The Empire Flies High as Come From Away closes
The final planes have departed The Empire following a hugely successful season of the hit Broadway musical, Come From Away, which wrapped with the final matinee performance on Sunday 23 March.
The Tony Award® and Olivier Award-winning musical, marking The Empire’s 29th major in-house production, told the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded airline passengers and the small Newfoundland community that welcomed them with open arms when US airspace was closed in the wake of 9/11.
Opening to a packed house on Friday 14 March, this incredible tale of unity, humanity, and hope earned rave reviews. Audiences were captivated by the powerful storytelling, stirring music, authentic set design and costuming, innovative multimedia projections, and stunning lighting.
The six-show season attracted a total audience of 6350 who applauded the 110-minute production featuring an ensemble cast of 21 actors portraying 61 different characters across 14 accents and dialects for a version of the show that broke away from the original blueprint, featuring entirely new choreography, staging and direction.
Director/Choreographer David Wynen, Music Director Owen Clarke and Set Designer Frances Story led the creative team and company including 21 local performers, 8 musicians in the live band and 6 backstage singers as part of the 87 arts workers who brought this extraordinary production to life.
The Empire General Manager Giuliana Bonel said it was a pleasure to welcome thousands of visitors to The Empire for such a unique local theatrical experience.
“Bringing this production to life has been no small feat, and we are thrilled that Toowoomba audiences had the opportunity to experience this award-winning musical on our Empire Theatre stage,” Ms Bonel said.
“Come From Away is a true celebration of community, and everyone involved in bringing this production to life has embraced that spirit – from our Friends of The Empire who volunteered over 60 hours at Grand Central Shopping Centre to promote the production, to our 17 generous sponsors whose contributions totalled an outstanding $135,000 – this production has been a testament to the power of collaboration.”
The Empire Board Chairman Mr Andrew Wielandt said he was thrilled to see the impact Come From Away had on the community, from its powerful on-stage message to its economic benefits on local businesses.
“Come From Away audiences were responsible for injecting over $550,000 into the visitor economy throughout the six-show season,” he said.
“This musical beautifully captures the kindness, humanity and spirit that emerges during challenging times, and I feel this certainly resonated with Toowoomba audiences.”
Merchandise proved popular too, with The Empire team selling over 900 pins, souvenir programs, tote bags and more.
Produced by The Empire, Come From Away was proudly supported by Friends of The Empire, Wellcamp Airport Corporation, Toowoomba Central Plaza, The Empire Foundation, The Rock, Kleek, Grand Central Shopping Centre, Globetrotters Travel & Cruise, Greenridge Press, Iceworks Design, Optikal Bloc, Jake Lodder, Krank’d Audio Visual Productions, Bishopp Outdoor Advertising, 7 Toowoomba, Triple M Darling Downs 864, hit100.7 Darling Downs and The Chronicle.
Come From Away played at The Empire from 14-23 March 2025.
#What’s New
The Empire’s popular school holiday event, THRIVE Festival, is set to return from September 25-28, this year plunging beneath the waves and celebrating the wonders of the ocean.
Following the incredible success of 2024’s Come From Away, The Empire is thrilled to announce the next in-house mainstage production, award-winning smash-hit coming of age jukebox musical, & JULIET.
The Empire Foundation’s commitment to the development of young artists in the region continues with the opening of applications for The Empire Foundation 2025 Youth Bursaries.
After six months of sold-out performances, Theatre of Magic is extending their season by popular demand for the remainder of 2025, including four special performances to celebrate the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
The vibrance and talent of Southern Queensland’s artists takes centre stage with the launch of a premium publication, Under the Southern Sky – Arts and Culture of Southern Queensland, a showcase of the region’s incredible skill and creativity.
Shining a Spotlight on the community powering The Empire’s success
