From Broadway to the U.K. to Australia, and now your living room, it’s curtain up on "Come From Away."

A filmed version of the hit Broadway musical is being released on Apple TV+ on Sept. 10, which is fitting because the show takes place during the days following the 2001 terror attacks on New York City and the Pentagon.

What You Need To Know

  • A filmed version of "Come From Away," a musical centered around the real-life events following the 9/11 terror attacks, is set to premiere on Apple TV+ on Sept.10.

  • Co-writers Irene Sankoff and David Hein are shocked their story about the real-life Canadian heroes who welcomed thousands of strangers to their town when their planes were grounded on 9/11 has had such resonance around the world

  • Jenn Colella returned to the company to film the movie version of "Come From Away," where she once again plays Captain Beverly Bass, the first ever female American Airlines pilot

"Come From Away" tells the true story of a community in Newfoundland, Canada, that took in thousands of strangers when their planes were diverted due to U.S. airspace being shut down. Irene Sankoff and David Hein are the co-creators of the musical.

"We wrote it thinking that Canadian high school students and college students would be forced to do it because there was Canadian content and lots of characters," Sankoff said.

"It's amazing," Hein said about Apple TV+ releasing the film. "I mean, the fact that we were on stages in Australia was already blowing our minds, but being able to take this to a hundred different countries around the world and share this story with people who might never get to go to a Broadway theater and giving them that access."

The musical, which is presented in docu-theater form, is directed by Christopher Ashley, and features original Broadway cast member Jenn Colella. Colella returned for the film in the role of Captain Beverley Bass, an American Airlines pilot who landed her plane in Gander.

"It felt very overwhelming to have the opportunity to revisit the role of Captain Beverly Bass after I'd had some time off, and then after the pandemic and kind of in the middle of the pandemic," Colella said. "There was a deeper resonance of what it means to care for people during a time of crisis."

Ashley says while the musical takes place 20 years ago, there are parallels to today.

"I was walking to the set the first day through an empty Times Square and thinking, 'When is the last time that I can remember Times Square this empty?' And I thought and it was 9/11," the director said. "And there really are ways that the current world rhymes with what we went through 20 years ago. They're not the same moment, but they share a profound sense of dislocation."

If you would like to check out the musical live and in person, the Broadway production of "Come From Away" reopens on Sept. 21.

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