An Afternoon in Toronto — Finally Seeing Come From Away

I have been wanting to see the show Come From Away for a few years. We had tickets once, but then covid hit and everything was canceled. Since then, we've been trying to go and then somehow... we just never did. Life, schedules, the usual. But finally, finally, I made it happen. John wasn't keen on it (he doesn't like musicals) so I called my sister. Tickets booked, afternoon cleared, no excuses.

We headed into Toronto, giddy like little kids on a field trip. Honestly, just being back downtown felt exciting. There’s something about Toronto that always feels a bit electric — the energy, the people, even just grabbing a coffee feels like an event. Even though I only live 40 minutes from the downtown core, I don't go downtown often enough.

The show was at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, which is just... gorgeous. It’s one of those places that feels frozen in time — all velvet seats, gold details, and this feeling like you’re stepping into something special the moment you walk through the door. We found our seats (after the usual chaos of snacks, coats, and bathroom breaks) and just sat there for a second soaking it all in before the house lights went down.

Come From Away - based on a true story

Come From Away is this beautiful, feel-good musical based on the true story of a tiny town in Newfoundland called Gander. After 9/11, when all the planes had to be grounded, 38 of them ended up landing there. Within 8 hours this small town had 7,000 unexpected guests from all over the world. The show is all about how the locals opened their homes and hearts to these strangers, and how, in the middle of such a dark time, people found kindness, laughter, and unexpected friendships. It’s fast-paced, funny, emotional, and just filled with so much heart — you can’t help but leave feeling a little better about the world.

The show was everything I wanted it to be, telling the story in a moving but fun and lighthearted way. Better still, it depicts the Newfoundlanders to be who they really are - the most down to earth and hospitable people on the planet.

After the show, we didn’t rush home. We wandered down King Street  and found a restaurant to have dinner at, chatting about the show and making plans to visit Newfoundland again (my sister has never been so it's time for a sister's trip.) It was a perfect afternoon!

If you want to see the story of Gander, Newfoundland, and the 7,000 passengers who were forced to land there that day, you can watch it here. It's worth the watch.