GUTHRIE THEATER PRESENTS TONY AWARD-NOMINATED MUSICAL
COME FROM AWAY, DIRECTED BY KENT GASH
Inspired by true events following 9/11, Come From Away honors our common humanity and highlights the importance of reaching out to those in need
Previews begin Saturday, June 6; Opening on Thursday, June 11
Playing through Sunday, August 9 on the McGuire Proscenium Stage
(Minneapolis/St. Paul) — The Guthrie Theater (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) today announced the cast and creative team for its upcoming production of Come From Away, by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, directed by Kent Gash. Come From Away begins previews on Saturday, June 6, opens Thursday, June 11 and will play through Sunday, August 9 on the McGuire Proscenium Stage. Single and group tickets are now on sale exclusively through the Box Office or online at guthrietheater.org. Accessibility services (ASL-interpreted, audio-described, open-captioned and relaxed performances) are also available on select dates.
“Come From Away was an instant critical and audience sensation from the moment it premiered in 2015, with energetic music, heart-tugging lyrics and characters who feel like our own neighbors,” said Artistic Director Joseph Haj. “I’m thrilled to bring this hopeful story to the Twin Cities community in this present moment and welcome Kent Gash back to the Guthrie after his joyful direction of Guys and Dolls in our 2018–2019 Season.”
Based on true events following 9/11, this acclaimed musical tells the story of a small town in Canada that welcomed thousands of stranded airline travelers into their homes and lives. Sankoff and Hein visited Gander, Newfoundland, on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and conducted extensive interviews, gathering stories that inspired the show. Come From Away made its world premiere in 2015 in a co-production by La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Rep and was subsequently presented at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. The show would later open on Broadway in 2017, where it received a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical and ran for more than 1,600 performances over five years. Come From Away also had a four-year run on London’s West End and a seven-year North American tour that ended in May 2025.
Director Kent Gash said, “What was undoubtedly a shocking crisis became an opportunity for people to affirm and discover the best of their humanity. Sankoff and Hein’s musical is an important reminder for us all that we share the planet and an existence with each other, so division, conquest and territoriality are pathways to disaster. Why tell the story of Come From Away in 2026? Because it is the story of 2026.”
This hopeful musical begins on September 11, 2001, shortly after the Federal Aviation Administration shuts down U.S. airspace in response to terrorist attacks in New York City, forcing all inbound planes to find alternate destinations. In total, 38 planes are diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, and the hospitable residents of the small Canadian town greet all 7,000 passengers with food, clothing and open hearts. By the time the “plane people” depart, defenses are down, romance blooms and lifelong friendships are formed.
The cast of Come From Away includes Evan Balasubramaniam (Guthrie: debut) as Kevin J. and Others, Kate Beahen (Guthrie: debut) as Janice and Others, Katie Bradley (Guthrie: Murder on the Orient Express, A Christmas Carol, Guys and Dolls) as Hannah and Others, Jennifer Grimm (Guthrie: debut) as Beulah and Others, Matthew Hall (Guthrie: debut) as Bob and Others, Jon Andrew Hegge (Guthrie: Cabaret, A Christmas Carol, Guys and Dolls) as Oz and Others, Justin Keyes (Guthrie: Guys and Dolls, The Cocoanuts) as Kevin T. and Others, Jim Lichtscheidl (Guthrie: Twelfth Night, Uncle Vanya, Clybourne Park) as Nick and Others, Ann Michels (Guthrie: BAD NEWS! i was there…, Sunday in the Park With George, The Cocoanuts) as Diane and Others, Eric Morris (Guthrie: Guys and Dolls) as Claude and Others, Soara-Joye Ross (Guthrie: debut) as Beverley and Others, and Angela Timberman (Guthrie: The Tempest, Guys and Dolls, As You Like It) as Bonnie and Others.
The creative team includes Kent Gash (Director), Byron Easley (Choreographer), J. Oconer Navarro (Music Director), Edward E. Haynes Jr. (Scenic Designer), Kara Harmon (Costume Designer), Rui Rita (Lighting Designer), Hidenori Nakajo (Sound Designer), Denise Prosek (Associate Music Director), Faye M. Price (Dramaturg), Keely Wolter (Resident Vocal Coach), Jennifer Liestman, C.S.A. (Resident Casting Director), Karl Alphonso (Stage Manager), Jason Clusman (Assistant Stage Manager), Lyndsey R. Harter (Assistant Stage Manager), Hannah C. Steblay (Assistant Director) and McCorkle Casting, Ltd. (NYC Casting Consultant).
Biographies
Irene Sankoff and David Hein (Book, Music and Lyrics) are the Olivier-winning, Tony-nominated and Grammy-nominated Canadian writing team behind the award-winning hit musical Come From Away, currently playing to over 100 countries on Apple TV+ and around the world. Their first musical, My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding, based on David’s mother’s true story, won Best Musical awards across North America, with Sankoff and Hein performing in many productions. Together, they have written for Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros., HBO and The CW, as well as Marvel Comics and the Canadian government. They are the recipients of the Four Freedoms Good Neighbor Award and Meritorious Service Cross of Canada, which recognizes Canadians’ exceptional accomplishments.
Kent Gash (Director) is the Founding Director of NYU Tisch School of the Arts’ New Studio on Broadway, where he has directed The Wild Party, The Mollyhouse, The Who’s Tommy, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, The Seven, Nine and 1776, among others. Gash also directed acclaimed productions of Robert O’Hara’s Barbecue at The Public Theater, The Mountaintop at Trinity Rep and The Comedy of Errors at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. With Broadway veteran Walter Marks, Gash co-authored and directed Langston in Harlem, which received four 2010 AUDELCO Awards, including Best Musical. He is the former Artistic Director of The Acting Company, former Associate Artistic Director of Alliance Theatre and recipient of the 2007 Tony Award for Regional Theatre. Directing credits include God of Carnage, 26 Miles (world premiere), Radio Golf, Sophisticated Ladies (Suzi Bass Award for Best Choreography), Pacific Overtures, Jelly’s Last Jam (Suzi Bass Awards for Best Musical, Best Director and Best Choreography), Topdog/Underdog (co-production with Alliance Theatre, Trinity Rep and New Repertory Theatre; Elliot Norton Award for Best Director), Tick, Tick… BOOM! at Alliance Theatre and many others around the country. Gash is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California.
The Guthrie gratefully acknowledges Taft for their support of Come From Away.
Related Events
BIPOC Community Night – Friday, June 12, 5:30–7 p.m.
BIPOC community members are invited to join us for a night of networking with fellow BIPOC professionals. The evening includes a pre-show reception with complimentary sips and bites, followed by a performance of Come From Away at 7:30 p.m. on the McGuire Proscenium Stage. Tickets start at $33 (handling fees included) at guthrietheater.org.
Post-Play Discussions
Patrons are invited to stay in the theater following select performances for a 20-minute conversation about the production facilitated by Guthrie staff. Cast members may join the discussion as they are able.
Sunday, June 14 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, June 17 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, June 21 at 1 p.m.
Tuesday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 11 at 1 p.m.
Accessible Performances
Relaxed Performance – Sunday, July 19 at 1 p.m.
A relaxed performance is intended to be sensitive to and accepting of any audience member who may benefit from a more relaxed environment. It is intentionally modified to accommodate patrons with sensory and vestibular sensitivities, anxiety, dementia, autism spectrum disorders, learning differences and/or other challenges attending the theater.
ASL-Interpreted Performances
American Sign Language interpreters sign the performance as it plays out onstage.
Friday, June 26 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 11 at 1 p.m.
Audio-Described Performances
Audio describers provide live verbal descriptions of the action, costumes and scenery for people who are blind or have low vision.
Friday, June 26 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 11 at 1 p.m.
Open-Captioned Performances
LED screens display text simultaneously with the performance onstage.
Friday, June 26 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 27 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, July 1 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, July 8 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, July 12 at 1 p.m.
The Guthrie also provides accessible services upon request. Requests must be received at least two weeks in advance and can be directed to 612.225.6390 or accessibility@guthrietheater.org.
Ticket Information
Single tickets range from $44 to $104 (handling fees included). Purchase single and group tickets (minimum requirement of 15 per group) through the Box Office at 612.377.2224 (single), 1.877.447.8243 (toll-free), 612.225.6244 (group) or online at guthrietheater.org. The Guthrie Theater Box Office is the only official and most secure source for Guthrie tickets. We cannot guarantee the validity of tickets purchased through any other vendor or third-party seller.
Land Acknowledgment
The Guthrie would like to acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the Dakota People and honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations, including the Ojibwe and other Indigenous nations.
The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) is an American center for theater performance in Minneapolis, Minnesota, dedicated to producing a mix of classic and contemporary plays and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. Under Haj’s leadership, the Guthrie is guided by four core values: Artistic Excellence; Community; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility; and Fiscal Responsibility. Since its founding in 1963, the theater has continued to set a national standard for excellence in the field and serve the people of Minnesota as a vital cultural resource. The Guthrie houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms and dramatic public spaces. guthrietheater.org
