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Come From Away An Inside Look at the Hit Musical
Come From Away An Inside Look at the Hit Musical

Bookfilter’s September Book of the Month

Every month, BookFilter picks the best new theater book, exclusively for Broadway Direct readers.

Come From Away: Welcome to the Rock — An Inside Look at the Hit Musical
Book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Text by Laurence Maslon
$40, Hachette Books
Published September 24

The Canadian musical Come From Away is an honest-to-goodness smash hit, a word-of-mouth phenomenon. Created by two relative neophytes, this feel-good story with a somber 9/11 backdrop was conceived with the hope that maybe it would become a mainstay in the town of Gander, Newfoundland, where locals opened their homes and hearts to stranded airline passengers whose flights were diverted on that dark day. And, the creators thought, maybe some community theatres in Canada would someday stage it too?

Instead, this little-musical-that-could played to rapturous reviews in Toronto, opened on Broadway, and scored seven Tony nominations, including Best Musical (winning for Best Direction). In London, it won the Best New Musical Olivier, and more companies are set to tour it all over the world. Come From Away passed the magical 1,000th performance mark on Broadway, and by the end of the year it will be one of the 100 longest-running shows in Broadway history.

It’s a charmer in every way, so fans will be sure to snap up this keepsake. Welcome to the Rock includes the complete book and lyrics, of course, but there’s much more.

You’ll also find an introduction by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who charmingly introduced the show when it previewed on Broadway. The main text includes the usual behind-the-scenes stories of how the show was made and creative insights from the talent involved. But it also includes new interviews with the passengers and Gander residents who came together that memorable and sad day, finding comfort in their shared humanity.

That tribute to the real people who inspired this show elevates Welcome to the Rock, just as it elevates the musical in the minds of the fans and critics who have embraced it all along.

Learn More About Come From Away