The story of strangers helping people in need will extend beyond the stage when Broadway North presents Come From Away in Prince Albert.
The Malcolm Jenkins Family Foundation will donate $20 to Ronald McDonald House for every ticket sold for the production, which opens this week at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre.
About 2,100 tickets had already been sold as of Tuesday. Malcolm Jenkins said he would be surprised if attendance finishes below 4,000, which would put the foundation’s contribution at at least $80,000.
“It’s early days,” Jenkins said. “The summer shows sell very well, so I’d be surprised if we have less than 4,000 people.”
Jenkins said tying Broadway North productions to community projects is something the foundation has done for years.
“For every ticket that is sold, we will donate $20 to the Ronald McDonald House, which is being built and will open in December,” he said.
Jenkins said the foundation has supported a number of Prince Albert projects over the years, including Hope’s Home, recreation facilities, playgrounds and the E.A. Rawlinson Centre. He said linking donations to ticket sales can also help raise awareness and encourage audience members to support those projects themselves.
He said Ronald McDonald House can ease some of the financial pressure on families who have to leave home when a child needs medical care.
“You’ve got a sick kid, and you’ve left your job behind, and it can be financially a very, very hard time for a family,” Jenkins said.
He said the new Prince Albert building will have about a dozen rooms, allowing families to focus on their child instead of worrying about food or the cost of a hotel or motel.
That idea of helping people in difficult circumstances also runs through Come From Away.
The musical is based on the true story of thousands of airline passengers who were stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks forced aircraft across North America to be grounded.
Asked whether that message connects with the fundraiser, Jenkins said it does.
“Helping people, people in need who are not our neighbours, is a wonderful thing,” he said.
Jenkins called Come From Away “a beautiful story” and described it as a true story set to music.
The production also brings back vivid memories of Sept. 11 for Jenkins.
He was at home caring for his wife, who had cancer, when news of the attacks appeared on television.
“I remember exactly where I was,” he said.
Jenkins said he turned on the news, woke his wife and watched as the events unfolded, including the second aircraft striking the World Trade Center.
“The whole horrible thing happened in front of our eyes,” he said. “It was awful.”
For Jenkins, the scale of what happened afterward in Gander is difficult to overstate. He described residents suddenly finding themselves responsible for thousands of unexpected visitors, providing food, places to sleep and help for families and children.
He compared it to something similar happening in Prince Albert.
“All of a sudden, it’s Prince Albert. There’s 40,000 people. If 30,000 people arrive tomorrow, what do you do?” Jenkins said. “And you’re given 10 minutes notice. It’s unbelievable.”
Jenkins will not be playing a character in this year’s production, although he said he will introduce the show on some nights.
Asked why he had stepped away from acting this time, Jenkins laughed.
“I think Father Time decided for me,” he said.
Jenkins, who turns 84 in January, said performing has become more tiring and memorizing larger roles more difficult, but he still enjoys being part of Broadway North.
He said cast and crew members have given up much of their summer to prepare the show for Prince Albert audiences.
“That’s really Canadian to me,” Jenkins said. “People would give up themselves for other people like that. Basically, the whole story of Come From Away.”
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
