ACT’s ‘Come From Away’ coincides with 9/11 anniversary
Musical tells tale of air passengers stranded on 9/11
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Coinciding with the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the Altoona Community Theatre will present the hit Broadway musical "Come From Away."
The performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 to 19 and at 2 p.m. Sept. 20 on the Benzel Stage at the Mishler Theatre.
Based on the true story of when 38 planes carrying about 7,000 passengers were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, Canada, after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the show portrays stranded travelers and Canadian residents who came together for five days as many waited to re-enter America.
Director Kate Wolf described the show as a hopeful story about community.
"They housed and fed and clothed and befriended these people from around the world," she said.
While preparing for the show, Wolf found out that Wes Barnhart, the owner of auto dealership Barnharts, had a similar experience on 9/11, as his plane from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Newark, New Jersey, was rerouted to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
"We were over the ocean, and the screens went blank," he said.
After the flight attendants returned from a meeting up front, Barnhart noticed their uneasy demeanor. Shortly after that, they were rerouted to Canada.
When they landed, Barnhart remembered that his United States cellphone was in his carry-on bag, so he called his sister, who lived in Glendale. Assuring her that he was safe, she informed him about the two planes hitting the Twin Towers and another hitting the Pentagon.
"Everyone was surprised I could get through because the phone lines were jammed," he said.
Eventually, a bus took Barnhart and the other passengers by bus to Halifax. He slept on a gym floor and later a mattress for two days inside a community college, and he spent another two days in a motel.
During that time, he said many Canadian neighbors provided food, drinks and soda to the delayed passengers, asking them if they needed anything.
"The hospitality was just unbelievable," he said. "It was crazy; total strangers."
Barnhart plans to attend an ACT showing of "Come From Away" next week, adding that he's looking forward to watching how the musical's creators portrayed a shared experience of his.
Getting rights for the show was perfect timing for ACT, Wolf said, mentioning that this musical is more of a Sept. 12-type of story that ties into the events of 9/11.
She said many of the show's actors have personal stories connected to the attacks, such as Sam Wagner who was in high school when the United 93 plane crashed in his town in Shanksville. Other actors were infants in September 2001.
No matter the age of actors or audience members, Wolf hopes that people take away the story's portrayal of helping neighbors in times of crisis.
"It's a beautiful reminder of humans at their best, that strangers were taken in and cared for in such a quick and amazing way," she said.
If you go
What: 'Come From Away' musical
When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 to 19 and 2 p.m. Sept. 20
Where: The Mishler Theatre, 1208 12th Ave., Altoona
Tickets: $26 to $32; Visit https://mishlertheatre.vbotickets.com/event/acts_come_from_away/197209