Like any tragedy, the attack on the Twin Towers carried out on September 11, 2001 had its peripheral stories that deserved to be told. The musical “Come From Away” tells the story of 7,000 passengers who, when air traffic was cut off in the United States that fateful morning, were transferred to the small Canadian town of Gander in Newfoundland, where, without hesitation, its less than 9 thousand inhabitants hosted them in all possible locations: schools, hotels, restaurants and even private homes.
The stay of these unexpected tourists lasted just under five days, but their bond even continues to this day, first through letters and then through social networks. “They recommended ‘Come From Away’ to me on Broadway and when I saw it it touched my soul,” its director and producer, Carla Calabrese, tells NEWS, days before the 22nd anniversary of September 11. “I immediately felt that I deserved to be known in my country. That’s why I put together a team of top-notch directors and actors who understood the value of the story that was being told.” The Argentine version of “Come From Away” premiered at the Maipo theater last year and has since won two ACE Awards (Best Direction and Best Musical) and seven HUGO Awards (Best Musical, Musical and Best Adaptation, among others). .
Journey. Such a show caused the entire company to be invited to the same city of Gander by the Broadway producers themselves and the Canadian Embassy in our country. A delegation of more than 40 people traveled, giving each actor the opportunity to meet who he was playing on stage, and thus very special bonds were generated, such as that of the actor Edgardo Moreira with Beulah Davies, the real mayor of the town.; and the actor Fernando Margenet, who met Robert Gregory, present in the control tower that morning of September 11. Although it may seem like an inhospitable point on the map, Gander Airport was strategic in the 1950s for planes that had to refuel when flights were intercontinental.
Calabrese confirmed the arrival of his version at the Marquina theater in Madrid in September 2024, “to continue spreading this message that shows that we can become better people every day.”
