The 2019-20 Broadway season at Wharton Center kicks off this month with the arrival of “Come From Away,” the Tony-nominated musical based on true events surrounding 9/11 and the days that followed. The national tour’s East Lansing stop runs from September 10-15, 2019, making it an especially poignant time of reflection for the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
“Come From Away” tells the true story of 7,000 passengers stranded in a small town in Newfoundland and the local residents who helped feed, house, and support them in the confusing and chaotic aftermath of 9/11.
Julie Johnson stars as Beulah and other characters in the touring company of “Come From Away.” Johnson isn’t a stranger to the Wharton Center: she also starred as Mama in the first national tour of “Memphis,” which stopped in East Lansing during the 2011-12 season.
I spoke with her about the humanity in “Come From Away,” her connection with the cast, and her unexpected voice role in the 1990s and 2000s.
Continue reading “Interview: Chatting with Julie Johnson of “Come From Away””