When the World Stopped, Kindness Took Flight: Slow Burn’s Come From Away Offers a Timely Return to Hope
By Joanie Cox Henry
Some stories ask us to remember where we were. Come From Away asks us to remember what we can be for one another.
As Slow Burn Theatre Company prepares to open the musical, its story of strangers finding refuge in a small Newfoundland community carries a particular resonance. Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, the generosity at its center remains an extraordinary example of what ordinary people can accomplish when they choose compassion.
South Florida Concert News was given access to an advance rehearsal and the opportunity to speak with cast members Kimberly Doreen Burns and Justin Phillips. Their reflections reveal the thoughtful preparation and personal connection behind a production poised to bring this deeply humane story to South Florida audiences.
Directed by Patrick Fitzwater, Come From Away runs October 10–25 at the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale.
With book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the musical follows the unexpected convergence of thousands of stranded travelers and the residents of Gander, Newfoundland. When 38 planes were diverted there on September 11, a small town suddenly became a refuge for people from across the globe.
In the midst of fear, uncertainty and profound grief, the people of Gander offered food, shelter, companionship and something less tangible but equally necessary: a reason to trust.
That spirit is central to Burns’ understanding of the show.
“I think this show is about learning that even in the darkest times, there’s still
good in the world,” she said.
Burns, who plays Beverly & Others, approaches the role of Captain Beverly Bass with a sense of privilege and a connection that began long before this rehearsal process.
“My preparation started a very long time ago when I first saw the musical on Broadway,” she recalled.
With close friends and college classmates involved in the original production, Burns’ first encounter with the show was personal. It also planted an ambition to one day portray its pilot.
Once cast, she immersed herself in interviews with the real Beverly Bass, studying both the woman behind the character and her recollections of September 11. That preparation speaks to the responsibility of portraying someone whose experience belongs to living history.
For Burns, the musical’s emotional reach extends beyond remembrance.
“Wonderful people still exist. Joy still exists. Gratitude still exists,” she said.
Those simple declarations capture the enduring appeal of Come From Away. Its hope grows out of tangible acts of care: people opening their doors, sharing what they have and making room for strangers whose lives have been abruptly upended.
Phillips, who plays Bob & Others, found a similar sense of connection within the company itself. A New York City–based performer making his Slow Burn debut, he described a rehearsal experience rooted in community and shared memory.
“This is my first wonderful experience with Slow Burn,” he said. “I’m so grateful to be here.”
His track encompasses Bob, a New Yorker, along with an assortment of other characters. Phillips offered a playful invitation to audiences curious about the scope of those transformations.
“You’ll have to come see the show to see how many other characters I play,” he said.
Behind that humor is a deeply personal awareness of the events the musical explores. Phillips remembers being in sixth grade on September 11, the school closing and the days that followed unfolding through television coverage. Growing up in the Pittsburgh area, he also recalls the fear as the tragedy reached Pennsylvania. What stayed with him, however, was the response: cities and communities rallying to comfort one another.
That memory informs what he hopes audiences will carry away in 2026.
“I just hope it keeps sharing the story of what happened,” Phillips said. “A lot of people weren’t alive when it happened.”
For younger audiences, the musical offers an intimate entry into a history they did not experience firsthand. For those who remember, it makes space for another essential part of that history: the people who answered devastation with generosity.
“It’s a universal message, no matter where you put it,” Phillips said.
His enthusiasm extends to Fitzwater’s leadership.
“He is so open and collaborative in the room,” Phillips said. “Patrick knows exactly what he’s doing. He has a crystal clear vision.”
That collaborative spirit feels especially fitting for a musical built around the power of people coming together.
With orchestrations by August Eriksmoen and arrangements by Ian Eisendrath, Come From Away brings its interwoven stories into a musical world where humor, sorrow and gratitude can coexist. Slow Burn’s production also utilizes original production elements provided by Christopher Ashley, Kelly Devine, Beowulf Boritt, Toni-Leslie James, Howell Binkley and Gareth Owen.
As opening approaches, Burns and Phillips offer compelling reasons to anticipate this production: a commitment to the real people behind the story, an affection for the community forming around it and a belief in its continuing relevance.
Gander’s welcome began with an extraordinary emergency. Its lesson endures in the everyday decision to care for someone else.
This month, Slow Burn invites audiences to encounter that welcome and to consider how far a little kindness can travel. These days, it's never been more essential.
Come From Away runs October 10–25, 2026, at the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. An open-captioned performance takes place Sunday, October 18, at 2 p.m. Tickets and performance information.
Comments