Photo / GMG Productions
GMG Productions surprised many viewers this year when they announced that they are staging a local production of the Broadway musical Come From Away.
They are, after all, known for bringing high-calibre international shows to the Philippines and the region. It was a massive swing for GMG Productions to go local, but they knocked it out of the park with Come From Away. The production gathered what insiders call the Avengers of Philippine theatre: 12 actors playing more than 80 characters and doing at least 13 accents.
Set in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 airline passengers unexpectedly grounded in Gander, Newfoundland. The extraordinary generosity of the town’s residents highlights the power of kindness and unity in times of crisis. What’s even more special is that the musical portrays the actual townspeople and the passengers who landed in the Canadian province.
Come From Away premiered on Broadway in 2013 and garnered widespread acclaim for its heartfelt storytelling, powerful music, and portrayal of the human spirit during a crisis.
Insane talent
Photo / GMG Productions
It takes immense talent to join the cast of Come From Away, and the production’s lineup includes some of the best in Philippine theatre.
The cast includes Cathy Azanza-Dy, Garrett Bolden, Caisa Borromeo, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante, Mayen Cadd, Steven Cadd, Becca Coates, Rycharde Everley, Topper Fabregas, Sheila Francisco, Carla Guevara Laforteza, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Gian Magdangal, George Schulze, and Chino Veguillas.
Between them, they shuffle between multiple characters and accents. Magdangal, for example, plays 12 characters, and Schulze has five accents.
According to Azanza-Dy in an interview with WheninManila.com, “Sometimes I just made a turn, and then when I come back, I’m a different character already.” Fabregas added, “I switch characters sometimes mid-song.”
Photo / GMG Productions
One of the best things about watching Come From Away is seeing the actors switch between roles and accents. Some are more subtle, like Fabregas’s L.A. accent as Kevin T., while others are more pronounced, like Magdangal’s Spanish as a coach from Gander.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about the cast’s articulation is the Gander accent. Schulze calls it the most difficult accent he’s done. He told WheninManila.com that the Gander accent is a combination of three: a North American base, with Canadian and Irish intonations and phonetic shifts.
The entire cast deserves their flowers for this alone, as well as GMG Productions, which tapped Joel Goldes, the dialect coach who taught the original Broadway cast of Come From Away. He also works with celebrities, including Viola Davis, Will Ferrell, Will Smith, Nicolas Cage, and Robin Williams.
Photo / GMG Productions
Another thing that makes Come From Away special is that there isn’t a “star.” From this writer’s recollection, it is only Laforteza and Lauchengco-Yulo who have solo numbers as the New Yorker Hannah and the pilot Beverley Bass. The show is mostly an ensemble piece, and everyone worked together to tell the story.
Together they worked, even on a bare set. Most of the props are just chairs, which the cast themselves move to create different spaces: a plane, a house, a bar. Everything is so snappy, from the dialogue to the set changes, so it takes precision and hours of practice to get this right. The cast more than delivers.
Come From Away has a surprising level of technical precision, but when you have the best of the best, the show feels effortlessly heartwarming, like coming home.
Come From Away will run from June 6 to 29, 2025, at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater.
Michael Williams directs Come From Away, with Rony Fortich as musical director.
Delphine Buencamino (Choreography), Harry Tabner (Lighting Designer), Luke Swaffield (Sound Designer), Kayla Teodoro (Production Designer), Myrene Santos (Hair and Makeup Designer), and Hershee Tatiado (Costume Designer) join them.
Tickets are available on TicketWorld, starting at P900.
Stay updated on upcoming productions by visiting www.gmg-productions.com or following @gmg.productions on social media.
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