Back in November, Broadway Inbound attended the Ontario Motor Coach Association’s Marketplace in Toronto, where tour operators and tour suppliers from around the U.S. and Canada meet to forge relationships and build itineraries for the coming year.
This year, the Marketplace was joined by a few very special guests from the hit Broadway show Come From Away. The heartfelt, life-affirming, smash-hit musical, set in Gander, Newfoundland after the shutdown of U.S. airspace on 9/11, has earned a special place in the hearts of Canadians, drawing audience members from all parts of the Great White North.
Come From Away brought actor Susan Dunstan (a Canadian citizen!) back to her hometown to portray Captain Beverly Bass and sing her signature song from the show, “Me and The Sky.” Following her performance, Claude Elliott, the real-life former mayor of Gander, took to the stage for an interview with OMCA President & CEO, Doug Switzer.
Mayor Elliott discussed some of his experiences from those few days when 7,000 people from all over the world came to his small town—and why this musical is so special and necessary right now. He said, “In a world as turbulent as ours, where each day you hear of some new tragic event, it’s good to know that there are still good people willing to do whatever they can, that there is still kindness to be found.”
Following the luncheon, Claude and Susan appeared on the Marketplace floor for a meet-and-greet and photo ops with OMCA attendees. Elliott even stayed for the evening events and visited the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and the Steam Whistle Brewery, where he delighted attendees with his signature Newfoundland charm.
Come From Away is currently playing on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfled Theatre. To book your next group you can visit the show page at the bottom of the article.