portrays how 38 airplanes carrying 7,000 passengers had to land in Gander, Newfoundland, almost doubling the small town’s population.
Get a peak of the musical below:
Gander residents had to find their new guests shelter and food for the next week.
“The mayor talks about the fact that most of the people of Gander didn't sleep for those five days. They were just working,” said Director Byrl Skovgaard. “It kind of restores your faith in humanity.”
“I think the cast does a really good job of conveying that stillness and... a fear that paralyzes you,” said choreographer Olivia Kusek. “I would get goosebumps.”
The Billings Studio Theatre cast consists of only 12 actors, who play 84 characters.
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“All of the characters are based on real people,” said actor Wendy Carlin, who plays Hannah, among other characters. “Basically, they interviewed 200 people, and then kind of mushed their stories together to form these 12 characters.”
“Getting to help tell this story and tell it over and over again is something that I'm very honored to do,” said Evan Ulrichs, who plays several roles, including the role of Kevin T.
“It's really something worth celebrating year after year.”
Billings Studio Theatre Artistic Director Casey Visser told MTN that while it is a musical about the devastating attacks on the country, it is also a story of hope.
“You hear 9/11... musical (and) you think, oh, this is gonna be super depressing, super sad,” said Visser. “This really shows a very human story about the events of 9/11 and how people responded in the most generous and beautiful way to it to a horrible tragedy.”
Billings Studio Theatre will be showing “Come From Away” from Sept. 11 to Sept. 27. You can find more information about tickets here.
