'' Come from Away '' is a Canadian musical with book , music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein . It is set in the week following the September 11 attacks and tells the true story of what transpired when 38 planes were ordered to land unexpectedly in the small town of Gander in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador , Canada , as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon . The characters in the musical are based on ( and in most cases share the names of ) real Gander residents as well as some of the 7,000 stranded travelers they housed and fed
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Come from Away