The Broadway hit musical "Come From Away" held a press conference in Beijing on Thursday, announcing that it will open in China next year, at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center on April 23, 2020. This is the first time the show will be performed in a non-English speaking country.

To reveal more details about the critically-acclaimed musical, creative consultant Michael Rubinoff, musical director Luke Hunter and actor Zoe Gertz, who plays the lead character, are visiting China. The team spoke exclusively with CGTN after the press conference. 

This groundbreaking musical "Come From Away" is based on a series of incredible real-life events set in the small Canadian town of Gander in Newfoundland.

When tragedy struck in the wake of 9/11 attacks in Washington and New York, the tiny Canadian town opened its runways and hearts for nearly 6,500 stranded travelers from over 100 countries. A decade after the incident, screenwriters David Hein and Irene Sankoff spent a month in Gander, visiting dozens of people who had witnessed the operation.

The creators adapted nearly 16,000 true stories, creatively turning them into a 100-minute musical, which earned them several awards including the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical and a Grammy nomination. 

"It's a lot of roles to play with 12 actors," musical director Luke Hunter told CGTN, adding "It's difficult to ask of each actor to change costumes quickly and seamlessly on stage." Hunter also noted that musicals break the traditional narrative pattern, with each actor playing four or five roles, each with a different accent and body language.

The entire play features only 12 actors skillfully performing a total of 90 characters including 24 main characters. "Come From Away" opened on Broadway in 2017, smashing all box office records. 

Due to the complexity of the story and characters, the casting process was long and demanding. It took more than six months, starting in March last year, and a total of four rounds of auditioning before the final dozen or so actors were chosen from more than 500 applicants for the China tour.

In particular, as one of the main characters, Zoe Gertz, went to great efforts to play the legendary Captain Beverley Bass, including seeking her advice. Luckily, Beverley Bass herself is one of the show's biggest fans, and with her support, Gertz is more comfortable playing the role.

At the press conference, Gertz also performed an excerpt from the musical, receiving an overwhelming response from the audience. 

The play has attracted massive attention worldwide since it's inspired by events that took place after the deadly 9/11 attacks. However, many feel that the story may not relate to audiences in different countries, but Hunter isn't worried about that. While responding to a reporter's question in Australia he said that it's a story about people coming together in the time of crisis and it does not lose it's warmth. Hunter said he was also looking forward to the feedback from the Chinese audience.

Cover image designer: Fan Chenxiao

Videographer: Hu Hanpeng

Video editor: Chen Haoxuan