A Musical Act of Kindness

Come From Away is a musical theater production that tells the remarkable true story of Gander, a small Canadian town that sprung into action on September 11, 2001, in aid of 6,500 Americans who needed refuge.

On November 14, CPD and Center Theatre Group co-hosted the event "Everyone Comes From Away: Art, Politics, and 9/11," which featured a behind-the-scenes panel discussion that unpacked the musical from the perspectives of both those on the ground as well as those in the arts community. Panelists discussed themes of openness, tolerance and cultural generosity, invaluable components for good public diplomacy anywhere.

"I still get emotional even thinking about it," shared Cynthia Stroum, USC Annenberg alumna and theatrical producer of Come From Away. "You all have to see the show to understand how good you feel when you finish seeing this...because in today's world we don't get a lot of these feel-good kind of stories where people are just helping people."

Below is the full event video. The original video can be found on CPD's playlist at USC Annenberg's YouTube channel here.

Music: Half & Half (Ft. Keek) by Nuve via Sweet Tiger Records