UW-Platteville, arts festival team up to present "Come From Away" campus run

The UW-Platteville Department of Performing and Visual Arts is partnering with the Platteville Summer Arts Festival to bring the hit Broadway musical "Come From Away" to campus.

The Tony Award-winning production is based on the true story of how an airport in Gander, Newfoundland, took in 38 planes and almost 7,000 passengers diverted from their destinations on the day of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Six performances are set for July 24, 25, 31, and Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and July 26 and Aug. 2 at 2 p.m. in the Richard and Helen Brodbeck Concert Hall in the Center for the Arts on the UW-Platteville campus. The production is recommended for general audiences, although there are a few instances of strong language. 

"Come From Away," featuring music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, debuted on Broadway in 2017. The musical tells the story of how Gander doubled in size on the day of the attacks and how the townspeople welcomed the passengers and kept them fed, housed and safe for five days until their planes received clearance to fly again. 

"This show has been on the top of my bucket list for some time, and there is no better time than now for a story like this one," Farrelly said. "It knocked the wind out of me the first time I saw it because the intention of these people was so pure. There wasn’t even a question of whether or not ...