Stages will present Come From Away in Houston in September 2026, bringing the Tony-nominated musical about the September 11 diversion crisis to Houston stages. The Houston-produced run is scheduled for September and October. The story onstage recalls five days when stranded travelers were welcomed by a community in Newfoundland.
A Houston Woman Who Lived the Story
The September 11 attacks caused U.S. airspace to shut down, diverting 38 commercial flights to Gander in a single day, according to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. The memorial estimates that approximately 7,000 travelers were stranded there.
Gander International Airport faced a sudden influx of diverted passengers, and the 9/11 Memorial says at least one passenger spent more than 24 hours confined to a plane before disembarking.
From the Runway to a Church Hall in Lewisporte
Once off the planes, stranded travelers were taken by bus to nearby communities, where they found shelter and meals. Local residents also helped passengers contact loved ones while communities organized to care for the unexpected arrivals.
Gander itself mobilized in similar fashion. Locals provided meals, clean bedding and hot showers to stranded passengers and crew, according to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, since neither Gander nor the surrounding towns had nearly enough hotel space for the thousands who had arrived unannounced. The region absorbed far more visitors than it was ever built to hold. Flights began departing on September 13, with at least one passenger leaving on September 15.
A Musical Born From Those Five Days
Those events eventually became Come From Away, a musical written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein that premiered on Broadway in 2017. The show tells the story of how Gander rallied to shelter and feed stranded travelers, as CBS News has reported, and it went on to earn seven Tony Award nominations including Best Musical.
Coverage of the Gander story has described the events of those confusing days as the inspiration for what became a hit Broadway musical.
Stages' Intimate Take Opens This Week
Stages will present the show as part of its 2026-27 season, according to BroadwayWorld. The production is billed as Come From Away's Houston-produced debut, with performances scheduled in September and October 2026. An October 4 post-matinee discussion and Q&A is also listed.
For Houston audiences, the timing lands close to the 25th anniversary of the attacks that set the whole story in motion. The musical offers a chance to watch strangers become neighbors again on a Houston stage.
