Brisbane Season Announced for Global Hit Musical Come From Away
Melb in Feb, Brisbane in March, Sydney in June 2021
Following the rescheduling of dates in 2020, Producers Rodney Rigby and Junkyard Dog Productions are pleased to announced a Brisbane season of uplifting smash musical COME FROM AWAY. The Tony and Olivier award-winning musical will open at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre from 28 March 2021 for a strictly limited season. It will be the first major musical to open in Queensland since the COVID-enforced shutdown.
This season will follow the show’s encore season in Melbourne in February 2021 and will then see it move to Sydney in June 2021. The Australian Company took Melbourne by storm when it premiered in 2019, becoming the most successful musical ever staged at The Comedy Theatre and breaking all box office records. It marks the fifth production of the musical worldwide, joining international productions on Broadway, in Toronto, the West End and the US National Tour.
Read DanceLife’s review of the Melbourne production of COME FROM AWAY here.
Producer Rodney Rigby said, “As the world collectively faces one of the greatest challenges in modern times, COME FROM AWAY reminds us that compassion is at the core of our humanity. This is a story about unity, and about acting with kindness regardless of our differences.”
COME FROM AWAY follows the incredible real-life journey of 7,000 air passengers who became grounded in Gander, Newfoundland in Canada in the wake of the September 11 tragedy. The small community that invited the ‘come from aways’ into their lives provided hope and humanity to those in need. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. Award-winning husband and wife authors David Hein and Irene Sankoff (book, music and lyrics), travelled to Newfoundland and interviewed thousands of locals, listening to and compiling their stories to share them with the world.
The musical has won countless awards internationally including the 2017 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (Christopher Ashley), Winner of five Outer Critics Circle Awards (New York) including Outstanding New Broadway Musical. On top of this, the musical has received three Drama Desk Awards (New York) including Outstanding Musical, four Helen Hayes Awards (Washington, D.C) including Outstanding Production of a Musical, four Gypsy Rose Lee Awards (Seattle) including Excellence in production of a Musical and six San Diego Critics Circle Awards including Outstanding New Musical.
In 2020, the musical added to its international award tally with five Green Room awards including Best Production and Best Ensemble. In 2019, along with being voted Ticketmaster’s ‘Ticket of the Year’ by Australian audiences, the musical won four Olivier Awards including Best New Musical, Best Theatre Choreographer, Best Sound Design and Outstanding Achievement in Music, along with four Broadway World UK awards.
DanceLife had the pleasure of speaking with choreographer Kelly Devine about COME FROM AWAY last year. Read our interview with Kelly here.
