25 Years Later – Come From Away

Sep 19, 2026 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Sue Weston and Susie Rosenbluth, Two Sues on the Aisle

September 11, 2001, started like any other day, until it wasn’t, and the world had changed forever. This year is the 25th anniversary of that fateful day, and the musical Come From Away, now playing at the Bell Theater at Bell Works, recounts the events from two vantage points. Irene Sankoff and David Hein wrote the show with characters based on real people, making everything even more amazing.

The show begins as US airspace is closed, rerouting 38 commercial airliners carrying 7,000 passengers and crew members to the Gander International Airport (YQX) in Newfoundland, population 9,000. The town immediately prepares to host an unknown number of tired, frightened rerouted travelers from around the world. Come From Away is a heartwarming story of compassion, community, and caring. We left the theater wanting to be a Newfoundlander, a people who opened their hearts and homes to strangers, saying, ‘you would’ve done the same.’

Based on True Stories

Lives touched by 9/11 will be changed forever. It felt like the end of the world. Some things were gone forever. America learned to fear foreigners, while in Gander, the “plane people” received an unexpected welcome.

• Captain Beverley Bass (Stephanie Lynne Mason) was one of the pilots who was instructed to divert her route to Gander. She was the first female pilot for American Airlines. She brings home the reality of the situation, recognizing one of the pilots whose plane hit the Pentagon.
• Bonnie Harris (Dara Gallagher), manager of the animal shelter, was the first person to ask officials about the number of animals on board and their well-being. She went into the planes to check on and care for the animals, including an epileptic cat (with its medicine strapped to its crate) and two rare Bonobo chimps.
• Rabbi Leivi Sudak (Michael Daly), a London-based Chabad-Lubavitch rabbi, set up a kosher kitchen to feed other observant Jewish travelers, as well as Muslim passengers and vegetarians with strict dietary restrictions. A local man, Ed Brake, came up to Rabbi Sudak and revealed he was a Polish-born Holocaust survivor who had fled Europe as a child, settled in Newfoundland, and kept his Jewish identity a secret from nearly everyone in the community, even his wife.

The experience in Gander would change lives. Diane (Joy Hermalyn) and Nick, who met on the plane, one from Texas and the other from London, get married. Kevin T (Jacob Canderozzi) will give each of his employees $100 on 9/11 to do a good deed for a stranger. Hannah (Melrose Johnson), whose son was a firefighter in Brooklyn, remains in contact with Beulah (Jessica Sheridan), who provided emotional support and corny jokes.

This Performance

Come From Away is 100 minutes of non-stop song and dialogue, as the company of 12 expertly changes character, from local to traveler, complete with accent change, and an article of clothing; their transformation is complete. Playing both roles on the diminutive stage at the Bell Theater, and doing so believably, was accomplished through wonderful staging. Simply flipping the chairs changed the scene from a bus to an airplane. The acting was superb, complete with hand gestures swaying on the bus or adjusting the lights on the plane. Most impressive was that the actors only rehearsed for 2 weeks!

We had seen a performance at The Paper Mill Playhouse, and while the storyline was just as moving, the staging changed the overall effect. This performance felt more intimate and personal. Especially during the Talk-Back after the show, when the performers shared their stories.

A Sense of Balance and Hope

September 11th changed air travel forever, and removed the naivete of Americans, who thought ‘It can’t happen here’ with the reality that terrorists can strike anywhere, anytime. But it should not erase our humanity. Come From Away provides a sense of balance. We share the desperation to understand why 9/11 happened, the senseless loss of life, and at the same time, it reminds us that there is goodness. The people of Gander gave of themselves, selflessly, compassionately. They shared the pain and suffering with the “plane people,” even observing the moment of silence, out of respect. I’d like to think we’d act similarly if the situation presented itself.

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Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) to see the play, show, film, or exhibit being reviewed. 

Come From Away – Received a 5 Challah rating

At the Bell Theater at Bell Works through October 4

Running Time – 100 minutes with no intermission