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Musical Brings Fort Myers Pilot's Experience on 9/11 to Stages Across The Globe

Photo: Come From Away
The cast of Come From Away, a musical based in part on Fort Myers pilot Beverley Bass' life story.

Beverley Bass is a fourth-generation Floridian from Fort Myers, and as one of the first female pilots for American Airlines—and its first female captain—her life makes for a great story. But it's her experiences as a pilot on Sept. 11, 2001, when she and thousands of others found themselves grounded in Gander, Newfoundland until American airspace re-opened, that's now being told through a musical on stages across North America.

The show, Come from Away, premiered in San Diego, CA in 2015, and has been staged in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Toronto, and now Broadway in New York City. 

Retired pilot and Fort Myers native Beverley Bass joins Gulf Coast Live to share her story as a pioneering pilot, what happened to her plane and passengers on 9/11, and the unexpected journey from story to stage.

Matthew Smith is a reporter and producer of WGCU’s Gulf Coast Live.
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