COME FROM AWAY: TRIUMPH OF FILIPINO TALENT & BAYANIHAN IN A FEEL-GOOD 9/11 MUSICAL

The terrorist attacks of 9/11 as a subject for a musical? Are they mad? You can't be blamed for having the same reservations that we had before watching Come From Away, the first Filipino-led production of GMG Productions, known for bringing hits like Hamilton and Miss Saigon, together with Stages which presents beloved musicals which include West Side Story and Footloose. The combination worked, however, in what turned out to be a delightful, dramatic comedy of generosity and the bayanihan spirit of communal unity in the face of tragedy.

- RICKY TOLEDO & CHITO VIJANDRE

The idea came from real estate lawyer and producer Michael Rubinoff—yes, another unlikely combination, but one that proved fortuitous for this piece that has earned over 38 nominations and won 18 awards including an Olivier for Best New Musical and a Tony for Best Direction since its Broadway debut in 2017.

It was Rubinoff's pride in how his countrymen in Gander, Newfoundland, a small town of 9,000 people in northeast Canada, graciously welcomed 7,000 strangers from 90 countries into their homes and community centers when 38 planes were diverted to their airport during the shutdown of US Airspace.

"It was a Canadian connection to such a tragic day. It took years for stories to come out but each time, it brought all this emotion and pride," he said.

Rubinoff's passion for theater, which led him to a second career, had him producing musicals in Toronto with the philosophy that a new production should have "a compelling story and a compelling reason to musicalize the story."

It was still a hard sell, however, until he got in touch with Canadian husband-and-wife team David Hein and Irene Sankoff who did My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding which he loved and found very authentic. The couple was perfect for the job because they were living in New York during 9/11 and had lived through the trauma, allowing them to be sensitive in telling the story. But since they had settled back in Canada, they moved on and were able to have a more balanced view in writing it.