Come From Away is becoming one of my favorite “newer” musicals to see lately (it opened on Broadway in 2017), and I have the feeling a lot of others feel the same. While telling the true and traumatic stories of airplane passengers forced to land in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, on the fateful date of Sept. 11, 2001, it is nevertheless energetic, often humorous and above all, hopeful.

Before, I’d only seen the show, with book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, on tour, but now it opens the Asolo Rep’s 2025-26 season with a bang. Even before the show begins, audience members are invited to belly up to the bar before settling in to admire the set, filled to the rafters with Canadian commercial brand signs, televised hockey games and more (design by Adam Koch) and enjoy spirited music performed live on the stage, led by music director Angela Steiner and her talented band.

But when the show does start, it wastes no time introducing us to the town of Gander and its people (“Welcome to the Rock”), with proud cries of “I am an islander” ringing out as cast members perform Kelli Foster Warder’s dynamic choreography. Within moments, we’ve gotten to know the mayor, Claude (Aaron Kaburick), a newbie TV reporter (Sara Esty), the police constable (Charlie Clark), an educator (Diana DiMarzio), and an animal shelter worker (EJ Zimmerman), all of whom have their roles to play in welcoming the stranded passengers, who land in 38 unexpected planes.

Soon we meet some of those frightened, tired passengers as well: divorcee Diane (Michelle Barber), who quickly becomes friendly with Brit Nick (Erick Pinnick); gay couple Kevin T. and Kevin J. (Will Branner and Zummy Mohammed); worried mother of a New York City firefighter Hannah (Carla Woods); and the initially cautious Bob (Edred Utomi), along with the pilot of an American flight, Beverley (Alena Watters). All 12 of the cast members double or even triple roles here, and they do it often in a flash, without losing sight of their characters’ distinctions.

Once they get beyond the basics of supplying blankets, food, phones and toilets for the come-from-away-ers, it remains for them and the townsfolk to get to know each other the way only people brought together by strange and tragic circumstances can. Whether that’s through a lively “Screech In” at a town bar, where local customs are celebrated, or through quieter moments of “Prayer,” the emotions feel authentic.

In what is truly an ensemble cast (directed with command by Asolo Rep artistic director Peter Rothstein), it’s probably wrong to single anyone out, but Watters is especially strong on “Me and The Sky,” Barber touchingly vulnerable as Diane, and Kaburick believable as a mayor who meets his neighbors regularly  at a Tim Horton’s and could never have imagined how his role would change that September. Kudos also to the projection design by Greg Emetaz and all the other design work that brings this story to life.

Come From Away continues through Dec. 28; for tickets, call (941) 351-8000 or visit asolorep.org.