VIDEO: COME FROM AWAY Says Farewell to Joel Hatch

The actor has been with the show for over seven years since its original run at the La Jolla Playhouse.

By: Mar. 20, 2022
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This afternoon, Broadway veteran Joel Hatch has played his final show with the company of the hit musical, Come From Away. A member of the original cast, Joel Hatch has been with the show since it opened on Broadway just over five years ago on March 12th, 2017. Before that, he was a member of the 2015 La Jolla Playhouse production of the brand new show. He portrayed 'Claude & others' other characters throughout the entire production. Gene Weygandt will begin performances in the roles on Tuesday, March 22. Gene joins the company directly from the Australia cast of Come From Away.

Hatch's Broadway credits include Come From Away, Billy Elliot, and Annie. He was seen Off-Broadway in Adding Machine: The Musical (OBIE, Lortel awards), and Annie Warbucks, and at Carnegie Hall in The Sound Of Music. He performed with the National Tours of Beauty and the Beast, Ragtime, and Showboat, and was seen on screen in "The Good Wife", as well as in the reoccurring role of Dr Holt on HBO's "Boardwalk Empire."

In a post from Richard J. Hinds, the show's Associate Choreographer, Hatch can be seen opening his final performance at today's matinee. His character holds the opening lines for the show, "On the northeast tip of North America/ On an island called Newfoundland/ There's and airport/ It used to be one of the biggest airports in the world/ And next to it is a town, called Gander." Hinds writes in the Instagram video he posted, "Today we bid farewell to the brilliant Joel Hatch. This man has been the heartbeat of Come From Away. He is an absolute class act and the definition of "professionalism." Please shower him with love."

On September 11, 2001 the world stopped. On September 12, their stories moved us all. Come From Away is the breathtaking musical that reminds you of what good the human spirit is capable of. Written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and directed by Christopher Ashley, this musical shines a lot on the best of what we are capable in the absolute worst of times.

In a heartbeat, 38 planes with 6,579 passengers were stranded in a remote town in Newfoundland on a devastating day in September 2001. The locals in Gander opened their hearts and homes to thousands of stranded strangers, spurring unexpected camaraderie in extraordinary circumstances.

Check out the opening of Hatch's last show as 'Claude & Others' below!

Video Credits: Richard J. Hinds and @dannymg on Instagram



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