Hit Musical Come From Away Makes its Philippine Debut

GMG Productions gathers a stellar all-star Filipino cast in Come From Away, as they bring to life a musical that turns the tragedy of 9/11 into a timeless tale of hope and humanity.

Words Bridgette Yutuc
Photos courtesy of GMG Productions
June 23, 2025

If there’s one show that can melt your heart and rekindle your faith in humanity, it’s Come From Away.

GMG Productions (GMGP) brings the critically acclaimed Broadway musical Come From Away to the Philippines, and it’s set to run from June 6 to 29, 2025 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati.

Set in the wake of September 11, 2001, Come From Away recounts the true story of 7,000 stranded airline passengers who found refuge in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland.

The musical unites a powerhouse ensemble of Philippine theater actors whose brilliance has lit up both local and international stages.

Collective Brilliance

When asked how it feels to be part of an all-star Filipino cast—fondly dubbed as the “Avengers of Philippine Theater”—George Schulze, who plays Kevin Tuerff, emphasized: “I just wanted to take that more as a representation. Everybody who auditioned for the show is so incredible…But I think what it represents is this amazing message that GMG is trying to show, which is to support local theater. This is a production that represents what Filipinos can do.”

Gian Magdangal, cast as Oz, pondered on the complexity of playing multiple roles in a single performance—a defining aspect of Come From Away’s ensemble structure, reflecting on the deeply collaborative nature of the production.

“I feel that when you’re on stage, nothing is really created on our own here. We all have responsibilities, and I guess it’s also the beauty of that collective discipline together, working together to create those pictures that we’re trying to show to you, and the stories that we’re trying to tell.“

This relies on a tight-knit synergy between the cast, where each performer must remain attuned not only to their own transformation, but to the rhythm and flow of the entire ensemble.

“I’ve always had fun being able to play multiple characters in one show, but this is the most difficult. We literally change characters and accents within the scene—literally switching, not just going off stage, putting on a new costume, a new wig, and then entering as a different character. It’s really, really difficult so we really have to practice and be precise,” says Carla Laforteza, who portrays Hannah in the production.

History Retold

“I think it’s just so important historically that this story keeps getting told,” says Becca Coates, who plays the role of Janice.

“We have a whole generation of new people who are watching theater now…They’re coming into this show being like, okay, it’s about 9/11. Then if they weren’t even born when that happened, how does this connect to me? How is this important? It’s just the most engaging history lesson. And these stories can only be survived by the retelling and the retelling.”

Becca sees Come From Away as a vessel for memory. A reminder that history doesn’t need to linger in the horrors of tragedy, but can look into the choices people make in the aftermath—the way a small town flung its doors open to thousands of strangers, and the ripple effect caused by acts of kindness.