In the pantheon of modern theater, most musicals tend to favor the good old razzle dazzle. These are shows that excite the crowd, filled with a dozen earworms and a story that resonates in their soul. It’s one of the greatest unifiers that the arts can offer, and it makes sense that the bigger the show, the greater chance they have to sell tickets, inspiring new generations to embrace the stage.
Even within these parameters, The Band’s Visit serves as an interesting piece of counterprogramming. Having won the Tony for Best Musical in 2018, it’s a show that immediately sets itself apart from winners like Dear Evan Hansen or Hadestown. As the show points out in a bookending statement: Israeli musicians are visiting Egypt en route to a concert… nothing special. This modesty turns out to be its greatest asset, finding those few hours revealing the struggles of humanity. Some simply long for the morning to continue their journeys. Others look for something greater, whether romance or escapism, finding this nowhere town lacking the appeal of an Omar Shariff film. This is a small-town musical if there ever was one, capturing the allure of being lost in thought, connecting to something almost spiritual in the evening sky.
For audiences arriving at Segerstrom to see the touring production, make sure to tour the lobby. Somewhere adjacent to the merch table is a phone booth not unlike one featured in the show. Don’t be afraid to walk in and pick up the receiver. On the other end, a voice through static welcomes everyone to “nowhere.” It’s a bit of novelty, but one that establishes the intimacy with which the one act 100 minute show to follow features. Everyone has had this wayward moment, where even as a crowd passes by they feel alone, embracing something antique.
Ushered in by a humorous, bilingual call to turn off cell phones, the show begins inauspiciously with the titular band stranded. Instruments in hand, they must find shelter in Egypt that will allow them to get some sleep. Lead by Tewfiq (Sasson Gabay, reprising his role from the 2007 film), the band lands at a small deli operated by Dina (Janet Dacal). With nothing to do, they settle down with her family who has a comical mix of figures that include a newborn baby and a brother who has an inspired story on why he missed his own birthday. Everything has a laidback atmosphere, finding the show shifting into small conversations that may not advance the story but present small nuggets of wisdom, reflecting how these two culturally different groups have more in common than they think.
Unlike other shows, there’s not necessarily one greater protagonist. While Tewfiq and Dina have the most significant arc that finds them doing a romantic late night stroll, there are many side stories that embody the greater themes of connection. Everything from a disco club hook-up (including actual roller skating) to a man who does nothing but wait for a telephone call (Joshua Grosso) happens throughout these hours as lives intertwine. Everyone is looking for something small that, in a greater sense, is insignificant. However, at this moment it’s the most important thing in the world. There’s a need for that validation, and it’s why songs like “Answer Me” resonate, finding power in a rotating phone booth onstage, Grosso looking at it with such a familiar longing and earnestness. As the ensemble harmonizes, it builds to something breathtaking.
The use of music in general is The Band’s Visit’s biggest asset. Beyond the actors, there are musicians who serve as both an orchestra just offstage as well as cherub-like angels serenading on the stage. With the lights shifting like the moon across the night sky, there are moments throughout where simple placement has the greatest effect. The onstage musicians sit on porches, standing in front of cafes, serenading a beautiful melancholy, floating across the stage like a cold breeze. It’s ominous, adding something ethereal to the experience. While the book by Itamar Moses is the strongest element, it’s when the plot stands still, like closing one’s eyes and elevating to another plane of existence, that it becomes an essential piece of art. Nothing feels as resonant with its negative space quite like this.
Even in moments like when Dina sings about “Omar Shariff,” there’s something familiar in these characters. They watch cinema, seeing worlds that could be greater than their own. In “The Beat of Your Heart,” there is a recognition of how starting love on a downbeat could be seductive, drawing everyone together into a greater romance. As Dina watches Tewfiq practice a quiet melody as conductor, she sings “Something Different,” finding a powerful blend of her own revelations melding with his. A dance is born from this, where suddenly they move in time. This is what musicals as an art form can do, best personified in this moment’s rich sincerity. Rarely has an hours-long fling felt so romantic, so full of potential. It’s in that time where they recognize humanity, a connection they don’t want to lose. This night may not be all that important to others, but there’s a good chance that they’ll be telling friends for decades.
That is the magic of The Band’s Visit. At times it owes more to the dramatic form than musicals, but together they form something that lonely hearts will adore. It’s the search for connection, to pass those hours and escape foreboding loneliness. This is a musical that taps into the emotional turmoil of after hours, where the rest of the world is asleep and it becomes something more malleable. Anything can happen, and memories form even while standing in front of a telephone booth. No character does anything extraordinary (save the infectious orchestrations that even make for a brilliant encore), and yet they’re some of the most engrossing characters seen on a stage in some time. It’s because they’re so normal, having simple dreams that this becomes magical. It’s not like many contemporary Tony winners in a lot of ways, but it still has the heart that the best of theater desires. It creates an experience that only a stage can, changing the audience, and making them feel more in tune with their own emotions. This may be sold as an insignificant story, but it’s in letting that guard down that the show becomes an essential, masterful addition to the musical canon.
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