The Band's Visit (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets

"One of the most ravishing musicals you will ever be seduced by...A Broadway rarity seldom found these days outside of the canon of Stephen Sondheim: an honest-to-God musical for grown-ups...Directed by David Cromer with an inspired inventiveness that never calls attention to itself, 'The Band’s Visit' flows with the grave and joyful insistence of life itself...Close to perfect musically...A miraculous show."
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"'The Band’s Visit,' which feels even richer on Broadway, is unconventionally wise. It is rare to encounter a show that has such a graceful sense of time...Moses’s book embraces the unspoken...Yazbek’s score includes not only wryly witty character songs but also joyous instrumentals...Directed with David Cromer with an unblinking eye, the other actors sketch memorable portraits...Bittersweet and built for adults."
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"Remains quietly ravishing...Sasson Gabay now stars as Tewfiq...His performance is bone-dry and bone-deep, and his scenes with the stunning Katrina Lenk retain the delicate balance she had opposite Tony Shalhoub, with a slight shift in emphasis: Gabay has a more somber and paternal presence...The richness of the writing, the nuances of David Cromer’s production and the continued excellence of the ensemble cast make each return visit a pleasure."
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"Cromer, Moses, and Yazbek are clearly unified in their pursuit of the specific and the humane over the grandiose...A play of deep integrity — funny, generous, sweet without sentimentality, poignant without melodrama, and emotionally expansive even as it insists upon its own smallness...'The Band’s Visit' is quietly modeling real theatrical and musical courage. Its sound—dense and atmospheric and drawn from a non-Western musical idiom—is utterly distinctive on Broadway."
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"Such minimalist material requires tremendous trust and patience, and Cromer has both, letting the story’s emotional music find its way to the surface...Plot-wise, 'The Band’s Visit' is a show about nothing, but it fills the stage with feeling—the muted kind that dwells in missed connections...'The Band’s Visit' doesn’t quite shake its cinematic roots but it succeeds on the strength of its cast and creators, who know exactly what, and when, to hold back."
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"It transfers to Broadway with its delicate alchemy intact, borne aloft by the intoxicating Middle-Eastern rhythms of David Yazbek's original score and by the soulful performances of an exemplary ensemble...None of the hushed intimacy, the subtlety or nuance of this narratively spare piece has been lost...The entire ensemble is attuned to the show's quiet observations, and its unusual, funny-sad sensibility."
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"Everything is elevated by Yazbek’s haunting music and deadpan lyrics that perfectly capture the Israeli humor...Probably better described as charming than life-altering, but its scale reinforces the moral themes of the musical itself...It’s a quiet, beautiful thing 'The Band’s Visit' does, and while I wished there had been more something — more emotional payoff, or catharsis — I also recognize that that’s sort of the point."
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"The set’s a bit grander and the music sounds richer, but success hasn’t spoiled this embraceable musical fable...Broadway theatergoers looking for something off-the-beaten-musical-track should be charmed by this unassuming show...This disarming musical has the emotional depth that holds up to repeated viewings and the offbeat charm that could make it a cult hit."
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"The best musical of the year...Directed with supreme finesse by Cromer and performed by the best cast imaginable, this small-scale show is fine enough to fill you with fresh hope for a genre that has lately been running on fumes...Part of what makes 'The Band’s Visit' so special is that it steers clear of the obvious...Moses has translated the screenplay of 'The Band’s Visit' into musical-comedy terms with quiet skill...This fairy tale is one in which it is pure happiness to believe."
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"It’s the best thing in town...Directed with an easy rhythm of his own by David Cromer and featuring a sublime score by the multi-talented composer-lyricist David Yazbeck, this is a show that manages with great subtlety and appealing versatility to cover a lot of musical ground, enhanced by a carefully written book by Itamar Moses...A work of low-key charm balanced by the high impact of intuitive ensemble work and a gorgeous score unlike anything on Broadway."
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"Feed your soul: Go see 'The Band’s Visit'...Has stayed with me in the year since it opened off-Broadway, like a dream from which I never wanted to awaken...David Cromer’s production and an incomparable ensemble could not be bettered...Each character is carefully fleshed out over the course of the show’s single act...'The Band’s Visit' flows as if in a seamless, tidal movement, like an ode."
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"Beautiful music, beautiful story, beautiful acting...One of the many marvels of 'The Band’s Visit' — which is directed with a maestro’s virtuosic vision by David Cromer — is that its composer, David Yazbek, and book writer, Itamar Moses, wring so much personality and melodic soulfulness out of a story about going nowhere...Like other cast standouts, Lenk and Shalhoub have managed to metabolize these characters in ways you don’t ordinarily get to experience in a Broadway musical."
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"Typically unstinting in his Chicago-honed artistry of peeling away layers of human defense, Cromer treats this musical as merely a play with music...Moses' book is droll enough that the show has comedy, but it is not a comedy. It is observational and philosophical. Quite breathtakingly so...For some, it will seem like a strange and esoteric Broadway musical, which is not wrong...This is a remarkable and boundlessly compassionate and humanistic piece of theater."
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"Like a mirage, it shimmers. But better. Because this hushed, heart-melting musical is real — and truly magical...The show is a quiet musical meditation that casts a spell through its songs, alluring ambience, and excellent actors...The book packs warmth, wit, and economy. Irresistible songs blend strains of Arabic and Israeli melodies and flecks of jazz...One resists gushing about a musical that works so wonderfully because it never overstates. It doesn't belt. It whispers."
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"Modest, mild-mannered but utterly absorbing musical...The integration of David Cromer’s intimate and sensitive direction; David Yazbek’s Middle-Eastern flavored score; and Itamar Moses’ book is so seamless that it is virtually impossible to pick apart...May lack the epic excitement and intensity of something like 'Hamilton' or 'Dear Evan Hansen,' but I doubt that a better written new musical will come to Broadway this season."
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"A most unusual Broadway musical; and while it’s beautifully crafted and performed, this one’s very much an acquired taste...The production is charmingly offbeat and haunting...While the tempo is slow and there’s little action, the characters, as written and portrayed are engagingly real. Everyone shines in this production...I’m not sure it will connect with everyone but it’s the product of a most harmonious collaboration featuring artists at the top of their game."
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"'The Band's Visit' activates emotions that we would normally avoid in order to push through the hectic tedium of each day...Classical Middle Eastern scales and American jazz seamlessly fuse to create a sophisticated new sound. Through lyrics that are both clever and sincere, Yazbek gorgeously conveys a highly uncommon Broadway love story...The most beautiful musical on Broadway, and the bravest."
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"In 'The Band's Visit,' a show about entertaining strangers, music becomes the lingua franca, the only way that connections can be made. If Moses' book is, intentionally, a kind of still-life portrait, Yazbek's songs provide the color and movement that makes us care about these apparently cramped souls thrown together by chance...It has a keenly observing eye; a compassionate, thoroughly unsentimental heart; and plenty of gorgeous music. It's an original, and well worth a stopover."
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"Book writer Moses and composer-lyricist Yazbek brilliantly mine this setup for a musical that emanates humanity and proudly wears its heart on its sleeve without for a moment descending into bathos or manipulative sentimentality...The quintessence of a skillfully wrought, perfectly calibrated ensemble piece...Directed by David Cromer with great sensitivity, if with pacing that sometimes seems a bit more leisurely than necessary, all of the actors are at one with their characters."
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"Sasson is, not surprisingly, effective in the Tewfik role...For all intents, Gabay (billed as Gabai in the film credits) is repeating his award-winning performance. Though his characterization differs from Shalhoub’s, it doesn’t alter to the least degree the perfect chamber musical that 'The Band’s Visit' was when it bowed at the Atlantic Theater and then moved uptown to the Barrymore Theatre. It’s perfect in every department."
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"This honey-and-spice-on-the-breeze musical is one of a kind...High among the myriad treasures of 'The Band’s Visit' is the score, deceptively gentle but filled with yearning; and the unexpectedly vibrant performance of Katrina Lenk. Both elements continue to enchant and grow richer, even after repeated viewings...It is safe to say that Sasson gives an equally expert performance. What is perhaps unexpected is that his presence adds a new flavor to the piece."
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“Far from your standard Broadway musical fare...A fairly simple story that reveals many complex virtues...it acts as a potent reminder of how all people, regardless of race or religion, must deal with the same fundamental issues of wanting love and acceptance. Moses’ book is smart and funny, not to mention remarkably topical...Given the delicate nature of the material, Cromer’s savvy, unfussy direction is the right choice, as it lets the work’s emotions creep on us.”
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"It is hard to imagine a theatergoer who will not find solace and happiness in the exquisitely rendered serenade to our shared humanity...Under Cromer's superb and sensitive direction, Lenk and Shalhoub lead an immaculate ensemble offering unforced and beautifully detailed performances...A musical for grown-ups...Because the audience is afforded the all-too-rare privilege of subtlety, we are as grateful for what didn’t happen on stage as we are for the myriad virtues of what did."
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“The subtle revelations brought on by forced intimacy make ‘The Band's Visit’ a joy. There is as much emotion in this musical as in a Eugene O'Neill play but served with wit, a wonderful sense of human frailties and, of course, music. Yazbek's songs-ranging from the darkly comic ‘Welcome to Nowhere’ (sung by the town folk) to Dina's romantically tinged ‘Omar Sharif’ and ending with the upbeat, danceable ‘Concert’ played as a finale by the Band - rise magically from the dialogue.”
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“The transfer of ‘The Band’s Visit’ hasn’t tarnished the sheer brilliance and joy of Yazbek and Moses’ dazzling, humorous rendering of Eran Kolirin’s 2007 Israeli film of the same name. In fact, it has heightened the real humanity that resounds making one actually believe that it is music that could be the catalyst to solving the world’s problems!...Cromer sensitively directs this exceptional cast with subtlety, finesse, and a sense of humor.”
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"While I feel lucky to have first experienced it in a more intimate setting, I'm happy to report that 'The Band's Visit' on Broadway is still a charmer...Has remained true to the plot and tone of its source but is nevertheless totally fresh and different...The movie's sensitive 'indie' feel has survived...Without trying to be foot-tapping, sing-in-the-shower ear candy Yazbek's score is nevertheless addictively haunting."
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“This thoroughly enjoyable new musical is the Seinfeld-of-musicals, in that nothing much happens — but it gently embraces all that is elemental about living life...Katrina Lenk is stunning...The music has an earthy, familiar, convivial quality. It feels old and new at once...The pace of this 95-minute production is all but perfect. The mix of foot-stomping, jump-up-and-join-us numbers artfully juxtaposed with quiet, sweet, introspective solos and duets, is just right.”
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“A small gem of a show...Director Cromer has created a play with a slow-pace and much introspection. The skilled actors go from excellent Hebrew and Egyptian to perfectly accented English...Yazbek’s music has a decidedly Middle Eastern flavor with use of the clarinet and Egyptian musical instruments...Most of the Egyptian band members play as well."
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"Absolutely and quietly devastating in its magnificence. It has a beauty to its sadness, and a sense of goodness and hope in its desire. Not much has changed with this perfectly constructed piece...'The Band’s Visit' has become more solid and in some way, sits more squarely and securely on stage...The cast is exceptional...What stood out for me on this visit to Bet Haatikva is the slow build of sadness and longing that settles on every surface in town."
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“It is a strong production...But this brisk unexpected journey to an Israeli town in the middle of nowhere never tipped into the sublime...Despite a fine cast and an unusual Middle Eastern inflected score, these quiet interactions have a repetitive familiarity to them...Feels strangely denuded of specificity. The ordinariness never becomes extraordinary...Each dramatic moment is equal to the one before it and after it, making few beats stand out.”
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“I was thoroughly touched, amused, and impressed…Musical theatre fans shouldn't expect a show with all the familiar Broadway ingredients…The songs are so well-integrated with the book that they arise organically from the dialogue and situations…Shalhoub…uses his mellifluous voice and delicate gestures to create a man of assured integrity and grace…Lenk is enthralling, her sinewy slenderness and feline features combining with a…lived-in sensibility to create a vibrantly compelling persona.”
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"The same widely acclaimed show plus better acoustics, and better accents...On a second viewing, the musical feels terribly sad, but a beautiful, pleasurable sad, like a song that you can’t stop listening to...This is a Broadway musical unafraid to be different...The tensions between Arabs and Israelis are acknowledged in an understated way, delivering no artificial happiness but suggesting reasons to be hopeful."
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“Distortion is the danger when a small show moves to Broadway...Rejoice then: ‘The Band’s Visit’ has made the leap with dignity and pure, intense beauty intact...Here is a sound that enkindles profound passion in the soul...The story is perfectly, touchingly simple...The characterizations are rich and layered. Scenes blend effortlessly into songs. The staging’s both utterly theatrical and finely realistic...This bittersweet heartbreaker might be the best we’ll see all year.”
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"Yazbek chooses to seduce with music and lyrics that slyly slip into our consciousness through an inspired repetition, with melodies unfolding to make the spirit both ache and soar...Yazbek’s score is perfectly married to Itamar Moses’s lovely book...Cromer doesn’t find the humor in zingers or one-liners but rather in the quirks of characters and places...Yazbek performs marvelous variations to make us hear the music fresh, and in the process almost reinvents the Broadway musical."
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"A special theater treat awaits you...Yazbek’s poignant music and lyrics are so very expressive...The charm of the show follows the odd interaction, especially between Dina and Tewfiq, and all is presented with sensitive understatement. This is a musical that gets under the skin...The step by step getting to know one another that the musical depicts becomes a statement illustrated by the show’s overall magical quality."
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“This gem of a musical, whose fine book buoys grounded lyrics, embraces what we have in common...That it does so with limpid delicacy eschewing Hollywood outcomes makes the piece as refreshing as it is sympathetic...A wonderful experience...Yazbeck’s infectious music embraces Middle Eastern influences with estimable skill, maintaining an atmosphere of 'other'...There isn’t a single weak link in acting or vocals."
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"There are many quiet, very quiet, fragments of brilliance...If the show has one failing it is that the large stage almost swallows it...It can feel a little too tentative, and too engulfed by a big stage...The show is a winning marriage of Israeli snark and Arabic dry wit, accompanied by beautiful music...Yazbek and Moses burrow subtly and playfully into private pains and desires...It is Lenk and Shalhoub’s platonic romance that tenderly anchors the show."
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"An airy and remarkably insightful new musical meditation...Playwright Moses and composer Yazbek challenge the conventions of musical theatre in ways that feel like a fresh reinvention of the form...Music by Yazbek — lyrical, rousing, gentle as desert breeze — doesn’t just punctuate emotional high points, but takes on a more visceral role...Cromer’s fluid direction transport us to a far-flung corner to show us that we’re all the same, simply doing our best to understand one another."
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“Cromer blends torpor with flashes of dry wit to conjure a delightfully offbeat atmosphere...‘The Band’s Visit’ has a gauzy, meditative feel, yet seldom drags...Alas, Yasbek’s numbers don’t complement the tale of hesitant romance...The songs tend to sound incidental and fail to add an extra dimension...While 'Visit’s' message of reconciliation through culture may be laudable, the lack of tension between the Egyptians and their hosts seems a little far-fetched."
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"Cromer has maintained the show’s thrilling intimacy, exploring the meanderings of the human heart...Furthermore, it’s a story that Yazbek’s glorious score, overflowing with rhapsodic melody, mostly set against pulsating middle Eastern rhythms, lifts to a breathtakingly elevated plane...The passing of time has only deepened the masterful performances...One of the show’s triumphs is the authenticity and responsiveness of the entire company."
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"Language is limited to broken English but book writer Itamar Moses has worked miracles to find tenderness, wit, and wisdom even with his limited tools...A new work; original, inventive, emotionally sound, and simply but effectively written and staged. It offers hope to our troubled world. It’s small, without grandeur...A nourishing evening which combines mirth, melody, and even substance, a welcome collaboration that continues to feed the current season on Broadway."
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"Fresh and innovative just like 'Hamilton' and 'Dear Evan Hansen' did before it....It eschews easy jokes, production numbers, and obvious emotions in exchange for moving sets, a score filled with jazzy and exotic sounds, and a lot of atmosphere...There are some moments where the cast stays immobile, not afraid to be still or quiet, and that will be challenging for those who want their shows more traditionally presented, but this one has rewards."
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"A beautifully told, more human story, a poignant portrayal of people who’ve suffered terrible losses, whose dreams have been shattered...Performances and staging are finely crafted throughout, but the brilliance of this piece is truly in the music and lyrics of David Yazbek...After the curtain call, when the band becomes just a band to perform a rousing instrumental, you wish it would go on forever."
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"This is a modest, feel-good story, with a handful of marvelous songs and a breakout performance by Katrina Lenk. But if you've paid attention to the rapturous advance hype, you may emerge scratching your head and asking: 'Is that all there is?'...You may find this one's vision of humanity a tad reductive and cloying...The show is so low-key, so determinedly un-flashy that it occasionally seems in danger of sliding right off the stage."
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"Yazbek's delicate musical focuses on small moments of kindness and understanding between strangers...Cromer uses actors standing alone on a wide stage to emphasize these characters' deep loneliness...It's Yazbek's lovely score that makes this Off-Broadway transfer captivating and carries it through the occasional aimless scene...The other winning thing about this show is that it doesn't go where you expect it to. There's no easy resolution."
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“Middle Eastern music is among the most uplifting and joyous music in the world, and Yazbek has implemented the use of Middle Eastern instruments to create a score that is original and mesmerizing, a sound that Broadway has seldom heard. My only regret is he didn’t infuse it with a klezmer/Israeli sound...It is the haunting score that adds humanity to this gentle story of misplaced people...Cromer keeps the proceedings moving at a beautifully nuanced pace.”
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"A tender, intimate gem of musical theatre...Defined by a delicately calibrated score by David Yazbek (his best yet) and the sensitive, relaxed direction...Cromer lets the individual stories enfold, like relaxed, conversations between strangers getting to know each other. Yazbek’s songs emerge naturalistically from Moses’ book...Life’s problems - and its little (and not so little) ups and downs – get answered in small, unsuspecting ways...The audience cheers."
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"Sitting in the last row was just fine, which is a tribute both to the structure of the Ethel Barrymore Theatre and to David Cromer's quietly intense direction. 'The Band's Visit' happens at a whisper, but it is a whisper that fills the theatre with emotion and beauty...It's a theatrical iceberg: 80% of its content is below the surface. The score is lovely, the lyrics by turns funny or moving or both. The performances are exactly right."
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“’The Band’s Visit’ lives happily without all the usual tawdry tricks beloved by standard-issue Broadway musicals...Nothing that happens in ‘The Band’s Visit’ is ‘very important.’ It’s just all wonderful — heartwarming, heartbreaking, heart-confusing, and mind-stimulating...We get floods of charm, empathy, and human understanding, thanks to Moses’s script, Yazbek’s songs, and Cromer’s stunningly discreet, daringly austere production.”
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“Quenches a thirst for something satisfying on Broadway and it's different than any other drink being offered...Expressive lyrics and a well-written book...If the performances and music weren't enough to make this a top pick, there are some bonuses as well...Its silence about politics, says more about the good of humanity and the ability for people from different backgrounds to get along...A second bonus is that the musicians who are on stage are really, really good.”
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“Technically, there is nothing wrong with ‘The Band’s Visit’. It is innocent and simple and sweet and short. It has culture and several languages and unique musical styles. But on the other hand, there is nothing particularly right with the musical either. It is mostly lacking the complexity of plot, character, and songs that we expect in a musical nowadays. It almost seems like the weak second act of an otherwise good musical.”
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“Extraordinary...Moses’ economical book and especially Yazbek’s seductive score delve deep into and celebrate the human condition...Director David Cromer has outdone himself here. The sensitivity with which he treats each character and their respective plights, as well as the patience of his storytelling, is nothing short of miraculous...The cast is absolutely divine...Their ensemble work and music-making make the show.”
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“This musical marries very traditional musical theatre structure, courtesy of Itamar Moses’s sturdy book, and traditional Egyptian classical music...Though the ensemble work is terrific, with Lenk and Shaloub the definite stand outs, the real star here is David Yazbek’s masterful score. He shows that he can create beautiful, affecting music in any idiom he sets his mind to, while never losing sight of the need for theatrical effectiveness.”
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"The plot plays out as universal and resonant. Twice I have walked out at the end of this show with renewed love for humanity, hope for musical theater as an art form, and humming a few delicious, haunting melodies...The journeys taken by these characters are peppered with delicate, funny, heartbreaking solos...This seamless transfer from Chelsea to Broadway gives us the season’s first dose of potent theatrical magic."
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“There is a new lullaby on Broadway, with a fusion of influences from the big bands to traditional Egyptian music, to get lost in – enchantingly lost, that is, and charmed...Because the musicians are on stage throughout the play, the human harmony that emerges, amidst the haunting blend of instruments is wondrous...Cromer mines the humanity of the piece...Yazbek blends a range of musical genres in a unique way...It’s the brilliance of the musicality that drives the show.”
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"Cromer’s sensitive direction and Yazbek’s music and lyrics capture the feelings and growth of overnight friendship between the two, and Shalhoub and Lenk persuasively play their roles. The friendship that develops between Israeli and Egyptian is critical to the theme that we are all humans who seek a sense of belonging...This is a sweet, heart-warming and charming musical. The show is suited for everyone, but it might be a bit slow-moving for some theatergoers."
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“Inevitably, the evening leads to curious confusion, a bit of chaos and a large measure of compassion. Pask’s minimalist set cleverly utilizes a rotating stage, astutely lit by Micoleau, evoking the Negev desert at night...'The Band’s Visit' is wistfully droll and charming, subtly incorporating various Middle Eastern influences, and should delight theater aficionados."
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"The scale is human, warm, and believable. Still, given the politics of the region, the mutual understanding on stage is probably no less a fairy tale...Who knew that Shalhoub could sing so well? Or the rest of the splendid cast for that matter?...By the time the band sits center stage to perform the music at the show’s finale, this unlikely but affecting theatrical experience seemed to have joined the actors and audience into a community."
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"This show simply shows reality for all that it is - the slow, the uncomfortable, the charming, the joyous. Because of how authentic the story seems, you feel immersed in this Middle Eastern environment…The enchanting score is composed by David Yazbek who is uniquely suited (he's part-Lebanese/part-Jewish) to put music to this story. The tune ‘Welcome to Nowhere’ is particularly brilliant in how it introduces the Egyptians (and the audience) to the desolate town of Bet Hatikvah."
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“With quiet lyricism and achingly beautiful humanity, ‘The Band’s Visit’ works its way into your heart and leaves you surprised that you could be so profoundly moved by such a simple tale...The company is uniformly outstanding...A wonderful, understated, and mature show that gets its impact not from spectacle but from the specificity with which it charts a journey of the heart. The band in question may have ended up in the wrong place, but as theater this is a perfect destination.”
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"The stage version takes a small cinematic curiosity and enlarges it to something bold and unforgettable...Katrina Lenk may as well start making room on her shelf for the awards she’ll accrue...While there is comedy there is, thankfully, not much that’s silly here. It’s also surprisingly apolitical...It stands to reason that the most meaningful moments in this story about musicians are the ones told with silence."
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"A verismo tale about intercultural dialogue, hospitality, and the search for happiness...One of the best new musicals of the year, gifted with a beautiful score and touching performances...The script has been tightened and many of the musical numbers refined...There is much to recommend about the performances...This is a show about ordinary people responding to circumstances; their stories will surprise you, including how much you come to love them."
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