The Band’s Visit effortlessly navigates human error and the kindness of strangers with a touch of fate and an eye for finding beauty in the most ordinary moments.
I have been waiting for this show to run in Los Angeles for two years. The tour was originally scheduled to stop at the Dolby Theater in July 2020, but was unfortunately displaced by the pandemic. I’m so glad they were able to reschedule their run in December of this year and share this beautiful story with people all over the country.
The Band’s Visit tells the story of one night in Bet Hatikva after the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra has a miscommunication at Tel Aviv’s bus station, and are mistakenly sent to the small desert town of Bet Hatikva instead of Petah Tikva. When they arrive in what appears to be a mundane town the band is greeted by Papi (Coby Getzug) and Itzik (Clay Singer), two cafe workers, at what seems to be one of few establishments in the area. When the men are unsure where the band is looking to go, they call over to Dina (Janet Dacal), the owner of the cafe, who tells them there has been a mistake.
Tewfiq (Sasson Gabay) and the band members resign to the fact they will have to spend the night in Bet Hatikva, and they split up and stay with various members of the town. Through this journey, the audience catches a glimpse of the people of Bet Hatikva as they welcome the members of the band into their homes and lives.
As seamless as the turntables rotating the set, the cast takes the audience along as they allow you to join the people of Bet Hatikva for one night, between a cafe, a park, a family home, a roller rink, and a telephone booth.
The intention of the show is very distinct almost immediately. I found it to be different from many of the other shows I have seen, with attention to its use of negative space and dead air as intentional as it’s use of music and transcendent set pieces. The moments with music are intentional, the lyrics are intentional, and the silence is intentional. It makes you, as an audience member, very aware of every word and every moment of silence.
The show has a cyclical storytelling format, which I really enjoy in a piece of theatre. Opening and closing the show with the same line creates emphasis to the dialogue, and also brings the story back to the start, much like the dawn of a new day. The line, “You probably didn’t hear about it. It wasn’t very important.” is so significant to the storytelling of the piece, because it is important, and punctuates how the small and mundane moments in our life can actually be some of the most significant. Every single character in the show gains new perspective through this one night, and it reinforces the concept that one night can change your life.
The seamlessness of the set design really stood out to me. The way the set pieces rotate on the turn table made it seem like you weren’t going anywhere, even though the set was changing. It added to the feeling of being stuck in one place, but also reveals how much life can happen in a place that feels stationary. The lighting was also beautiful and perfectly complimented the visual storytelling.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the scene at the roller rink. Both Coby Getzug and Joe Joseph had wonderful renditions of “Papi Hears the Ocean” and “Haled’s Song About Love,” and I had greater appreciation for them seeing them in the context of the show. Joseph and Getzburg both gave fantastic performances overall, but I was so glad to see them shine in a solo moment.
After being so familiar with the cast recording, it definitely was interesting to see the songs put into context. “Omar Sharif,” “Something Different,” and “Answer Me” were probably my favorite musical numbers. Janet Dacal has a wonderful voice and her “Omar Sharif” was so mesmerizing. I also had no idea that “Something Different” was executed as almost a lyrical monologue for Dina while Tewfiq sings “Itgara’a”. I found that a very interesting layer to the piece that changed how I perceived the song from just listening on a cast recording.
Overall,the acting was phenomenal. The stage presence between Dacal and Gabay is very strong, as well through some of the featured artists Joe Joseph, Clay Singer, Coby Getzug, and Kendal Hartse, and a very talented ensemble as well. I enjoyed this show and would definitely recommend taking a chance on it!
The Band’s Visit opened on Broadway on November 9, 2017, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The production starred Katrina Lenk (Dina), Tony Shaloub (Tewfiq) and John Cariani (Itzik), winning 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.
The Broadway Edit 