On September 11, 2001, after terrorists flew jets into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, authorities closed United States airspace to all air traffic. In the remote Canadian town of Gander, Newfoundland, 38 passenger jets suddenly landed on the airstrip, and were grounded until further notice.

Instead of treating them as intruders, the town opened its homes and hearts to 7,000 strangers from all over the world. By the time the visitors departed, cultures had come together and lifelong friendships had formed.

The hit musical Come From Away tells this sprawling story with a foot-stomping Celtic band and a dozen versatile actors portraying some 50 real-life characters, many of whom flew in from Newfoundland to dance onstage with the actors on opening night.

The show packs a political punch at this ungenerous moment in America—a point that hung in the air when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invited Donald Trump to attend a recent performance. (The President declined but sent Ivanka.) Critics took the musical’s subtext to heart. The Washington Post called it “an exuberant antidote for what ails the American soul.”

For extra exuberance, there’s star Jenn Colella, one of Broadway’s few out lesbian leading ladies. In Come From Away, Colella sings her heart out as real-life pilot Beverley Bass, one of the pilots who landed at Gander on 9/11. But Colella, 43, been attracting fangirls ever since she rode a mechanical bull in Urban Cowboy, rocked the butch title role in The Beebo Brinker Chronicles, and played one-half of a lesbian couple in If/Then.

On the phone in her dressing room before a recent performance, with her girlfriend chiming in, Colella told us about her life as an irresistible wild child, from her current relationship à trois to the occasional makeout session with Idina Menzel.

How would you describe the story of Come From Away?

Jen Colella: For me, it’s about welcoming people because they need help. I don’t know where we got away from the habit of being kind, but kindness and compassion is where we live. We all have access to it, and it requires practice.

How was it for the cast when Justin Trudeau and Ivanka Trump came to the show? How was it for you?

It was extraordinary to have them here, and have them together. People are drawn to this show who know that everyone is good at heart, people who are drawn to a sort of kindness movement that’s in the air right now. Justin knows that’s the best possible way to lead people, and I believe Ivanka does as well, or else she wouldn’t have joined.

Did you speak with Ivanka?

We didn’t. It was Justin’s night. He made a speech before, and I believe Ivanka ducked out a little early out of respect, so as not to take anything away from him. But the show is direct address–we can see the audience very clearly. She was truly enjoying herself and smiling and laughing and crying and was really in it, so I know she had a good time.

You play Captain Beverley Bass, who blazed her own trails as the first female captain for American Airlines. She seems like the most clearly defined hero in Come From Away. How did you two meet?

After our final preview [at La Jolla Playhouse], Beverley and her husband Tom arrived at a restaurant across the street. We spotted one another from across the room. She came over and said, “I think you’re playing me,” and I said, “I think you’re right!” I’m so grateful that they’ve chosen me to play this badass pioneer for women. I feel the privilege and responsibility of it.

Like all the actors, you play several characters in Come From Away. Aside from Captain Beverley, you play this enchantingly gay-looking woman in a T-shirt and vest. Was my gaydar going off correctly with that character, or is she just Canadian?

She’s just Canadian! Actually that character, Annette, is quite male-crazy. She likes the men that come off these planes. But I have faith that Annette would be open to women as well. I’m going to throw that into the show tonight and see how it plays.

I was googling you, and the first thing I saw was this hashtag: #jennfuckingcolella. Do you have lesbian fangirls?

I do, and it feels so good! Everybody’s respectful, but, yes, to receive that kind of energy from women fuels me. It feels, again, like a privilege and a responsibility. And I’m so thrilled that I’m out and the age that I am, and I feel confident and capable to be a good role model for gay women.

How do women reach out to you?

Some fans will see shows many, many times. I have one awesome fan—I don’t know if these people are even gay, to tell you the truth—but one girl has my signature tattooed over her heart.

I’d say that’s a clue.

She hasn’t come out to me, you know? So I don’t want to assume. But I get a lot of baked goods, sweet cards, flowers. Chicks are so good at gifts, right? I ride a scooter around town, because I’m like a 12-year-old, and one of my fans actually presented me with a new scooter. Yeah, they mean it. It’s awesome.

Let’s go back to the tattoo: Did you autograph her chest and then she went and got the autograph tattooed?

She’d seen If/Then many, many times. She said, “Hey, will you sign this piece of paper for me?” I did, and then later she came back and showed me her tattoo. Isn’t that awesome?

You sometimes subbed in for Idina Menzel as the lead in If/Then. What was that like?

Idina is an amazing person, and super sweet and fun. She and I like to flirt a lot. We made out a couple of times, which was super, super hot and fun. I like to tell as many people that as possible. Great kisser.

How exactly did that come to pass?

The best part is, my girlfriend is in the dressing room with me right now, and she keeps looking up and giving me these like sexy little smiles. Anyway, Idina’s straight—mostly—in the way that I’m mostly gay. And I would just wear her down at parties, just walk by and say, “We should make out.” Just trying to constantly put little seeds into her beautiful brain. She took me up on it once or twice.

Aside from making out, did you and Idina ever sing together?

Onstage, we had many opportunities to sing together, and that voice is just inimitable.

As is yours. In fact, speaking of Idina’s great roles, did you ever do Elphaba the witch, in Wicked?

People are always asking me that! I finally had to tell them to stop asking me to come in, because I am terrified that I would lose my mind and my voice. I’m going to leave that to those professional belters and try to save this loud-ass belt that I’ve got for as long as possible.

Although it would be really cool to do a gay Elphaba.

I hear you. I hadn’t thought about that. You know what, though, I want to play Bobby in Company. [A 2016 London production reversed genders to feature a woman in the famous leading role of a commitment-phobic bachelor and the loves of his New York circle of friends.]

Your girlfriend’s listening in, so she’ll appreciate this. What kind of woman is attractive to you? Do you have a type?

I like people who are balanced in their masculine and feminine energies. I like girly girls who aren’t afraid to wear ripped jeans and play in the mud. I joked when my girlfriend got here, “You dressed like a little dyke for me today!” She’s wearing ripped jeans and her big belt and a cut Women’s March t-shirt. Yeah! Then as I’m getting older, I realize that what I find sexy is someone who’s smart and kind and funny. I’m attracted to the whole world, is the truth.

Any quality in a woman that’s a deal breaker for you?

Yeah. An unawareness, right? If someone treats a server unkindly—snaps at a server, or anyone in the service industry—that is such a deal breaker for me. I can’t.

Does your girlfriend like seeing you in uniform as Captain Beverley onstage?

[She repeats the question to her girlfriend.] She likes seeing me in everything.

I was going to ask you about starring in The Beebo Brinker Chronicles [the 2008 Off-Broadway adaptation of Ann Bannon’s iconic novels of lesbians before Stonewall]. Has anyone ever talked about filming it?

Lily Tomlin was one of our producers on that play, and she and Jane Wagner talked about possibly filming it during that time, but I haven’t heard any more about it. So, yeah, we can put that back out in the universe as well.

Definitely. Those lesbian pulp paperback days were very sexy.

True. That was one of the sexiest shows I’ve ever worked on. It was fun to be the butch lesbian that all the girls were swooning over.

Not that different from your real life, is it?

[Laughing] It was fun to have that as my job.

I know I’m asking in front of your girlfriend, but do you see yourself in the future marrying and quote unquote settling down? Are you interested in kids?

I’ve been married a couple of times.

To women?

Yeah. My joke is, chicks love it when you propose. I had two wonderful marriages, and I’m a big fan of the institution of marriage if it is truly an equal partnership. But my girlfriend and I are in an open relationship, and that feels really lovely and right for me right now.

So you’re both seeing other people?

She’s actually married to a man. I’m kind of dating them both. They have a little kid whom I adore. And I’m also dating someone else, and, you know, my girlfriend just got on OKCupid, and it’s all very open. There’s a lot of respect and a lot of communication and a lot of trust. It’s quite lovely.

Usually lesbians can’t do that, at least the lesbians I know. Gay men can stay together 50 years, and they manage to keep their exterior lives very hot and vital and yet preserve these lasting relationships. What’s different about you that you can do that?

What I’ve found is that if women are intimate with one another, there’s such an emotional connection that happens. That’s what can be scary for the primary partner: If you have an emotional connection with someone else, how is there going to be any room left for me? But our hearts are much more open and capacious than we give them credit for. There’s no better or best in my world of love. I have boundless love. So the more I can trust myself and love myself, and trust and love my partners, then I’m finding there’s an infinite amount to explore.

Come From Away is now on Broadway at the Schoenfeld Theatre