Camille Naredo

Article (news)

Come From Away

Anna Cerezo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1750003968857061625_Come from Away.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The set of &quot;Come From Away&quot; at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. Anna Cerezo, ABS-CBN News"/>The set of &quot;Come From Away&quot; at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. Anna Cerezo, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA -- With just twelve actors, dozens of accents, and hundreds of roles, one extraordinary story comes alive on stage. Filipino theater talents, including seasoned theater actors Carla Guevara Laforteza and Gian Magdangal, lead the ensemble in a fast-paced, emotionally charged production.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2025/6/11/theater-review-ensemble-excellence-elevates-come-from-away-in-stirring-ph-debut-1041">READ: Ensemble excellence elevates ‘Come From Away’ in stirring PH debut</a></div>“This is the first GMG production that is an all Filipino production,” Magdangal said in an interview held in Makati City during the second weekend of “Come From Away.”Other members of the Filipino-led cast are: Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Sheila Francisco, George Schulze, Topper Fabregas, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante, Mayen Cadd, and Chino Veguillas, among others  Laforteza explained they are each taking on multiple roles to bring this powerful real-life narrative to life. “This is the magic, we are 12 actors on stage with each of us playing a minimum of 7–10 characters. You will see hundreds of characters on stage, and we barely leave the stage so you will see our costume changes and our characters in split seconds,” Laforteza explained.“We become Ganderites with Newfoundland accent, switch to New Yorker accent, British, biglang to Texan or Southern then Arabic.” The Tony Award Winning musical recounts how a small town in Canada welcomed over 7,000 stranded passengers after the 9/11 attacks. “It is a heartwarming story. It is about how they rescued and accommodated the ‘come from aways’ those stranded. It is about how open and loving the Gandarites where,” she added. Both Laforteza and Magdangal auditioned for their roles, which they describe as among the most challenging they’ve ever taken on. “We fought for it. We auditioned, I was the only one who was not here. I was based in Singapore. I had to send the video. I said I really wanted to do this show, when I watched it I thought it was a moving story,” Magdangal recalled. “It is big adrenaline for us but it was a lot of fun. You can feel the support,” he added.Laforteza admitted she originally auditioned for the role of the pilot, but landing the part of Hannah, a mother of a firefighter, felt “meant to be,” as the story hit especially close to home. “Personally, I was in New York when it happened. I had just given birth. And my husband was out of the house, and I knew he had deliveries in the Tribeca areas and Twin Towers,” she shared. “It was a real life experience for me. I think it was fate. I don’t think it was a coincidence I was cast for this particular role. I was really gunning for pilot’s role but when they made me sing the song and I read the script it was meant to be,” she added. “Come From Away” will run at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater until June 29.

With just twelve actors, dozens of accents, and hundreds of roles, one extraordinary story comes alive on stage.

With just twelve actors, dozens of accents, and hundreds of roles, one extraordinary story comes alive on stage.

Gian Magdangal, Carla Guevara Laforteza shine in Filipino production of ‘Come From Away’

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Gian Magdangal, Carla Guevara Laforteza shine in Filipino production of ‘Come From Away’

Anna Cerezo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 16, 2025 12:16 AM PHT

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Come from Away

Carla Guevara Laforteza

Gian Magdangal

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