Interview: Director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott of COME FROM AWAY at A Noise Within

The Pasadena theatre A Noise Within puts on the hit Broadway musical Come From Away this October. With co-artistic director and theatre co-founder Julia Rodriguez-Elliott directing the show, the musical has become the centerpiece of the 2026-27 season. Every season at A Noise Within has a theme, says Rodriguez-Elliott, this year’s being Our Better Angels. “When we choose an upcoming season, we talk about what’s going on in the world, where are we, and what are the kinds of conversations that we want to be having with our audiences,” she explains. “This season, it felt like we were… finding ourselves looking for hope in our lives and restoring our faith in humanity.”

In a time of turmoil, Julia Rodriguez-Elliott wishes to remind her audience that there are reasons to rejoice in human experiences. Few theatre pieces demonstrate this as well as the 2017 Tony-winning musical Come From Away. Set minutes after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Come From Away reminds audiences how people connected through catastrophe and crisis to help each other. The musical takes place in Gander, a small town (population 7,000) in Newfoundland, Canada, where dozens of planes were diverted after the attacks. The people of Gander welcomed the “plane people” from all around the world into their homes. Rodriguez-Elliott states, “I can’t think of a story that speaks as deeply and beautifully as Come From Away does, in terms of our better selves. What this community did for virtual strangers…” 

Because the licensing rights for Come From Away became available this year, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the events, many theatres across the country have included the Canadian musical in their 2026 seasons. This is wonderful for those repeat attenders of the musical – Rodriguez-Elliott notes that this is a show that compels audience members to watch it over and over again – and it offers first-timers the opportunity to bask in the intense emotions that the musical creates: the tragedy, of course, but also immense joy. A Noise Within is a unique, intimate theatre. Its stage thrusts into the auditorium such that the seats surround three of the four sides. “The characters act as sort of narrators telling the story,” Rodriguez-Elliott notes. “The proximity that they would have with the audience [at A Noise Within] would create the kind of conversation that we are always looking for artistically. It’s incredibly theatrical.” 

The 9/11 attacks seem an odd choice for a musical. However, Canadian composer-lyricists Irene Sankoff and David Hein navigated the challenges of such a topic remarkably in writing Come From Away. “What [the musical] shows is that, in a moment of crisis, these people opened their hearts and their homes to total strangers,” Rodriguez-Elliott explains. “It didn’t matter who you were and where you came from. There were 95 countries represented [in this story].” Indeed, diversity is a core theme in Come From Away. With twelve actors performing dozens of characters from around the globe, doing a handful of different accents apiece, the musical captures a whole world of people. “It didn’t matter what your religion was or your sexual orientation. It was really about being there for each other and finding common ground… The events are tragic, but rather than leading with fear in moments like that, which seems like a natural reaction, these people led with love… There were a lot of unknowns, and they still stepped up.”

As Rodriguez-Elliott comments, the story almost seems like fiction – until you meet the people involved. The community of Gander openly recount their real-life experiences. This aided Sankoff and Hein in their writing the musical. It has also helped the cast members of A Noise Within. “We had Zoom conversations between them and the actors playing the role. Without exception, they gave up their time… When you talk to them, it’s as if you’re the first person that they’re having this conversation with, in terms of sharing themselves and sharing their time. So the story is incredibly authentic.” 

Authentic and awe-filled, Come From Away invites viewers to rejoice in humanity and also to consider their own kindness. “The play asks the question… There's a moment of silence all over the world, and [a character] says, ‘I’m not sure that we would behave this way.’ Would we behave this way? We’re so divided right now… Would an event like that force us to come together and really see each other or not? That is really interesting… the sudden unity.” As mentioned above, this present division within the nation was a significant factor that influenced the artistic directors’ decision to stage Come From Away this season. Art allows us to ponder these situations without the misfortune of actually enduring them. Rodriguez-Elliott hopes that this production of Come From Away will inspire audience members to reflect on questions of unity.

Come From Away runs at A Noise Within in Pasadena from October 10 through November 8.