发生在2001年9月11日的那场灾难，举世震惊。四架被劫持的飞机，两幢摩天大楼，一座军事基地……留下一片狼藉和无数的“后遗症”。然而，人性的闪光，在灾难的阴霾里显得格外清晰和珍贵。这就是《来自远方》的故事背景。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.
A still photo from "Come From Away." /ACOrange Photo百老汇现象级音乐剧《来自远方》改编自“9/11”发生后的真实故事。故事发生在加拿大纽芬兰的甘德小镇向世界敞开大门的时候。2001年9月11日，恐怖袭击发生后美国领空关闭，38架载着成千上万来自世界各地的人的飞机被转移到甘德机场。这些不知所措的“远方来客”被小镇居民热情而温柔地接待，也在小镇上发生着自己的故事。
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. A still photo from "Come From Away." /ACOrange Photo "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.
Zoe Gertz performed an excerpt, "Me and the Sky," from the musical in Beijing, December 19, 2019. /ACOrange Photo 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 its warmth. Hunter said he was also looking forward to the feedback from the Chinese audience.