Brien McMahon High School Presents “Come From Away”

Brien McMahon High School’s drama department is preparing for its upcoming production of Come From Away, a musical based on the true events that happened after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Posters around the school show that the performances will take place on Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m., Friday, March 13 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, March 14 at both 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the school auditorium.

A group of students were invited to watch a preview of the show, but it was not the full musical. We only saw about 30 minutes of it. Even though it was short, the preview still gave us a strong sense of the story and the effort that has gone into the production. Watching even part of the show made it clear that this is not just another school musical. It tells a real story about people who helped strangers during a moment of fear and uncertainty.

The musical focuses on the small town of Gander in Newfoundland, where planes were forced to land after United States airspace closed on September 11. Thousands of passengers suddenly found themselves stuck in a place they had never planned to visit. Instead of turning them away, the people in the town opened their homes and welcomed them. The show brings that story to life in a way that makes the audience think about how people can treat each other during difficult moments.

One thing that really stood out during the preview was the music coming from the orchestra pit below the stage. The band was placed in the pit at the bottom in front of the stage, and hearing them play live made the performance feel much more powerful. The sound filled the auditorium and blended with the actors’ voices in a way that made the scenes feel more emotional. Even during the short preview, the music helped pull the audience into the story and made the performance feel more professional.

For many students watching the preview, the most powerful part was realizing that the events in the musical actually happened. Isabela Bolanos said that knowing the story was real made the performance more emotional for her. “What stood out to me the most was that everything in the musical actually happened,” Bolanos said. “It makes you think about how those people must have felt at that moment.”

Anthony Luna said the preview left him impressed with the work the cast has put into the show. “You could tell everyone worked really hard on it,” Luna said. “Even though we only saw part of it, the performance already felt really powerful.”

For some students, the message of the story stood out the most. Melanie Vaquiz said the musical reminds people that strangers can still care for each other when something unexpected happens. “It shows how people who don’t even know each other can still come together and help,” Vaquiz said.

Even though the preview was only about 30 minutes long, it was enough to make students curious about the rest of the story. Seeing just a part of the performance made it clear that the full show will be even more meaningful. Based on what we saw, everyone should go watch Come From Away when it opens at Brien McMahon High School.