"Come From Away" Opens at Ahmanson
BROADWAY’S TONY AWARD-WINNING “MUST-SEE MUSICAL” (NPR)
“COME FROM AWAY” OPENS AT THE AHMANSON THEATRE IN LOS ANGELES
NATIONAL TOURING PRODUCTION CAST FEATURES
KEVIN CAROLAN, HARTER CLINGMAN, NICK DUCKART, CHAMBLEE FERGUSON, BECKY GULSVIG, JULIE JOHNSON, CHRISTINE TOY JOHNSON, JAMES EARL JONES II, MEGAN MCGINNIS, ANDREW SAMONSKY, DANIELLE K. THOMAS, EMILY WALTON
MARIKA AUBREY, JANE BUNTING, MICHAEL BRIAN DUNN, JULIE GARNYÉ, ADAM HALPIN, AARON MICHAEL RAY
BOOK, MUSIC & LYRICS BY IRENE SANKOFF & DAVID HEIN DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY MUSICAL STAGING BY KELLY DEVINE MUSIC SUPERVISION & ARRANGEMENTS BY IAN EISENDRATH
The First National Tour of “Come From Away” will open its Los Angeles engagement on Wednesday, November 28. The Tony Award-winning musical continues through January 6, 2019, at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.
The touring production of “Come From Away” will star Kevin Carolan (Disney’s “Newsies”), Harter Clingman (“Peter and The Starcatcher”), Nick Duckart (“In the Heights”), Chamblee Ferguson, Becky Gulsvig (“School of Rock the Musical”), Julie Johnson (“Memphis”), Christine Toy Johnson (“The Music Man”), James Earl Jones II (“The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess”), Megan McGinnis (“Les Misérables”), Andrew Samonsky (“South Pacific”), Danielle K. Thomas (“Avenue Q”), Emily Walton (“August: Osage County”), Marika Aubrey, Jane Bunting, Michael Brian Dunn, Julie Garnyé, Adam Halpin and Aaron Michael Ray.
With a book, music and lyrics by Tony and Grammy Award nominees Irene Sankoff & David Hein, “Come From Away” is directed by Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley (“Come From Away”), musical staging by two-time Tony nominee Kelly Devine (“Come From Away,” “Rocky”), with music supervision by Grammy nominee Ian Eisendrath (“Come From Away”), 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”), orchestrations by Tony nominee August Eriksmoen (“Bright Star”), music arrangements by Grammy nominee Ian Eisendrath and casting by Telsey + Company.
“Come From Away” tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.
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” began performances on Broadway on February 18, 2017 and officially opened to critical acclaim on March 12, 2017 at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street), and continues to play to standing-room-only audiences.
The Tony Award-winning musical launched a second company in Canada with a sold out four-week engagement in Winnipeg and is currently playing to standing-room-only audiences in Toronto at the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
The Mark Gordon Company will produce and finance a feature film adaptation of “Come From Away.” Two-time Tony Award nominees, Grammy nominees and Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award winners Irene Sankoff and David Hein, who wrote the book, music and lyrics, will adapt the feature screenplay for the project and Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley will direct. MGC’s Mark Gordon will produce.
A “Best Musical” winner all across North America, the smash hit musical has won the Tony Award for “Best Direction of a Musical” (Christopher Ashley), five Outer Critics Circle Awards (NYC) including “Outstanding New Broadway Musical,” three Drama Desk Awards (NYC) including “Outstanding Musical,” four Helen Hayes Awards (D.C.) including “Outstanding Production of a Musical,” four Gypsy Rose Lee Awards (Seattle) including “Excellence in Production of a Musical,” six San Diego Critics Circle Awards including “Outstanding New Musical,” three Toronto Theatre Critics Awards including “Best New Musical,” three Dora Awards (Toronto) including “Outstanding New Musical/Opera” and “Outstanding Production,” and the 2017 Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award (Toronto).
“Come From Away” is produced by Junkyard Dog Productions (Randy Adams, Marleen and Kenny Alhadeff and Sue Frost), Jerry Frankel, Latitude Link, Smith & Brant Theatricals, Steve & Paula Reynolds, David Mirvish, Michael Rubinoff, Alhadeff Productions, Michael Alden & Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Sam Levy, Rodney Rigby, Spencer Ross, Richard Winkler, Yonge Street Theatricals, Sheridan College, Michael & Ellise Coit, Ronald Frankel, Sheri & Les Biller, Richard Belkin, Gary & Marlene Cohen, Allan Detsky & Rena Mendelson, Lauren Doll, Barbara H. Freitag, Wendy Gillespie, Laura Little Theatricals, Carl & Jennifer Pasbjerg, Radio Mouse Entertainment, The Shubert Organization, Cynthia Stroum, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Gwen Arment/Molly Morris & Terry McNicholas, Maureen & Joel Benoliel/Marjorie & Ron Danz, Pamela Cooper/Corey Brunish, Demos Bizar/Square 1 Theatrics, Joshua Goodman/Lauren Stevens, Just for Laughs Theatricals/Judith Ann Abrams Productions, Bill & Linda Potter/Rosemary & Kenneth Willman, La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre.
“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 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle WA also provided development support.
Center Theatre Group, one of the nation’s preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles’ leading nonprofit theatre company, which, under Artistic Director Michael Ritchie, programs seasons at the 736-seat Mark Taper Forum and 1600 to 2000-seat Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the 317-seat Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. In addition to presenting and producing the broadest range of theatrical entertainment in the country, Center Theatre Group is one of the nation’s leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics and circumstance to serve Los Angeles.
Tickets for “Come From Away” are available by calling (213) 972-4400, online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org, or by visiting the Center Theatre Group Box Office located at the Ahmanson Theatre. Tickets range from $30 – $135 (ticket prices are subject to change). The Ahmanson Theatre is located at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, 90012.
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November 27, 2018