I have raved several times on this site about the musical “Come From Away,” which I’ve had the pleasure of seeing both on Broadway (review here) and on its national tour (review here). I’ve recommended the show to a lot of people, and none of them has told me they regretted seeing it. In fact, a few — like me — have enjoyed it more than once.
It tells the story of the passengers that were grounded on 9/11 in the tiny Newfoundland town of Gander, where the population was more than doubled by the stranded strangers and crew. The locals welcomed them, going out of their way to provide food, places to sleep, and shoulders to cry on. The show is based on interviews with real residents and real strandees.
Yesterday, on the 18th anniversary of the attacks, the seventeen current Broadway cast and band members went to NPR to perform a few songs from the show. You may notice that some of them, despite having sung these tunes hundreds of times, tear up a bit. As I watched, so did I.