A group of actors sit on stage chairs in a theater production. The backdrop is a forest scene with digital screens displaying social media icons. The lighting casts a colorful ambiance on the stage.

Come From Away in Gander – “The Kind of Show People Need in 2024”

By Newfoundland & Labrador

*Header image "Original Gander Cast".

After a hugely successful inaugural run, producer Michael Rubinoff has announced the return of director Jillian Keiley’s production of Come From Away at the Joseph R Smallwood Arts and Culture Centre in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador. Set to run from June 28 to September 1, 2024, original Broadway cast members Petrina Bromley and Astrid Van Wieren will join a multitude of Newfoundland and Labrador talent, including Alison Woolridge, Ryan Alexander, Jacquelyn French, Peter Halley, Timothy Matson, Shelley Neville, Kiersten Noel, and Miranda MacDonald.

"Everyone in Newfoundland and Labrador deserves to see this."

— Petrina Bromley

Petrina Bromley has been along for the entire run of Come From Away, from its opening night in La Jolla in 2015, to starring in the film capture of the musical on Apple TV+ released in 2021. After performing for more than five years on Broadway in the role of Bonnie, she rejoins this Come From Away cast as Captain Beverley Bass. Beverley is an American aircraft pilot and was the first female captain of an American Airlines commercial plane. In a recent interview, Bromley reflected on how the anticipation of bringing Come From Away home to Newfoundland and Labrador was a huge part of what made last year so special. The show had sold out entirely before it even started, and the people of Gander embraced all cast and crew with arms wide open.

Petrina Bromley

“This is the kind of show that people need right now.”

— Alison Woolridge

Like Petrina, fellow Newfoundlander and Labradorian Alison Woolridge will also return to the Come From Away cast in Gander this year. Woolridge hit the Joseph R Smallwood stage as a part of this production for the first time last summer, in the role of Bonnie Harris, the manager of the Gander SPCA. She fondly remembers gathering at the local legion with members of the community and fellow castmates, stating that many people were grateful that this story was being told and celebrated in such a beautiful way. She is excited to do it all again starting in June, with the addition of new cast members.

Alison Woolridgey

Although there are many cast members returning, some are joining for the first time. Amongst the national and international talent are names such as Melrose Johnson and Cyrus Lane. Melrose, who is currently based in New Jersey, will play the role of Hannah, who was one of the many passengers stranded in Gander during the events of 9/11. She expressed to us that her initial excitement in landing a role in the show grew as she learned more about the production and community that surrounded its story. This opportunity will bring Melrose to Newfoundland and Labrador for the first time, and we can't think of a better way to spend the summer.

Melrose Johnson

Hailing from Ontario, Cyrus Lane will also make his Come From Away debut in Gander this year. Lane, however, is no stranger to the province and is all too familiar with the unwavering kindness that can be found in this place. His own grandmother was born on Change Islands and moved shortly after to the community of Comfort Cove-Newstead. She had relocated by the time Lane's father was born, so he had never known Newfoundland and Labrador as home until he was considering options for his retirement. As luck would have it, while researching his mother's hometown of Comfort Cove one day, he found a house for sale and spontaneously purchased it. He visited now and again, but it mostly sat there quietly for years until he decided to make the move. Once Lane's father settled into his new home base, he was very warmly embraced by the locals and made to feel as if this was his home all along. He says that Come From Away depicts that exact feeling, and with his family's connection to this province, Cyrus is ecstatic to be joining the production in Gander.