On Wednesday night, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in New York Cityâs Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre to see âCome From Away,â a breakthrough Canadian musical that has received rave reviews since debuting on Broadway on Sunday.
âThere is no relationship quite like the friendship between Canada and the United States,â Trudeau told the audience before Wednesday nightâs performance. âAnd this story, this amazing show, is very much about that.â
Wednesday's show was attended by several government officials and dignitaries, including former prime minister Jean Chretien and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. There are 1,046 seats in the theatre and the Canadian government invited 372 people. Trudeau saw the performance alongside U.S. President Donald Trumpâs eldest daughter, businesswoman Ivanka Trump.
Created by Canadian husband-and-wife duo David Hein and Irene Sankoff, the musical is set in the remote town of Gander, N.L., following the horrific September 11th terrorist attacks.
â(E)ven the most stalwart cynics may have trouble staying dry-eyed during this portrait of heroic hospitality under extraordinary pressure,â New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley wrote in his review.
With U.S. airspace closed following the attacks, 38 planes were forced to land in Gander. Nearly 6,600 passengers and crew -- more than half the townâs population at the time -- were subsequently housed, fed and befriended by the locals.
One of those Good Gander Samaritans was Pat Woodford.
âWell, I thought it was absolutely âamazingâ for one word, and âbreathtakingâ for another,â Woodford told Âé¶čŽ«Ăœ Channel on Wednesday. âThe performance that these people put on is just spectacular.â
Speaking via video link from his Gander home, Woodford said he got a chance to see the musical in New York last month.
âThe show is not really about 9/11, itâs about 9/12 and the days that followed and the hospitality and the generosity of the people of Newfoundland and Canada,â Woodford said. âWe housed, fed and took care of these people and all their needs, and it made me feel very proud to be in New York City.â
Woodford saw the play with one of the people he helped almost 16 years ago: former American Airlines pilot Beverley Bass.
âWe became friends on September the 12th of 2001 when I leant her my pickup truck, because there were no rental cars left,â Woodford said. The two have become close, Woodford added, even visiting each otherâs homes since that fateful day.
âI donât think thereâs a week goes by that we donât talk,â Woodford said. âThose are the good stories that came out of the 9/11 tragedy.â
Gander town councillor Robert Anstey saw a local showing of the play.
âI think weâre all really proud of it,â he told Âé¶čŽ«Ăœ Channel from Gander. âYou know, itâs not every day that you get your hometown debuting on Broadway.â
Seeing the musical, Anstey added, was an emotional journey for many in the community.
âThis⊠not only changed the lives of the âcome from aways,ââ he said, âbut changed the lives of a lot of us Newfoundlanders here too.â
In his opening remarks Wednesday night, Trudeau said that his government is trying to highlight Canadaâs innovations to celebrate its 150th birthday year.
âIf we all remember back to those days following that terrible, terrible, terrible morning, there was a sense of helplessness, powerlessness to be able to do something -- anything -- to make the situation a bit better,â Trudeau said of 9/11. âAnd when Newfoundlanders found out, âOh! We can just cook a casserole and that will help make things a little bit better,â well, everyone sent in so much food to Gander, that even with the 6,000 extra people in Gander, there was no room for it all! So, innovation kicked in and Alf [Lt-Colonel Alf Richardson] from the Salvation Army thought about it and realized that they could just turn the local hockey rink into the worldâs largest walk-in refrigerator.â
âCome From Awayâ is currently scheduled to run on Broadway through the end of the year. For more information and tickets, visit .
With files from The Canadian Press