Come From Away takes on Circa ’21

With the show lauded by the New York Times as a “big bearhug of a musical” in which “even the most stalwart cynics may have trouble staying dry-eyed,” Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse presents its long-awaited debut of the Tony Award-winning COME FROM AWAY. 

Running at the Rock Island dinner theatre through Nov. 1, this deeply moving 2017 musical was also hailed by Entertainment Weekly as “100 heartwarming minutes” of stage magic and is being brought to life by a first-rate team of professional talents.

COME FROM AWAY will be presented at Circa ’21 through Nov. 1, with performances on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday matinées at 1:15 p.m.

Pre-show entertainment featuring the theatre’s waitstaff, the Bootleggers, will also precede all performances. Ticket prices are $68 for the Friday through Sunday dinner-and-show productions and $61 for all Wednesday performances.

Reservations are available through the Circa ’21 ticket office. For reservations, contact the theatre at 1828 3rd Ave., Rock Island, or by calling 309-786-7733 ext. 2. You can also make them online here.

A seven-time Tony nominee that won for Christopher Ashley’s direction, COME FROM AWAY chronicles the real-life experiences of the people of Gander, Newfoundland, and the almost 7,000 airline passengers who were forced to land there when U.S. air space was closed on Sept. 11, 2001.

Twelve actors tell the story of both the Islanders and what become known as the Plane People, revealing the fear and uncertainty that came with the terrorist attacks – as well as the profound generosity and compassion of strangers.

While some characters and stories are an amalgamation of several people and experiences, others are grounded in real-life individuals, such as Captain Beverly Bass, the first female captain for American Airlines; Kevin Tuerff and Kevin Jung; a couple from Los Angeles, and Nick and Diane, who first met in Gander and went on to fall in love.

With its book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the COME FROM AWAY score blends both traditional musical-theatre styles, as well as traditional Newfoundland orchestrations.

Meanwhile, along with acting out the events of the narrative’s four days, the show’s characters step out from the story to narrate the events, and the staging is intentionally minimalist, making innovative use of only a few tables and 12 chairs to represent airplanes, buses and various locations.

Directing COME FROM AWAY is longtime Circa ’21 veteran M. Seth Reines, whose most recent productions for the theatre have included “Clue: The Musical”, “Kinky Boots” and “Singin’ in the Rain.”

Area favorite Ron May serves as music director and Reines’ cast of 12, all of whom enact numerous roles, boasts the talents of: Bobby Becher; Hanna Marie Felver; Sarah Hayes; Gregory Naman; Sydney Richardson; Tristan Tapscott; Renée Elizabeth Turner; Stephen Charles Turner; Kimberly Vanderginst; Shelley Walljasper; Tom Walljasper and Tariq Woods.

The dinner theatre’s entire staff is thrilled to be presenting the Rock Island debut of this hugely heartwarming musical and urges patrons to make reservations quickly for what is sure to be an unforgettable theatrical treat. Call the Circa ’21 ticket office at 309-786-7733 ext. 2 for reservations and let your heart soar with the down-to-earth enchantment of COME FROM AWAY.

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