‘Come From Away’ musical is a tale of kindness on America’s worst day

In the darkest hours of 9/11, a small town in Newfoundland became a beacon of humanity.

When U.S. airspace closed after the terrorist attacks, 38 planes were diverted to Gander, a town of fewer than 10,000 people, instantly doubling its population. What followed became a global symbol of kindness, as the small Canadian town cared for and comforted strangers in the midst of a disaster.

The Tony Award-winning musical “Come from Away” shares this story at The Phoenix Theatre Company now through March 29.

Gilbert actress Amy Jo Halliday plays two roles in the show: Beverley, American Airlines’ first female pilot, and Annette, a Gander local.

“Both of them are very different characters,” Halliday says. “Beverley Bass is … very focused. She’s very career-driven. She’s made it in a very male-dominated environment.

“Then, I play Annette. She’s a librarian. She’s a teacher and she is a flirt. They’re very different characters.”

Songs like “Welcome to the Rock” and “Me and the Sky” capture the story’s emotions. The tragedy doesn’t define the narrative; instead, it focuses on kindness. Gander residents offered hot meals, phones and extra bedrooms to the thousands of surprise visitors. 

“Come From Away” is a compelling show due to its pace and pulse, she explains. The ensemble cast portray both townspeople and passengers with an impressive fluidity. 

“I bounce back and forth — even sometimes in the same scene,” Halliday says. “I have a jacket that I put on for Beverley, and then I take off the jacket to be Annette. I also change my body posture. I change the pitch of my speaking.

“Beverley is from Texas, so I speak with a Texas accent for her. Annette is from Gander, so I talk with a Gander accent for her.”

Halliday believes this is an important story to tell, as many are unaware of this chapter of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights and more than 4,000 planes were forced to land immediately.

“The general public doesn’t think about it, doesn’t think about what happened to those planes,” she says. “We’re so focused on what happened in New York and then at the Pentagon. We forget that other things happened with the other planes that were in the air.”

In “Come from Away,” the dialogue is drawn from real interviews, and every character is based on an actual person.

“People just took in all these strangers,” Halliday says. “They had no idea who they were. They didn’t know their backgrounds. They didn’t know anything about them. They just helped for the sake of helping. They didn’t expect anything in return. They just wanted to be of service.”

Starring in “Come from Away” was a dream for Halliday. A longtime fan of the show, Halliday had frequently listened to the soundtrack and watched videos of the Gander visitors.

“I was pretty well equipped with what was going on,” she says.

Halliday, a longtime actress who grew up in Mesa, married her Mesa High School sweetheart, Michael. After she completed her undergraduate degree at ASU, the couple moved to Oregon so she could pursue graduate studies.

“We loved it so much that we stayed for almost 20 years,” Halliday said. “I performed professionally there and we just adored it.”

Now that Halliday is back in her home state, she is teaching at ASU and Scottsdale Community College.

“I think performing is just in my DNA,” she says. “I love it. I love the storytelling. I know how magical it is when I go see a show and how it changes me. I just love being a part of that for audience members. I enjoy helping them see the world in a different way or helping them feel joy for a while, right? 

“We’re telling something that is real, something that is true. It wasn’t created out of somebody’s imagination. These stories are true, so important and historical.”

“Come from Away”: Through Sunday, March 29. The Phoenix Theatre Company, 1825 N. Central Ave. Tickets start at $60. For more information, visit phoenixtheatre.com.