Nearly 25 years ago, the small Canadian town Gander became a haven for 7,000 airline passengers and crew stranded following the 9/11 attacks.
With US airspace closed, 38 planes were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, which had to feed and accommodate the "Plane People", whose presence nearly doubled the town's size.
Come From Away, the award-winning musical about the story is being performed by different amateur groups after licences became available, and opens at Birmingham's Crescent Theatre from 25 April.
Kevin Middleton, its director and theatre chairman, said the musical was chosen as it was "one of the most heart-warming shows there is" and also suited their membership.
He said the "brilliant telling of a true story" portrays how the people of Gander took the visitors into their homes and showed compassion.
"As a result of the USA closing its airspace, the local people commenced Operation Yellow Ribbon to feed and house the stranded passengers," he said.
We also see how bonds are formed and friendships develop.
"Ultimately, Come From Away is a heart-warming, uplifting, joyous celebration of human kindness and the incredible warmth of the people of Gander," he said.
Middleton shared that selecting which shows to produce was a "complex process" and aside from a great story, they looked for ones which complemented the strengths of their memberships.
"One of the great things about Come From Away is that it's a musical about normal people," he said.
"Many musicals require a large cast of 20-somethings who can kick their legs to head height. That's great, but that's not what Come From Away is.
"Many of the characters in Come From Away are in their 40s and 50s or older."
Middleton said Come From Away had "lots of great roles" and, as an ensemble piece, the Crescent cast of 18 actors played about 50 characters and were on stage for the whole show.
He said the score, which was heavily influenced by Irish folk music, was also fantastic.
"It's also not the kind of show that stops for a musical number before returning to the story; it flows from beginning to end," the director added.
Although the Crescent Theatre hosts a range of professional and amateur visiting productions, its in-house team is an amateur company, which surprises people "because of the very high standards of our productions", said Middleton.
They have more than 250 members who are responsible for every aspect of the production, including lighting, set and costume designs, and welcome new members.
Come From Away is on at the Crescent Theatre from 25 April until 2 May.