In “The Band’s Visit,” The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra is traveling from Egypt to play a concert in Petah Tikva, Israel but after language confusion at the border end up in Beit Hatikva - a small city where civic pride is low. Without a means of transportation out of town until the morning, the band is taken in by the locals.
With music and lyrics by David Yazbek, a book by Itamar Moses, and directed by David Cromer, "The Band's Visit" won 10 Tony Awards last June.
The show is at once charming and uplifting, humorous and moving, global and deeply personal. The band, who you see on stage as they are characters in the show - is out of this world and the music is lively and inviting.
Tony Shaloub originated the lead role of Tewfiq on Broadway - winning a Tony Award. Succeeding him is Sasson Gabay, the Israeli actor who played Tewfiq in the award winning 2007 film that the musical is based on. Gabay has been an actor for more than 40 years and has been a member of the Beit Lessin Theatre in Tel Aviv for 20.
