“Come From Away”: Transforming tragedy into art, darkness into light

September 6, 2026 / 8:42 AM EDT / CBS News

One of the most affecting stories to come from the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 – one that instills a faith in humanity in spite of the horrifying events of that day – was about the generosity of the residents of a small Canadian town towards several thousand stranded, anxious travelers.

In the wake of the attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all air traffic, forcing 38 international flights headed to the United States to land at an airport in Newfoundland near the small town of Gander. The locals responded to the emergency by providing aid and comfort to seven thousand passengers and flight crew members, many desperate for news from home. The locals' individual and collective acts of kindness became the basis of the acclaimed musical "Come From Away."

With book, music and lyrics by the husband-and-wife team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the show features an ensemble cast of 12 actors playing all the characters, from the "plane people" stranded on the island, to the Newfoundlanders who took them in. Sankoff and Hein conducted research while visiting Gander during the 10th-year reunion held in 2011. With…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/