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Stages: Actress savors her real-life pilot role in ‘Come from Away’

Addison Garner grew up dancing, caught the theater bug early playing the lead in “Annie,” and has always felt most at home on stage.

She has performed around the world and now plays Beverley Bass, an American Airlines pilot, in the national tour of “Come from Away,” at Boston’s Citizens Bank Opera House May 28-June 2.

Stages caught up with Garner to talk about growing up in Alabama and “Come from Away,” which is based on a true 9/11 situation.

Here’s the condensed interview.

Stages: Describe your youth and early musical theater experiences and training.

Addison Garner: I am Southern through and through and love anything with a “hey y’all!” and a bow! I probably came out of the womb singing! I continued performing well into high school, involved in musicals, baton twirling under the Friday night lights and was active in show choir. Senior year I earned  “Best Actress” in Alabama, an award that let me pursue my degree in musical theater at the University of Mobile. Since then, I have performed in theaters all over the world and Come from Away is my second national tour.

Stages: You have played comic and fictitious roles in the past. How does playing someone based on a real person differ and what is similar?

AG: Portraying a real person is the most challenging role I have ever had. In “Hairspray,” everything is larger than life, but in “Come from Away” everything is grounded in truth and reality. Embodying this real person, who experienced so much during the events of 9/11 and in her career, it took me time to find my footing, while wanting to make it my own. While it’s been challenging, I’ve welcomed it and the required vulnerability.  It’s helped me keep the show fresh night after night.

Stages: Describe your character and her relationship to the other people in the play.

AG: I have the honor and privilege of playing the first female American Airline captain, Beverley Bass. She’s a leader and throughout the show is the person who people look to for information. She’s constantly in communication with air traffic control as well as her husband, Tom, who was anxiously awaiting her return home. She keeps people within the show, and the audience, up to date as to what’s going on. She often doesn’t get to enjoy the ongoings throughout the town of Gander because she’s in charge of getting people back home to the USA. She gets to have this amazing moment where she (I) tells her life story and how hard she worked to get to where she was through the song “Me and the Sky.”

Stages: What do you remember about 9/11 and what do you hope that the audience takes from this production?

AG: While I was rather young on the day of 9/11, I remember the world just stopped. Even at a young age I knew this event would change the world forever.  And I remember how for some time after this horrific event, people started to truly rely on one another and there was this sense of unity to be felt with everyone you encountered, because we saw how quickly things can change in just an instant. There was also this huge surge of people wanting to find their faith again which I thought was beautiful. I think that’s what people can take away from this show: the restoration of the goodness of humanity and the kindness of the world, even amongst tragedy. Where there’s sadness, there can also be joy.

Stages: Is there anything else you want to add?

AG: There’s a line in “Me and the Sky” where I sing,  “My dad said be patient, just see what happens” and that’s something my own dad told me often, after I was cut after endless auditions. I love that I can have that real moment of truth onstage;  I am living proof of being patient and chasing your dreams, no matter how difficult! I look forward to bringing this show to one of my favorite cities. It’s  a show you don’t want to miss!

Visit www.BroadwayInBoston.com for tickets.