The Band’s Visit
The opening line of this play says it all. A band came to visit; you probably didn't hear about it; it wasn't that important. However, contrary to the previous comment, The Band's Visit is a compelling and relatable story unifying the power of music that connects humanity. The story centers around the visit of an Egyptian Police Band to Israel for a performance; they arrive at a bus station on a quest to go to Petah Tikvah. However, a language barrier causes the clerk to provide them with tickets to the isolated desert town of Bet Hatikva—where they meet local citizens and develop cordial relationships. Colonel Tewfiq Zakaria is a docile gentleman who meets a spirited, charismatic café owner named Dina. Dina informed Tewfiq that there was no cultural center and no additional buses were leaving Bet Hatikva and offered the band members shelter for the night. Tewfiq and Dina decided to go out for the night, sharing their unique perspective of their life stories, with Dina reminiscing about her childhood saturated in her country's culture and Tewfiq sharing his life from the other side of the border. Tony nominee Tony Shalhoub was asked to play Tewfiq in the original music. He had reservations about taking on the role because he wasn't a good singer; however, his performance with Katrina Lenk, who won the 2018 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and Something Rotten star John Cariani, and Ari'el Stachel, who won 2018 Tony Award for Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in The Band's Visit, Shalhoub was happy he decided to take on the role. The play had a short run but gained popularity.
The sensational cast features fewer band members, opting to showcase more of a Bet Hatikva group of instrumental players: Jacob Balm, Jordan Golding, Dave Honigman, Marielle Issa, Becky Keeshin, Sam Linda, Sophie Madorsky, Michael Joseph Mitchell, Dana Saleh Omar, Adam Qutaishat, and Jonathan Shaboo were exceptional. Their magical chemistry on stage is energetically entertaining. The antagonists Barkhordar(Tewfiq) and Madorsky(Dina) provide prime performances. Mitchell (Avrum( dazzling performance of "The Beat of Your Heart," and Linda (Papi) was amusing and amazing, singing Hears The Ocean. Akbari's (Haled) voice was superb when singing Haled's Song About Love. I would have loved to hear more singing of one of my favorite songs, My Funny Valentine, premiered and sung by Mitzi Green, who played Billie Smith in the musical "Babes in Arms" (1937). It's been sung by Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, and Frank Sinatra; however, I enjoy the version sung by Chicago Jazz pianist Ghalib Ghallab, who performed at the famous Back Room Jazz Club. It's hard not to feel distraught seeing Harper Caruso play the 'telephone guy' in the song "Answer Me." You can feel his pain as he waits for love to call. With music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Itamar Moses, The Band's Visit won 10 Tony awards and achieved the historic honor of being one of four musicals in Broadway history to win the Big Six, which includes Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical and Best Direction of a Musical. Originally produced at the Atlantic Theater Company, the musical is based on a 2007 Israeli movie. Orin Wolf, a Broadway and tour producer, was interested in adapting a story into a play. However, he felt the play would be too similar to the movie. Instead, he turned the story into a musical, making it a musical play instead of a play with music, adding a new and vibrant dimension to the audience's experience. Director ZI Alikhan brings more musical zest and vitality into this production of The Band's Visit, initially a simple, laid-back play with music. David Yazbek, who has written the music for Tootsie, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and the Full Monty, does an excellent cultural melding of melodies with the music & lyrics of The Band's Visit, which adds to the unity of this production.
Writers Theatre production of The Band's Visit is an alluring, funny, and exhilarating play that will capture the hearts of those who genuinely understand that our inward nature defines us rather than our outward appearance.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writers Theatre
The Band's Visit
Book by Itamar Moses
Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek
Directed by ZI Alikhan
February 8 - March 17, 2024
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