West Orange resident has role in Paper Mill’s ‘Come from Away’

“Come From Away” is a true story about Sept. 11, 2001.

Seven thousand airline passengers were stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, during the week following the terrorist attacks. The show highlights how the small town welcomed the visitors, providing food, shelter, and comfort, turning a moment of fear into a story of compassion, unity, and unexpected friendship.

The show played on Broadway from 2017 to 2022 and is now being performed at Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn with actor James Moye of West Orange playing Claude, the mayor of Gander.

“He’s a small-town mayor,” said Moye. “Kind of a jovial guy, dealing with issues in the small community. He took the leadership role in trying to organize the town and get it as prepared as it can be for doubling the population in a matter of hours. It’s always interesting when you portray someone who was a real person, especially one who is still alive. There’s some video footage of him and he seems to be a gregarious, kind man.”

Moye saw the original Broadway production of “Come From Away” and loved it.

“It’s such a wonderful story of human kindness and compassion and people putting the golden rule into effect at a moment of crisis,” he said. “I grew up in a small town myself. I can relate in a way. When you live in a small town, you don’t expect a crisis of this magnitude. It’s a great lesson. A great story. It is a wonderful musical adaptation of a real-life event. The creators had an idea. The 90-minutes in the show, you can remember how you felt on Sept. 11 and the day after. This is a Sept. 12 story, not a Sept. 11 story. People were responding in the best way humanity can respond. With everything that’s going on now, I hope people will come and see the goodness that people offer each other in times of trial.”

“Come From Away” has a cast of just 12 people. One of the challenges of the play, for Moye, is trying to be authentic to multiple people, using different dialects and voices. In addition to Claude, Moye plays 4 other people. “It’s more fun for an audience, as well as the actors, to have that challenge of stepping out of multiple people,” Moye said. “It is very successful in that attempt.”

In his first show at Paper Mill, he played Buddy the Elf in “Elf,” which was one of his favorite roles. One of the greatest things about being an actor, Moye said, is the feeling that a really great role is yet to come.

“When I made my Broadway debut, 2001, right before 9/11, I think there was some legitimacy that felt great, but what’s tricky and challenging about show business is that every show has a relatively short life,” he said. “You’re always out there trying to reinvent yourself or waiting for the next role.”

Moye’s other Broadway credits include “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Aladdin,” and “Tootsie,” to name a few. His on-camera credits include “Fair Game” with Sean Penn, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “The Today Show,” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to name a few. He’s a graduate of James Madison University where he received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017.

When Moye isn’t acting his favorite thing is being a dad to his three kids. You’ll also find him out on the local golf courses.