Avon Players opened its 80th season with Come From Away at its A-frame playhouse in Rochester Hills.

The musical tells the story of a small Newfoundland town that sheltered thousands of stranded airline passengers after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The Rochester Hills community theater's production runs through Saturday, Sept. 26, at 1185 Washington Road. Avon Players announced the show in an April 1 Facebook post as part of its 80th season, tying the run to the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The show opened Friday, Sept. 11, and Rochester Media reported a full house and a standing ovation at Saturday's performance, calling the production a highlight of the anniversary.

Twelve actors portray more than 70 characters across the two-hour show, which includes a 15-minute intermission. The cast switches between residents of Gander, Newfoundland, and the roughly 7,000 travelers whose planes were diverted there on Sept. 11, 2001. The musical, with book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, opened on Broadway in 2017 and earned director Christopher Ashley a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical.

Four cast members are making their Avon Players debuts. Doug Clark plays Claude, the mayor of Gander. Catherine Flores plays Hannah, a mother desperate for news about her firefighter son in New York. Alex Link plays Bob, a cynical New Yorker suspicious of the Newfoundlanders' kindness. Patricia Rutkey plays Diane, a Texas divorcee who discovers a new side of herself in the crisis.

Rochester Media's review singled out Caitlin O'Brien's portrayal of Captain Beverly Bass, a pioneering pilot, calling her performance of "Me and the Sky" one of the show's highlights. Geoffrey Wickson's solo on "Prayer" also drew praise.

Director Ryan Moore said in an Aug. 19 press release that the show's ensemble-driven staging mirrors its story of a community coming together. "Although the terrorist attacks are the catalyst for the story, this is a very uplifting and even surprisingly funny musical about people rising to the occasion under very difficult circumstances," Moore said.

He called it "less a '9/11' musical and more a '9/12' musical because it's about what people do after an unexpected calamity."

The stage is kept deliberately sparse to focus attention on the performances. Ron Pietrantoni serves as music director, with choreography by AJ Liante and set design by Jeff Stillman.

Avon Players, a nonprofit founded in 1947, has performed in its A-frame theater along Stoney Creek in Rochester Hills' Historic District since 1965.

Tickets are $35 for all performances. Group discounts are available through the box office at 248-608-9077. Tickets are also available online through Avon Players. The show is rated PG-13 for occasional adult language and references to real-life violent events.

Remaining performances:

  • Friday, Sept. 18, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, Sept. 20, 2 p.m.
  • Friday, Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m.