Toronto Production of COME FROM AWAY Will Transfer To The Elgin Theatre Due to High Demand

The made-in-Canada international phenomenon that is COME FROM AWAY has recouped its full capitalization in Toronto in only 14 weeks, a relatively short period of time for a production of its size and calibre. This signals not only the popularity of COME FROM AWAY but also the strength of the theatre market in Toronto.

In fact, COME FROM AWAY will continue to play in Toronto due to the extraordinary demand for tickets. The show was booked in its original home, the Royal Alexandra Theatre, for a limited engagement until January 20, 2019. A "Best Musical" Award winner across North America, COME FROM AWAY will transfer to the Elgin Theatre as of February 5, 2019.

Explains David Mirvish: "Since we began our engagement of COME FROM AWAY at the Royal Alex on February 13, 2018 there hasn't been a week where we haven't sold every single ticket. And looking ahead, it appears as if every coming week will also be sold out. In fact, many already are.

"It would be irresponsible not to continue COME FROM AWAY. It is a show people absolutely need and want, especially in these divisive times. The show's themes of understanding, empathy and community resonate even more with each passing day, as world events often have us looking at what makes us different, rather than what makes us alike.

"With the show's lead producers, our partners at Junkyard Dog Productions, we've made the unprecedented decision to transfer COME FROM AWAY to another venue - the Elgin Theatre.

"Mirvish Productions has used the Elgin Theatre in the past for a variety of shows. From 2000 to 2004, when both the Princess of Wales and the Royal Alex theatres were busy with the long-running shows THE LION KING and MAMMA MIA! respectively, many of our subscription presentations were at the Elgin (and a few upstairs at the Winter Garden Theatre, too). After all, the Elgin and Winter Garden were meticulously restored in 1989 to be transfer houses for both local and international productions. Suffice it to say, we know and love the venues well, and so do our audiences.

"However, in order for COME FROM AWAY to transfer to the Elgin, it meant that we would have to accommodate another company that was already booked at the venue in the spring of 2019.

"Opera Atelier, a company I very much respect and that I've had at the Royal Alex for three past engagements, was to have performed Mozart's IDOMENEO in April 2019. Working with the Ontario Heritage Trust, which owns and operates the Elgin and Winter Garden, we were able to enter into a partnership with Opera Atelier for them to instead perform their opera at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. In this way, transferring Come From Away has provided for us yet another opportunity to work with Opera Atelier.

"We are very honoured to have Opera Atelier at the Ed Mirvish without any disturbance to its original performance dates, April 4 to 13, 2019. I'm hopeful that some of our audience members, who may have not yet had the chance to see the remarkable work of this world-renowned company, will attend IDOMENEO."

The first block of tickets to Come From Away's engagement at the Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge St., Toronto, will be for performances from February 5 to April 28, 2019. They will go on sale to American Express cardmembers on June 12, 2018, and to the general public on June 18, 2018.

Tickets will be available exclusively through mirvish.com and by phone through TicketKing, the official ticket agent for Mirvish Productions, at 416-872-1212 or 1-800-461-3333.

COME FROM AWAY tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. On September 11, 2001 the world stopped. On September 12, their stories moved us all.

COME FROM AWAY was originally co-produced in 2015 by La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre, and had pre-Broadway runs in 2016 at the Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC, (Sep 2 to Oct 16, 2016) and at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto (Nov 15, 2016 - Jan 8, 2017). At each venue, the show played to sold-out engagements.

Moving to New York, COME FROM AWAY began performances on February 18, 2017 and officially opened to critical acclaim on March 12, 2017 at Broadway's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street), where it is playing to capacity houses in an open-ended run.

COME FROM AWAY is a "Best Musical" winner all across North America. The new musical has won the Tony Award for "Best Direction of a Musical" (Christopher Ashley), 5 Outer Critics Circle Awards (NYC) including "Outstanding New Broadway Musical," 3 Drama Desk Awards (NYC) including "Outstanding Musical," 4 Helen Hayes Awards (D.C.) including "Outstanding Production of a Musical," 4 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards (Seattle) including "Excellence in Production of a Musical," 6 San Diego Critics Circle Awards including "Outstanding New Musical," 3 Toronto Theatre Critics Awards including "Best New Musical," 3 Dora Awards (Toronto) including "Outstanding New Musical/Opera" and "Outstanding Production," and the 2017 Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award (Toronto). The Original Broadway Cast Recording of COME FROM AWAY was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

COME FROM AWAY features a book, music and lyrics by two-time Tony Award nominees and Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award winners Irene Sankoff & David Hein, direction by Tony Award winner and Outer Critics Circle Award winner Christopher Ashley (Memphis), musical staging by two-time Tony Award nominee Kelly Devine (Rocky), and music supervision by Ian Eisendrath (A Christmas Story).

COME FROM AWAY features scenic design by Tony Award winner Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Tony Award nominee Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by two-time Tony Award winner Howell Binkley, sound design by Tony Award nominee and Outer Critics Circle Award winner Gareth Owen, orchestrations by two-time Tony Award nominee August Eriksmoen, and music arrangements by Ian Eisendrath.

The Toronto company of COME FROM AWAY features Saccha Dennis, Steffi DiDomenicantonio, Barbara Fulton, Lisa Horner, James Kall, George Masswohl, Ali Momen, Jack Noseworthy, Cory O'Brien, Kristen Peace, Eliza-Jane Scott, Kevin Vidal, Susan Dunstan, Kate Etienne, Amir Haidar, Jeff Madden, David Silvestri and Cailin Stadnyk.

COME FROM AWAY will launch a third company, a North American Tour across the United States and Canada at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre in October 2018. A fourth company will open in Melbourne, Australia at the Comedy Theatre in July 2019.

COME FROM AWAY's original Broadway cast recording was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and is available digitally and in stores everywhere. Grammy Award winner David Lai, and Grammy Award nominees Ian Eisendrath, August Eriksmoen, Irene Sankoff and David Hein served as album producers. COME FROM AWAY is the first cast recording released by The Musical Company. For more information visit TheMusicalCompany.com.

The Mark Gordon Company will produce and finance a feature film adaptation of COME FROM AWAY. Two-time Tony Award nominees and Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award winners Irene Sankoff and David Hein, who wrote the book, music and lyrics, will adapt the feature screenplay for the project and Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley will direct. MGC's Mark Gordon will produce.

COME FROM AWAY is produced by Junkyard Dog Productions (Randy Adams, Marleen and Kenny Alhadeff and Sue Frost), Jerry Frankel, Latitude Link, Smith & Brant Theatricals, Steve & Paula Reynolds, David Mirvish, Michael Rubinoff, Alhadeff Productions, Michael Alden & Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Sam Levy, Rodney Rigby, Spencer Ross, Richard Winkler, Yonge Street Theatricals, Sheridan College, Michael & Ellise Coit, Ronald Frankel, Sheri & Les Biller, Richard Belkin, Gary & Marlene Cohen, Allan Detsky & Rena Mendelson, Lauren Doll, Barbara H. Freitag, Wendy Gillespie, Laura Little Theatricals, Carl & Jennifer Pasbjerg, Radio Mouse Entertainment, The Shubert Organization, Cynthia Stroum, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Gwen Arment/Molly Morris & Terry McNicholas, Maureen & Joel Benoliel/Marjorie & Ron Danz, Pamela Cooper/Corey Brunish, Demos Bizar/Square 1 Theatrics, Joshua Goodman/Lauren Stevens, Just for Laughs Theatricals/Judith Ann Abrams Productions, Bill & Linda Potter/Rosemary & Kenneth Willman, and La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre.

COME FROM AWAY was developed at the Canadian Music Theatre Project (Michael Rubinoff Producer, Sheridan College in Oakville, ON), and was further developed at Goodspeed Musicals' Festival of New Artists, in East Haddam, CT. It was also part of the National Alliance of Musical Theatre's Festival of New Musicals in New York 2013. The Canada Council for the Arts, The Ontario Arts Council, and the Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle, WA, also provided development support.

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