Justin Trudeau speaks to audience at Come From Away
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau surprised the cast and audience at Come From Away on Broadway Wednesday night by taking the stage ahead of the show to speak.
Trudeau spoke just before the performance in New York City on Wednesday night. He is in the city to take in the Broadway musical for the first time.
Written by Canadians David Hein and Irene Sankoff, Come From Away tells the stories of the nearly 7,000 grounded travellers after Sept. 11, 2001 who landed in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the town’s people who helped them.
The show officially opened Sunday night with much fanfare, after successful runs in previews.
Rare for head of state of attend Broadway show
Michael Paulson, the theatre reporter with the New York Times, said the Counsel General of Canada has booked 500 seats for Canadians and friends of Canada in New York for tonight’s show.
“[Trudeau’s] someone who supports refugees, it’s part of his public policy, and he’s someone who ran for office celebrating the arts,” Paulson said.
Paulson said he cannot think of another example of a foreign head of state attending a Broadway show
“[Former] president Obama would come to shows every once in awhile and President Trump used to come to Broadway shows long before he became president,” he said.
” I don’t think we’ll see much of him given the difficult encounter his vice-president had at Hamilton.“