COME FROM AWAY BEGINS BROADWAY PERFORMANCES FEBRUARY 2017
BOOK, MUSIC & LYRICS BY IRENE SANKOFF & DAVID HEIN
DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY
CHOREOGRAPHED BY KELLY DEVINE
New York, NY) Junkyard Dog Productions announced today that the new musical Come From Away will begin performances on Broadway in February 2017 at a Shubert Theater to be announced, following productions at Washington DC’s Ford’s Theatre (Friday, September 2 – Sunday, October 9, 2016), and Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre (Tuesday, November 15, 2016 – Sunday, January 8, 2017).
The Broadway and Toronto productions of COME FROM AWAY will star Newfoundland native Petrina Bromley (Stratford’s As You Like It); Geno Carr (The Old Globe’s Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas); Jenn Colella (If/Then); Joel Hatch (Annie); Rodney Hicks (The Scottsboro Boys); Kendra Kassebaum (Wicked); Tony Award nominee Chad Kimball (Memphis); Canadian Lee MacDougall (Stratford’s The Music Man); Caesar Samayoa (Sister Act); Q. Smith (Mary Poppins); Canadian Astrid Van Wieren (North American premiere of Mamma Mia!) and Sharon Wheatley (Avenue Q).
With a book, music and lyrics by Canadians Irene Sankoff & David Hein, Come From Away is directed by Tony Award nominee Christopher Ashley (Memphis) and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Kelly Devine (Rocky), with scenic design by Tony Award winner Beowulf Boritt (Act One), costume design by Tony Award nominee Toni-Leslie James (Jelly’s Last Jam), lighting design by two-time Tony Award winner Howell Binkley (Hamilton), sound design by Tony Award nominee Gareth Owen (End of the Rainbow), music supervision by Ian Eisendrath (A Christmas Story), orchestrations by August Eriksmoen (Bright Star) and casting by Telsey + Company.
In a heartbeat, 38 planes and 6,579 passengers were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland, doubling the population of one small town on the edge of the world.
On September 11, 2001 the world stopped. On September 12, their stories moved us all.
Following sold-out, record-breaking, critically acclaimed world premiere engagements at La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre, Come From Away landed on the “Best Theater of 2015” lists in the Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, San Diego Union Tribune, and Times of San Diego. Charles McNulty of the Los Angeles Times called the show “An affecting, stirring and unpretentious new musical. Christopher Ashley's production lets the simple goodness of ordinary people outshine sensational evil,” and Bob Verini of Variety raved, “Superb! Canadians Irene Sankoff and David Hein have forged a moving, thoroughly entertaining tribute to international amity and the indomitable human spirit.”
Come From Away was originally co-produced in 2015 by La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theater. Come From Away (NAMT Festival 2013) was originally developed at the Canadian Music Theatre Project, Michael Rubinoff Producer, Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada and was further developed at Goodspeed Musicals’ Festival of New Artists, in East Haddam, CT. The Canada Council for the Arts, The Ontario Arts Council, Steve and Paula Reynolds and The Fifth Avenue Theatre, Seattle WA also provided development support.
Please visit: www.ComeFromAway.com.
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BIOGRAPHIES
Petrina Bromley. Regional credits: Enron, The Sound of Music, Tartuffe, Metamorphoses, Based on the Myths of Ovid (National Arts Centre, Ottawa); Oil and Water (Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland, St. John’s; Factory, Toronto; The Grand, London; Vertigo, Calgary; National Arts Centre, Ottawa); Fear of Flight (Artistic Fraud, St. John’s; Factory, Toronto; The Cultch, Vancouver); Cabaret, White Christmas: The Musical (TaDa!); Little Women: The Musical and Songs for a New World (Theatre St. John’s). Ms. Bromley is a Newfoundland native.
Geno Carr. Off-Broadway: Bush Wars. Tours: Phantom, Buddy Holly Story, Grease. Regional: La Jolla Playhouse: Come From Away (Noel nom.); Old Globe: Allegiance, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!; Merry-Go-Round: The Producers (Bloom), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Gus) (BroadwayWorld nom.); Lamb’s Players: The Foreigner (Charlie); Cygnet Theatre: Assassins (Guiteau); Heritage Theatre Festival: South Pacific (Billis); Intrepid Theatre: Spelling Bee (Panch); San Diego Musical Theatre: Next to Normal (Dr. Madden). Education: MFA, Sarah Lawrence College; Dual BA, Hartwick College.
Jenn Colella. Broadway: If/Then, Chaplin, High Fidelity, Urban Cowboy (Outer Critics Circle Award nomination). Off-Broadway: Beebo Brinker; Lucky Guy, Don’t Quit Your Night Job, Slut, Closer Than Ever. Regional: Annie Get Your Gun (PCLO); Peter Pan (Sacramento Music Circus); Side Show (Kennedy Center). TV: Currently recurring as Val in Feed The Beast on AMC (with David Shwimmer); Elementary; All My Children; The Good Wife; Cashmere Mafia; Rescue Me. Film: Uncertainty (with Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Stand Up: Laugh Factory; Comedy Store. M.F.A. Acting, UC Irvine.
Joel Hatch. Broadway: Billy Elliot, Annie. Off Broadway: Adding Machine: A Musical (OBIE, Lucille Lortel Award). National Tours: Showboat, Ragtime, Beauty and the Beast. Regional: Goodman: House and Garden; Chicago Shakes: Cymbeline; Writers Theatre: Another Part Of The Forest; Indiana Rep: Inherit The Wind; Alliance Theatre: Bull Durham. TV: The Good Wife, Boardwalk Empire, Elementary, Prison Break.
Rodney Hicks. Broadway: The Scottsboro Boys; RENT (Closing Cast, DVD); Jesus Christ Superstar; RENT (Original Cast). Off-Broadway: Jacques Brel is Alive…; RENT; Bring in the Morning. Regional: The 5th: Paint Your Wagon, HAIR. PCS: The Mountaintop, Dreamgirls, Oklahoma. Seattle Rep/La Jolla: Come from Away. DTC: King Lear. Geva: Lobby Hero. Royal George: White Noise. CenterStage: Two Gentlemen of Verona. TV: Leverage; GRIMM; Law and Order: Criminal Intent; NYPD Blue. Film: Bad Decisions; Django. Playwright: NC-17.
Kendra Kassebaum. Broadway/New York: Wicked (Glinda), Rent (Maureen/Mrs. Cohen), Assassins, Leap of Faith (Sam); MTC: The Receptionist (Lorraine); Roundabout: A Little Night Music (Petra). Regional: Seattle Rep: Come From Away; Actor’s Theatre of Louisville; Sundance Writer’s Lab; San Jose Rep; 5th Avenue Theatre; Ordway; Florida Stage; St Louis Muny; Arizona Theatre Co. Film: The Other Woman. Recordings: Leap of Faith, Grammy nominated Assassins.
Chad Kimball. La Jolla/Seattle Repertory: Come From Away. Broadway: Memphis (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC noms); Lennon; Into the Woods; The Civil War; Good Vibrations. Off-Broadway: Finian’s Rainbow; My Life With Albertine; Godspell; Murder in the First. Regional: Sweeney Todd; Baby; Chess; Little Fish. TV: The Good Wife; Wallflowers. Chad won a Bistro Award for his solo cabaret show.
Lee MacDougall. First National Tours: Mamma Mia!; Wizard of Oz. Regional: La Jolla/Seattle Rep: Come From Away; Stratford Festival: Music Man, Cyrano, Much Ado, Gondoliers, Cabaret. Shaw Festival: On the Town, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Lulu, Counsellor-at-Law. Canstage: Urinetown. Acting Upstage: Light in the Piazza. National Arts Centre: Growing Season. Theatre Calgary: Guys and Dolls. Playwright: High Life; The Ginkgo Tree; Who Has Seen the Wind.
Caesar Samayoa. Broadway: Sister Act, The Pee Wee Herman Show. DC-area: Olney: Camilo in Carmen: An Afro-Cuban Jazz Musical, Billy Bigelow in Carousel; Kennedy Center: Bernstein’s Mass. Credits include leading roles in film, TV, off-broadway and regional theatre companies including The Delacorte Theater-Shakespeare in the Park, Yale Rep., La Jolla Playhouse, Goodspeed, Huntington Theatre, Barrington Stages, Primary Stages. Caesar has also appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Baltimore Symphony and in various international concert tours. BFA, Ithaca College.
Q. Smith. Broadway: 1st revival of Les Miserables and Mary Poppins (Miss Andrew). Tours: A Night With Janis Joplin, Smokey Joe's Cafe' starring Gladys Knight, Mary Poppins (Bird Woman/Miss Andrew). Off Broadway/Concerts: Fame: The Musical (Cast Album); Showboat in Concert (Carnegie Hall); Abyssinia: A Gospel Celebration with Wynton Marsalis (Lincoln Center); Soloist at Hillary Clinton's Vital Voices Awards Ceremony (Kennedy Center); Soloist at Barack Obama's Inaugural Ceremonies representing the state of Nebraska. BFA: Ithaca College.
Astrid Van Wieran. La Jolla: Come From Away; Canadian Premiere/US Tour Mamma Mia!; Artistic Fraud (Newfoundland): The Colony Of Unrequited Dreams; Segal/Canadian National Arts Centre: Belles Soeurs: The Musical; Theatre Passe Muraille: The Way Back To Thursday; Toronto Fringe: Myth Of The Ostrich; Mercury: Baal; Sudbury Theatre Centre: The Drowsy Chaperone; Roseneath: Danny, King Of The Basement; Mercury/Mermaid Parade: This Wide Night (Dora Mavor Moore Award, Outstanding Performance).
Sharon Wheatley. Broadway: Golden Theater: Avenue Q; Majestic Theater: The Phantom of the Opera; Winter Garden Theater: Cats; Imperial Theater: Les Miserables. Regional: La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Rep: Come From Away; Weston Playhouse: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Fiddler on the Roof. Author: ‘Til the Fat Girl Sings (Adams Media). Training: University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, BFA Musical Theatre (Alumnae Award).
Irene Sankoff and David Hein (Book, Music, Lyrics) are a Canadian husband-and-wife writing team. Their first show, My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding (based on David’s mother’s true story) was the hit of the Toronto Fringe Festival, where it was picked up for a successful commercial run in Toronto by Mirvish Productions. It has now played and won awards across North America, with Sankoff and Hein performing in most productions. Come From Away was developed at the Canadian Music Theatre Project and Goodspeed Musicals’ Festival of New Artists, showcased at the NAMT Festival of New Works and enjoyed a record-setting, multiple award-winning, critically acclaimed world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory - recently winning "Outstanding New Musical" and "Best Score" among other awards at the San Diego Critics Circle Craig Noel Awards and "Excellence in Production of Musical" among other awards in Seattle's Gypsy Rose Lee awards. Their next musical, Mitzvah, was recently developed at the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, The Jewish Plays Project, the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat and most recently at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Sankoff and Hein are the recipients of a Bryden “Ones-to-Watch” award, a Playwrights Guild of Canada award, and several ASCAP Plus awards.
Christopher Ashley (Director) directed the Broadway productions of Memphis which won four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Xanadu (Drama Desk nomination), All Shook Up and The Rocky Horror Show (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), as well as the Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration productions of Sweeney Todd and Merrily We Roll Along. Other New York credits include: Blown Sideways Through Life, Jeffrey (Lucille Lortel and Obie Awards), The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla, Regrets Only, Wonder of the World, Communicating Doors, Bunny Bunny, The Night Hank Williams Died and Fires in the Mirror (Lucille Lortel Award), among others. Mr. Ashley has served as La Jolla Playhouse’s Artistic Director since October, 2007. During his tenure, he helmed the world premieres of Come From Away, Joe DiPietro's Hollywood, The Darrell Hammond Project, Arthur Kopit's A Dram of Drummhicit, Claudia Shear's Restoration, as well as His Girl Friday, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the musicals Chasing the Song, Xanadu and Memphis. He also spearheaded the Playhouse’s Without Walls (WoW) series and the Resident Theatre program. Mr. Ashley also directed the feature films Jeffrey and Lucky Stiff, as well as the American Playhouse production of Blown Sideways Through Life for PBS. Mr. Ashley is the recipient of the Princess Grace Award, the Drama League Director Fellowship and an NEA/TCG Director Fellowship.
Kelly Devine (Choreographer) Broadway: Rocky (Tony nom., Drama Desk nom., and Outer Critics nom.), Zhivago, Rock of Ages; International: Rocky (Germany), Zhivago (Australia), Rock of Ages (West End, UK tour, Toronto, Australia; Helpman/Green Room Award); Opera: Faust (Metropolitan Opera / London Coliseum), Wozzeck (San Diego Opera); Off-Broadway: Rock of Ages, Fat Camp, Frankenstein, Anne Wrecksick; Regional: Toxic Avenger, A Christmas Story, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Sneaux; La Jolla Playhouse: Come From Away, Peter and the Starcatcher, Zhivago, Private Fittings; Stratford Shakespeare Festival: Cabaret, Romeo & Juliet; Film/Television: “Mozart in the Jungle,” Dear Dumb Diary, Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List, Happy Texas, Zombie Prom.
Beowulf Boritt (Scenic Designer). Broadway: Act One (Tony Award), The Scottsboro Boys (Tony nominations), Terese Raquin (Tony nomination), On the Town, Hand to God, Sondheim on Sondheim, …Spelling Bee, LoveMusik, Rock of Ages, Chaplin, Bronx Bombers, Grace, The Two and Only. Off Broadway: 99 shows, including The Toxic Avenger, The Last Five Years, Miss Julie; Roundabout, MTC, Public, Second Stage, Vineyard, MCC, Primary Stages and The New Group. Other Designs: The Seven Deadly Sins (New York City Ballet) and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He received a 2007 OBIE Award for sustained excellence.
Toni-Leslie James (Costume Designer) is a Tony Award-nominated costume designer, having designed on Broadway for Amazing Grace, Lucky Guy, The Scottsboro Boys, Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, King Hedley II, The Wild Party, Marie Christine, Angels in America: Millennium Approaches & Perestoika and Jilly’s Last Jam. Off Broadway, she has designed multiple productions for The Public, Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center, NYTW and over 15 productions for the NY City Center Encores series. Regionally her work has been seen at La Jolla Playhouse, Steppenwolf, The Long Wharf, The Old Globe, Williamstown Theatre Festival and others.
Howell Binkley (Lighting Designer), Broadway designs include: Hamilton, Paramour, Allegiance, After Midnight (2014 Tony nomination), West Side Story (2009 Tony nomination), Gypsy starring Patti LuPone, In The Heights (2008 Tony nomination), Avenue Q, The Full Monty, Parade, and Kiss Of The Spider Woman (1993 Tony nomination). Extensive regional and dance works include: The Joffrey Ballet’s Billboards, Co-Founder and Resident Lighting Designer for Parsons Dance. A five-time Helen Hayes Award recipient, Mr. Binkley received the 1993 Oliver Award and Canadian Dora Award for Kiss of the Spider Woman, the 2006 Henry Hewes Design Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and Tony award for Jersey Boys, and the 2015 Tony Award for Hamilton.
Gareth Owen (Sound Design) Broadway credits include Spring Awakening, Let It Be, A Little Night Music (Tony Award nomination) and End of the Rainbow (Tony Award nomination). La Jolla Playhouse: The Hunchback of Notre Dame. His London credits include Merrily We Roll Along and Memphis winning an Olivier Award for each, in addition to Olivier nominated designs for Top Hat and End of the Rainbow. He has designed more than 250 commercial musicals. Recent productions include: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Sister Act, Hairspray and Singin’ in the Rain (all Worldwide); Titanic (Toronto); Moederik Wil Bij de Revue (Holland); I Can’t Sing, Memphis, Let It Be and Woman in Black (all in London’s West End); The Producers and Top Hat (UK Tour); The Rocky Horror Show (Austrailia).
Ian Eisendrath (Music Supervisor, Musical Arrangements). Broadway: A Christmas Story. Regional: Aladdin, A Room with a View, Secondhand Lions, Vanitites, Oklahoma!, On the Town, Sunday in the Park with George, Cabaret, Into the Woods, West Side Story, Company, Sweeney Todd, Carousel, Titanic and Miss Saigon (5th Avenue Theatre); The Nutcracker and Susan Stroman’s Take Five (Pacific Northwest Ballet); A Christmas Story (Kansas City Rep); Cabaret (Theatre Under the Stars, The Ordway, American Musical Theater of San Jose); Miss Saigon (Casa Manana). Mr. Eisendrath is the Music Supervisor and Alhadeff Family Director of New Works at the 5th Avenue Theatre. Education: B.M.A in conducting musical theatre from University of Michigan.
Junkyard Dog Productions (Producer). Junkyard Dog Productions is a Tony Award Winning producing company dedicated to developing and producing new musical theatre. JYD produced the 2010 Tony Award Winning Best Musical, Memphis, which enjoyed an artistically and commercially successful three year run on Broadway, as well as a multi-year National Tour and Olivier Award Winning run on London’s West End starring Beverley Knight. JYD was lead producer on First Date (2013) starring Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriguez, and served as Executive Producers on Doctor Zhivago (Broadway 2015). Founding partners in Junkyard Dog are Randy Adams, Marleen and Kenny Alhadeff and Sue Frost.
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