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By Betsie Freeman, freelance writer and former longtime staff writer at the Omaha World-Herald
If you’re somewhat jaded or worried about humanity these days, you’re probably not alone. Disheartening tales describing various inhumanities pop up in the news every day.
But so do stories of people who go to extremes helping their worldwide neighbors without expecting anything in return.
“Come From Away,” the Broadway musical about Canadians who helped thousands of airline passengers from around the world stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, after 9/11, is a funny, heartwarming and ultimately hopeful piece about those good — amazing, really — samaritans.
I had the pleasure of seeing the musical when a Broadway tour came to the Orpheum Theater a few years ago, and now it’s on the Hawks Mainstage at the Omaha Community Playhouse.
The professional cast on the tour — and the entire experience of a show straight from New York City — was wonderful, but the Omaha actors, directors, musicians, designers and all others involved have also created their own unique and outstanding production.
If there was a way to see the two side-by-side, I imagine I would be equally impressed by both.
A friend on the Playhouse board told me that more than 80 people auditioned for roles in “Come From Away.” It doesn’t surprise me that so many actors would be excited to be in a play that just became available to community theaters last year.
It also doesn’t surprise me that director Brandon Box-Higdem selected some of the city’s top talent for his cast. The play has a special meaning for him since he was a New Yorker when the World Trade Center attacks took place and, by chance, walked right into the chaos after the first building fell on his way to school.
Every cast member — Kathy Banta, Megan Berger, Brendan Brown, Ryan Eberhart, Melanie Epps, Angie Heim, Ginny Herman’s, Steve Krambeck, Jim McKain, Josh Peyton, Christina Rohling and Brady Vigness — had at least one Playhouse show on their resumes. All of them are veteran performers.
Their expertise was apparent from the opening scene on opening night.
Each actor plays a few parts, portraying people on the plane and citizens of Gander and the surrounding area. And each of them is up to the task.
The plot of the show starts on 9/11/2001, when U.S. authorities grounded all air traffic into the country and airliners destined for American cities had to find places to land.
Gander has an international airport despite a population of less than 12,000, because it was a refueling spot in the early days of transatlantic flight. On 9/11, 38 jets holding approximately 6,600 people landed there and were stranded for several days.
The musical focuses on the anxiety of the homesick passengers and the unprepared small-town Gander residents charged with providing shelter and food for an unexpected crowd. In various vignettes, it also portrays how everyone involved went from being strangers, to friends, to a beloved community in a short but impactful time.
No matter what diverse characters they played — the pilot, the Gander mayor, a flight attendant, a journalist, an animal-loving activist, leader of the school bus drivers union, a Muslim chef, and a New York mother who’s hoping her firefighter son survived, among others — the actors were genuine and believable. It was impressive how they could switch from person to person in seconds, with ease.
This show has a bit more music than spoken dialogue, so many of the highlights were solos and ensemble work.
A few were especially poignant: “I Am Here,” when Hannah, the first responder’s mom (Banta) tries unsuccessfully to reach her son; “Stop the World,” featuring an American woman (Heim) and a British man (Eberhart), who were on the same flight, fall in love and wonder if they can sustain a long-distance relationship; “Me and the Sky,” the musings of the female pilot (Epps); and “In the Bar/Heavy Away” in which the entire company illustrates, with rollicking song and dance, how the characters were creating a community amid a crisis.
The action all occurs on a simple set that morphs into locations such as the local cafe, the airport terminal, a storage area for pets in a jet, and a classic Newfoundland bar decorated with lots of Canadian symbolism, cleverly designed by Stephen Williams, who also designed the lighting.
The musicians, with conductor Liz Stinson, deserve special recognition for their instrumentation on songs that sounded authentic to eastern Canada areas such as Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. There’s an Irish flute, whistles, Uilleann Pipes (the national bagpipes of Ireland) and a Bouzouki (a lute-like string instrument).
And they all were having a great time — at one point, some of them even joyfully danced.
The entire true story is, in a word, irresistible, especially in this time of fragile relationships between common folks of both countries thanks to politics. It proves that one-on-one kindness and understanding is the better course of action to maintain close ties with neighbors.
In writing about theater, I’ve talked to a number of local actors and admired their work in shows across town. “Come From Away” meant even more to me the second time around when I saw familiar faces from my community in all the roles.
And the frosting on the cake was seeing this fabulous and meaningful show on the 25th anniversary day of an event none of us will ever forget.
As he welcomed the audience to the show on Sept. 11, 2026, director Higdem got choked up as he shared his 9/11 memories.
I got a lump in my throat as well, and I’m suspect others around me were having similar thoughts and memories.
It was a fitting way to mark such a sad yet significant day — remembering that there are plenty of caring, compassionate people here, in Canada and around the world. I left with a fresh infusion of hope and peace.
Come From Away at the Omaha Community Playhouse
Sept. 11 – Oct. 11, 2026 | Hawks Mainstage Theatre
Family Friendly Musical | Run Time: 100 minutes (no Intermission)
Buy Tickets to Come From Away at the Omaha Community Playhouse
