News: "Come From Away" Plans Live Filmed Version of Hit Broadway Musical
Entertainment One (eOne) has announced it will produce and finance a live version of the Tony Award nominated Broadway musical "Come From Away." The production will be filmed this May in the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in New York City, the theater that housed the musical prior to the Broadway shutdown last spring. eOne acquired the rights to "Come From Away" in 2017 and is aiming for a September release.
Christopher Ashley, who received a Tony Award for his direction of the original musical, will direct the filmed version. Original book, music and lyric writers Irene Sankoff and David Heinwill serve as Executive Producers, in conjunction with RadicalMedia’s Jon Kamen, Dave Sirulnick and Meredith Bennett. In addition to the original producers, Junkyard Dog Productions, Jennifer Todd and Bill Condon will produce alongside Mark Gordon. Brittany Hapner will serve as a co-producer. The production will be filmed RadicalMedia, the same company that filmed "Hamilton" for Disney+ and "American Utopia" for HBO.
Set in the week following 9/11, "Come From Away" tells the true story of 7,000 people that were stranded in the small Canadian town of Gander in Newfoundland when 38 planes were unexpectedly forced to land following the attacks. The musical has been praised for its message of humanity as it highlights the extraordinary acts of kindness from the people of Gander.
“We are thrilled to be joining this extended Gander community to continue to share ‘Come From Away’s’ beautiful story of togetherness through a filmed version of the musical, particularly at a time when live theater is shuttered in much of the world,” said Dave Sirulnick, executive producer of RadicalMedia.
The live film will star cast members from the original Broadway production, and gives jobs to over 222 people who are members of the New York cast, crew, staff and creative and film teams. The news comes just over a month before the one year anniversary of the Broadway shutdown that left thousands of people out of work.
“‘Come From Away’ is a triumphant story about the power of humanity in the face of incredible darkness,” said eOne's president of film Nick Meyer. “Now more than ever, we are eager to be able to create meaningful and uplifting content and are excited to partner with this outstanding creative team to share the story with audiences everywhere.”
"Come From Away" was nominated for seven Tony Awards in 2017, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Jenn Colella.
Feature Photo: Original Broadway Cast of "Come From Away" (Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy)