Jawon Mapp, Michelle Langille, and Ciarán MacGillivray
Today is the big day: Come From Away is opening at the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, where it is playing just until August 31st, 2025. I had the chance to speak to cast members Michelle Langille, Jawon Mapp, and Ciarán MacGillivray via Zoom about their experiences working on this truly special show.
This Canadian musical written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein tells the story of the immediate aftermath of the airspace over the United States being closed following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 in New York City and Washington DC, and how thirty-eight planes, carrying more than 6,500 passengers, were diverted and ordered to land at Gander International Airport in Newfoundland (an airport with many runways due to its history as a transatlantic refuelling stop dating back to the 1940s). Accommodating these stranded and scared ‘Come From Aways’ required the entire town to rally together to help, as the influx of people immediately boosted Gander’s population by 66%. This true story celebrating Newfoundland hospitality and East Coast kindness, empathy, and community care has become an international cultural phenomenon since the show opened on Broadway in February of 2017.
Michelle Langille, who plays Diane and Crystal in the show, says, “the people in Gander do what Newfoundlanders and East Coasters, I would say in general, do: they batten down and they figure it out. They convert everything they possibly can, like gyms etc., into shelters for people. They get the school buses to take “the plane people” to other smaller communities nearby where they’ve got space for them [to stay]. People are up all day cooking for them, some people are taking them to their own houses; everyone is donating clothes, and all the grocery stores were like, ‘come on in, take whatever you need, we’ll figure it out.’”
Langille notes that Sankoff and Hein visited Gander in 2011 for the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and there they interviewed folks, both the locals, and those who had been airplane passengers that day who had returned to Newfoundland to mark the anniversary. The musical is in part a verbatim theatre piece as some of the stories and lines in the musical are lifted directly from those interviews. She also notes that there are twelve actors in the play, and that most people play multiple characters. Her character Crystal works at the Tim Horton’s in Gander, while Diane is a woman from Texas. She also takes on other smaller characters that help to further enrich the feeling of being immersed in this town during this singular event.
Cape Bretoner Ciarán MacGillivray, who has performed at Neptune Theatre and is a very familiar face for audiences at the Savoy and the Highland Arts Theatre, tells me straight away that he has been “wanting to do Come from Away for a long time,” and that he “couldn’t wait to get started on the rehearsal process.” Jawon Mapp, conversely, comes to Glace Bay from the most recent cast of the Mirvish production of the show in Toronto where he was a standby, which means that he learned the tracks for four different characters: Bob, Kevin J, Kevin T, and Oz, so he was always ready to go on as needed if a cast member was sick or couldn’t perform in the show on any given day. At the Savoy he is playing the part of Bob and is co-directing with Ron Jenkins. When I chatted with Michelle Langille it was still early in the rehearsal process and she expressed envy for the fact that Mapp already knew all his lines.
MacGillivray plays Kevin T. in the show, who he describes as “one half of a couple who were flying during September 11th. He and his partner lived in California and were stranded in Gander.” MacGillivray says that the real Kevin T., Kevin Tuerff, is the founder of Pay It Forward 9/11, a foundation that was “inspired by compassionate Canadians on 9/11 and whose aim is to “restore the kindness and unity the world witnessed [after September 11th]” by encouraging folks to spread kindness by doing at least three good deeds for strangers over any 11 days in September as a way to honour those whose lost their lives on that terrible day. MacGillivray says that Tuerff maintains a close relationship with the musical; he comes to visit some of the casts and shares his first-hand experience of being in Gander during those surreal few days. Mapp notes that many of the real “plane people” and the Gander folks will come for the Opening Night of a new cast of the show and he says, “It’s such a unique experience to get to meet people that you’re playing because usually with theatre you’re playing people who don’t exist, or if they do exist, they’re probably no longer with us. So to have the unique experience of getting to actually speak to the people you’re portraying is so special. And they’re all such, such amazing people.”
Mapp notes that his character, Bob, is an amalgamation of a couple different plane passengers. Michelle Langille plays Diane, a passenger who had been single for awhile who then meets Nick, who is in a similar situation, and through this harrowing, strange, and extraordinary experience, they connect throughout their time in Newfoundland. “They’re still married,” Langille says of the real couple Nick and Diane are based on. “It’s very sweet.” Langille can relate to Diane because she met her husband during the darkest days of the Covid-19 pandemic. “It was the worst possible time in the world that I’d known,” she says, “everything I was doing was cancelled, upended, disrupted- I went to work at a grocery store because I just couldn’t sit still, and there’s this big, tall, handsome guy across the store. It’s kind of funny how the world can turn totally upside down; you can think it’s completely shit, and then something pretty awesome can come out of it.”
“What’s unique about the show and what’s kind of fun for all the members of the cast is we all play people who were stranded in Gander, but we also all play people in Gander,” says MacGillivray, “so there’s this kind of interesting dichotomy in the show between playing the people who are, obviously, extremely stressed, and unaware for a time what is actually happening south of them, and then there’s also the people who are trying to be accommodating and trying to ease their woes and make them feel as at home in their current situation as they possibly can. So it’s a great kind of acting challenge.”
“It’s a story about community,” says Mapp, “and I think it’s so interesting how throughout all the iterations of the show that [have] happened: we need community more than ever- at all points in time. It reminds you what it means to be a human and to care for a complete stranger. I think the people out here [on the East Coast] are some of the nicest people in the world, truly. It’s interesting how some people can just disregard another human being’s life for no reason [other] than just not caring for [their] fellow man. It seems like such a simple thing… It’s really a special story to be telling.” Mapp, who is from Mississauga, thinks that audiences in Cape Breton will resonate with the story even more than audiences in Toronto have, because he thinks they will be able to relate more to the kindheartedness of the folks in Gander. “I feel like they’ll leave with a greater sense of pride,” he says.
MacGillivray agrees, “We’re so close to Newfoundland, and many who travel from abroad and come here talk about the similarities between Cape Breton and the Rock- Newfoundland, I think there is a sense of community, this kind of welcoming attitude, and being warm and friendly to those people that you either don’t know or maybe only know a little bit. These people who land in Newfoundland [on 9/11] have absolutely no idea where they are. They don’t know if the people they are suddenly encountering are friendly, are going to be sympathetic to what’s going on, and whether it’s going to create more anxiety for them on top of what they’re learning is happening in New York, and Washington, and really the whole country of the United States. I think Cape Bretoners have that same feeling of wanting to be there for their neighbours, and having grown up here I certainly feel that, and having travelled elsewhere, I can vouch for the fact that Cape Breton is a special place that echoes those same values as people in Newfoundland, I think.”
Langille notes that there is a moment in the show where the Newfoundlanders spontaneously observe a moment of silence as the magnitude of the day’s events begin to set in, both for the Americans in their midst, but also for the entire country suddenly plunged into deep grief. Langille says that Sankoff and Hein have an American character reflect on the Canadians showing this respect in taking this moment and they wonder aloud whether if the situation were reversed, whether American townsfolk would do the same for Canada. This question, of course, feels a lot more loaded given the current American administration’s threats of annexation, punitive tariffs, and constant snarky comments about our country.
“There’s two moments that get me right in the feels,” Langille continues, “The very first time that we sing that (sings) “You are here“-… there’s something beautiful because it’s like sort of gunning right off the top in that [opening number] “Welcome to the Rock”, and then there’s this moment of suspension where the world explodes, but it’s done in such a beautiful, gentle way musically, it just feels like disbelief. We did the first sing-through and I was gunning through the first few bars and I’m ready to go, and then, all of a sudden I hit that note and I just started crying, and Ron looks at me and he’s like, ‘I know.’” She also says that when she saw the show in Toronto she started crying when they started singing “Heave Away.” “Maybe it’s because I missed being a 20 year old drunk in the bar singing “Heave Away;” I don’t know. It just seems like it’s such an intense moment.”
Langille’s life has continued to open up in such a beautiful way too since she moved to Cape Breton from Halifax two years ago. “Apparently I just needed to move to Cape Breton for my career to kick in,” she jokes. She has very recently directed The Producers at the Highland Arts Theatre, and Jersey Boys and Annie at the Savoy. “The community up here is incredible. There’s so much talent, there’s so many opportunities, and people do it because they love it.” She notes that while most Canadian actors have side gigs that they do between contracts, folks in Cape Breton are more likely to have full-time careers that they juggle while rehearsing for theatre shows. She says that the energy and ambiance of everyone coming together to do something they love is very special. “Everyone has so much else going on, that when we come together to do a show, we’re all just so happy to be there. It always feels like work because it’s a lot of work, but it doesn’t feel like work in the same way as doing a [longer contract gig.] Both are valid, but there’s something really awesome about the joy that happens up here.”
For Mapp doing the Mirvish production and coming to Glace Bay to play Bob is an incredible full-circle moment. Before he went to theatre school he went to St. John’s to be in Hairspray for a theatre company run by the parents of one of his friends. There he met a lovely bunch of people, and one of them was going to Toronto Metropolitan University. Once they were back in Toronto Come From Away was doing their pre-Broadway tryout at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, and this friend emailed the producers, told them that he was from Newfoundland, and asked if he could come see a Dress Rehearsal of the show. When they said yes, this friend made an Instagram post about it, which Mapp saw, and he asked if he could come too- and he ended up going as his friend’s +1. “I met Irene and David that day… and then fast forward five years… the audition notice came out for this last run in Toronto and it was just meant to be.” MacGillivray says that he wishes he had seen the Broadway production live, but notes that he did go looking for a recording to watch once the rights became available. “It’s one of those moments when you see the blockbuster movie that you’ve been waiting to see, and you’re just kind of frozen to your seat. That was me at the end of the show. I was completely overwhelmed by it… I think going forward, now that I’ve been part of this show, I would love to travel elsewhere and see other iterations of it, and see how they approach it, because it’s just a beautiful show.” He mentions that he’s been in contact with Petrina Bromley, who “was representing Newfoundland and the East Coast [as Bonnie] in the original [cast]… she was so warm. She had just opened the show playing Beverley Bass, the pilot, in the Gander production, and she, of course, wished us the most fun, and also [said], ‘welcome to this special experience that we’ve been able to procure over the last ten years or so.’ It’s really a wonderful thing.”
I asked Langille and MacGillivray about the ease or challenges of doing Newfoundland accents, given that they are markedly different from all variants of Nova Scotian accents, but we are, generally, more attuned here to hearing them, and noticing both the similarities and the differences than folks further west. Both Langille and MacGillivray noted that what is so interesting about Come From Away is that they are all doing multiple different accents- “There’s a couple of us that flop back and forth between a Newfoundland and Texas [accent],” says Langille, and she notes she has to be very cognizant of what she is doing in every moment of the show or she’s “going to invent some weird hybrid accent [by accident].” There are also New York and British accents represented. “I dare say the accents that are closer to Newfoundland might be the ones that are the most accurate,” says MacGillivray, noting that the others require them to work a little bit harder to do them justice.
MacGillivray says that it’s one of those shows that, even on their breaks, folks in the cast are making use of their time and keep working on certain aspects of the show, whether that’s running lines, working on accents, or going over the choreography. “We’re really lucky to have [Ron Jenkins directing]. This kind of show is Ron’s jam. It’s creative, it’s sparse, it’s character-driven, story-driven, there’s quick transitions- Ron’s able to create magic in these kind of shows, which, I’m really honoured to be part of that,” says Langille. “Every time [Ron] has an interest in a show, I always want to be on the bus,” says MacGillivray, “He and Jawon have worked tirelessly to shape this thing into a memorable experience for audiences, and I sincerely think it will be. It’s a show that transcends time and place, and I think even if you aren’t an East Coaster, even if you’re not Canadian, the messages and the morals of the show will shine through.” “From when we did our first table read on the first day and through the first couple days of music rehearsal I just really felt that this cast was so perfect for their individual roles,” agrees Mapp, “Everyone is their characters- it’s quite miraculous. I think what they’ve all been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time with what is the technically hardest show to do is amazing. They’re all absolute superstars.”
Langille singles out musical director Stephen Muise for praise as well saying, “He is the conductor of the Men of the Deeps. I’ve been working with him pretty much on every show since I moved up here; he’s just fantastic. He’s such a musician. He understands music. He’s just brilliant, and he’s so much fun. I think he is the person I’m most intimidated to work with as a performer because I worked with him as a director, so I haven’t had to be the one living up to his music standards.” She also speaks highly of Terrance Murphy, who plays Diane’s beau Nick. “I’m very, very lucky to have a super generous, kind scene partner who’s super easy to fall in love with.” Other local actors include Heather Kerr as Bonnie, who Langille says is “Cape Breton Theatre Royalty,” and Katherine Woodford, who plays Pilot Beverley Bass. “Her ‘Me and the Sky’ is absolutely stunning,” says Langille. Local actors are even coming home for the opportunity to be in this show- Emily O’Leary is home from New York City, so she is the cast’s New York connection, and Shelley Hamilton is home from Toronto.
MacGillivray says that if you’re coming up to Cape Breton from the mainland, or anywhere else in the country (or beyond) “see as much of the island’s natural beauty as you can. Go through Margaree, go to the west side of the Island, and see the ocean views, and really take in this place because it’s a tall glass of water and you want to make sure you get it all down because it’s a beautiful place and not enough people will get to experience it.” Langille singles out Big Glace Bay Beach specifically, and gives some recommendations for restaurants where you can pop in after you’ve enjoyed your Cape Breton adventure: The Brixton Cape Breton across from the Savoy in Glace Bay, the Dory Pub and Restaurant in Sydney, Tide Tacos & Tequila on the Sydney Waterfront, Flavour 828 at the Ben Eoin Marina, and Breton Brewing in Sydney.
Mapp says that he didn’t know what to expect when envisioning a theatre in a small Nova Scotian town before he arrived, so he was surprised when he first encountered the 700-seat former Vaudeville house. “It’s gorgeous,” he says. “Every day when we’re up on stage, I’m just looking out and I’m like, ‘this is a special opportunity.’” He says that even during rehearsals when the cast are out and about in the community folks will react with such enthusiasm when they find out that they’re in Come From Away. Mapp says even as far away from Glace Bay as Ingonish folks he’s encountered have told him that they have their tickets for the show. “It’s amazing how much this community rallies around the shows at the Savoy. I’m very excited to welcome audiences into the show,” he says. Langille agrees saying, “People [here] want to see theatre… it’s wild.” She notes that she has been able to make the transition from being a professional actor to being a director in Cape Breton, directing “in huge spaces on huge stages, stages with big casts” much faster than she would have in a larger city. She credits Pam Leader, Executive Director of the Savoy, as the person who has given her many of these opportunities. “I think that’s part of the reason that I’m [directing] The Wizard of Oz [at Neptune Theatre this Christmas]… because Jeremy [Webb] was able to come up and see me handle a couple of big shows with big casts on a big stage.” She has no plans to go anywhere noting, “I love the life that [my husband and I] have here.”
MacGillivray notes that his dad, Allister, grew up in Glace Bay, and that he has been performing at the Savoy since he was a young child of six or seven, “The history, the pedigree, is quite astonishing and the people who have come through there, and the amount of shows that they’ve done over almost 100 years is spellbinding. I just have to say a thank you to Cape Breton audiences, because this is a big show, and it’s something that we’ve been very lucky to be able to put on. But people have come in droves, there are so few tickets left… and it’s incredibly humbling that people spend their hard-earned money to come and see us… it’s a testament to what theatre in Cape Breton has been, and how important it is to people culturally, and this certainly is a show that I think will, hopefully, cement itself in the history of the theatre.”
Come From Away opens today, August 25th, 2025, and runs until August 31st at the Savoy Theatre (116 Commercial Street, Glace Bay). Shows run at 7:00pm Monday to Friday, with a 1:00pm performance on both Saturday and Sunday, and a 6:00pm performance on Saturday, and a newly added 5:00pm performance on Sunday the 25th. August 26th and 27th are SOLD OUT, but there is limited availability for all other shows, and good availability for the final 5pm show on Sunday. Tickets are $99.00 and are available online here, by calling the Box Office at 902.842.1577, or in person at the Box Office at 116 Commercial Street. A Note on Accessibility from the Savoy: The Savoy Theatre is committed to being a place where all people can gather. To that end, a ramp in the front of the building leads to the main doors, some of which are automated. The theatre itself has wheelchair-designated areas on the main floor, and there is an elevator for those who need help accessing the balcony level. If you need assistance with accessibility, please let us know when you’re coming so we can do our best to serve you! They also have a Hearing Loop System for Patrons with Hearing Loss.
