COME FROM AWAY Opens September 11 At Bell Theater At Bell Works In Holmdel

Opening on September 11, 2026, the 25th anniversary of “The Day that Changed America,” Come From Away takes the stage at Bell Theater at Bell Works in a new professional production directed and choreographed by Lisa Stevens (Broadway's Chicago and West End's 9 to 5).

Come From Away, created by husband-and-wife playwrights Irene Sankoff and David Hein, opened on Broadway in 2017 and ran for more than five and a half years. The Tony Award-winning musical is based on a lesser-known 9/11 story about the 38 inbound airplanes and the 7,000 stranded passengers who were diverted to the airport in the remote town of Gander, Newfoundland on September 11, 2001.

Every character in the show is based on a real person who either lived in Gander and the surrounding towns or was diverted there on 9/11. Capt. Beverley Bass was the first ever female pilot to be made a captain by American Airlines. New York resident Hannah O'Rourke was distraught when she couldn't contact her son, a Brooklyn firefighter, so Gander resident Beulah Cooper, whose son was also a firefighter, befriended her. Nick Marson, a British businessman, struck up a conversation with Texan Diane Kirschke while waiting in line for a blanket at a shelter. After they left Gander, their friendship continued with phone conversations; two months later, Nick proposed. They were married a year later and honeymooned in Newfoundland, where the mayor of Gambo wrote a song to commemorate the occasion.

The Bell Theater company includes Jessica Sheridan as Beulah, whose Broadway credits include The Music Man, Sister Act and Mary Poppins; Brian O'Brien, who stars as Nick/Doug, has a 25+ year Broadway career that includes leading roles in Chicago and Beauty and the Beast; Joy Hermalyn (Diane) most recently appeared on Broadway in Caroline, or Change and has been seen at Bell Theater in We'll Meet Again and the Axelrod PAC in Fiddler on the Roof. The cast is rounded out with Michael Daly (Oz), Jacob Canderozzi (Kevin T), Dara Gallagher (Bonnie), Melrose Johnson (Hannah), Aneesh Kathan (Kevin/Ali), Stephanie Lynne Mason (Beverley/Annette), Larry Tobias (Claude), Timothy Ware-Hill (Bob) and Maddy Wenig (Janice).

In addition to having direction and choreography by Lisa Stevens, Come From Away is music directed and conducted by Charles Santoro. Associate director-choreographer is Terra C. MacLeod, Costume Designer is Colleen Burns, lighting designer is David Heguy, sound designer is Alexander Dakaglou, scenic designer is Fred Sorrentino, prop designer is Hiro Kupferman and production stage manager is Jackie Robinson.

“We are honored to be presenting this remarkable musical to mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our nation as we remember those who we lost, honor the many heroes who showed courage and resilience, and reconnect with our fellow Americans with a true spirit of patriotism and love of nation,” said Andrew DePrisco, executive artistic director of Bell Theater at Bell Works and the Axelrod Performing Arts Center.

Asbury Park resident Brian O'Brien recently played the part of Nick in a production of Come From Away in Utah and takes on the role again at Bell Theater.

“The show deals with a lot of sensitive subject matter but in the end, it has a message of hope and humanity,” he shares. “When people needed help, the kindness and warmth of the Newfoundland people came through. The show has a lot of heart, and there are actually a lot of great, humorous moments too.”

Come From Away plays for four weeks at Bell Theater, from September 11 through October 4.

On the evening prior to the opening, Thursday, September 10, at 5:00 p.m., Bell Works and the Axelrod Performing Arts Center (APAC) will co-host a community observance marking the 25th anniversary of September 11 in the Main Atrium at Bell Works in Holmdel. The event is free and open to the public.

The observance will bring together residents, community leaders and elected officials for an afternoon of remembrance and reflection. The event will honor local residents who lost their lives in the attacks 25 years ago with a special Reading of the Names and recognize the service of first responders, rescue and recovery workers. The event includes special musical performances by tenor David Smolokoff as well as the Monmouth Civic Chorus, under the direction of conductor Kevin Vondrak.

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