See it if the actor who played the genie was great
Don't see it if you dont want to be entertained
See it if you love wonderfully delightful character-driven stories and charming, heart-felt love stories as well as beautiful music and singing.
Don't see it if If you are looking for a large, splashing musical with lots of fancy costumes and special effects.
See it if You are moved by beautiful acceptance of cultural exchange, unlikely people making friends. Story lines are utterly human, music exquiste
Don't see it if You have a shred of anti-semitism or anti- Arab - or cannot tolerate quiet moments and reality onstage
See it if The Band's Visit was human, honest, vulnerable, powerful and did not at any point sell out or cheapen the truth of the story.
Don't see it if you are oblivious to conflict between nations, love, power of music, subtext.
See it if You love the movie and David Cromer!
Don't see it if You expect sentimental shoe stopping production numbers.
See it if You enjoy a show with music. The actors are extraordinarily talented singers and musicians; the sets ingeniously crafted, the music, superb.
Don't see it if You don't like plays based on real events and movies. Or you expect a typical Broadway musical.
See it if You want to experience a gorgeous, impactful yet humorous tale of ephemeral human connection
Don't see it if You are looking for a show-stopping spectacle
See it if You liked the movie and even if you didn't see the movie. Fabulous, original theater experience.
Don't see it if You only like big musical productions
"'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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"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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