When Stages Artistic Director Derek Charles Livingston first saw the musical Come From Away at La Jolla Playhouse on its way to Broadway, he wasn’t what you’d call a fan.
The musical is the story of the community of Gander, Newfoundland, where 38 planes were diverted on September 11, 2001, following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
“It was a show about a lot of nice people doing a lot of nice things for a lot of other people,” he recalls thinking. “There wasn’t enough conflict or tension.”
Livingston was in the minority. The show, with a book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein opened on Broadway in March 2017, and would go on to be nominated for seven Tony Awards, winning one for Best Direction of a Musical and garnering legions of fans drawn to the story of these nice people doing nice things.
Livingston knew the show was popular, so programming it to open Stages 2026-2027 season felt like a no-brainer. But then, something happened.
He went back and re-read the script, and watched clips and a professional shot of the show.
“And these bunch of nice people doing a bunch of nice things for a bunch of nice people caught my heart,” he said, apologizing for getting emotional. “I was swept away with was the selflessness, how people just reacted in a time of crisis and took people into their homes, and into their lives and, and into their arms in some cases, without thought, without hesitation.”
And suddenly, this show that didn’t have enough conflict or tension for him became “simply irresistible.”
A cast of 12 performs more than 100 roles, portraying the townspeople and the stranded passengers. The entire story is drawn from actual events, with a script constructed after multiple interviews with those who lived through the events of September 11 and beyond. For nearly a week, the 7,000 “plane people” were given food, clothing and shelter in communities surrounding the tiny town of Gander, located on northeast tip of the Canadian island territory.
“This isn’t a 9/11 musical, one of my board members told me,” said Livingston. “It’s a 9/12 musical.”
Houston theatergoers may recall the musical has come through town before. TUTS last brought in the U.S. tour in March 2022 (prior to that, it was part of the Broadway at the Hobby Center series in March 2020). This, however, will be the first time it’s being produced locally by a professional company. Livingston isn’t worried that audiences might have had their fill. First, he notes, there isn’t a lot of overlap between Stages season subscribers and those who subscribe to either TUTS or the Broadway series. Second, the show is wildly popular among its fans. In addition to setting records for attendance at the Schoenfeld Theatre in New York, it was, according to American Theatre magazine, the most-produced play in the country for the 2025-2026 season, the first time rights to the show were available for regional professional and community theaters.
More than all that, Livingston said, is what Stages itself offers: a 231-seat house that gives audiences an intimate theater-going experience.
“ You’re going to get that same emotional experience [of Come from Away] at a third or even a quarter, of the distance that you would in a large house,” he said.
There’s also the cast.
“These are all Houston actors,” Livingston said, proud of the high-caliber cast that includes Brooke Wilson, Courtney Markowitz, Brock Hatton and others, praising their exceptional talent. “ We don’t have to go beyond [Houston] to have that kind of talent.”
Livingston thinks Come From Away’s blend of true stories and showcasing kindness will be a winner for those who may be tired of the divisiveness in current events. They may also enjoy the show’s Houston connections: two characters, Nick and Diane Marson, are real people, who met in Gander, fell in love, married and now live north of the city. The couple will do a post-performance talkback on September 27.
”We need to be reminded of what good neighbors Canada is to the United States, and here’s an example of that,” he said. “This show is about Gander, but on September 11, 238 planes went to different Canadian airports.”
That’s a lot of nice people doing nice things for other nice people.
Performances are scheduled for September 18 (preview) with opening night September 24 through October 18 at 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at The Gordy, 800 Rosine. For more information, call 713-527-0123 or visit stageshouston.com. $25-$127.