‘The Band’s Visit’ – Based on the screenplay by Eran Kolirin; Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek; Book by Itimar Moses; Directed by David Comer. Presented at the Hanover Theatre & Conservatory at 2 Southbridge St, Worcester through June 19th.
by Mike Hoban
It’s often said that music has the power to heal, and as we see in the The Band’s Visit, the Broadway touring production now playing at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, apparently so do the musicians who play it. Set in the “basically bleak and beige and blah, blah, blah…” town of Bet Hatikvah in Israel, this quirky and charming musical weaves a number of compelling storylines about troubled relationships and the path to healing, set to a gorgeous score that combines classic Broadway song structures with Middle Eastern-flavored music.
The “band” in the title is the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra, who have mistakenly come to Bet Hatikvah – a tiny town comprised of a single café and an apartment complex – instead of Petah Tikva, a thriving city of a quarter of a million people, where they are to perform in a large concert hall. Upon their arrival, they are greeted by Dina, the sultry café owner and her two bored workers, who greet them with the comical “Welcome to Nowhere”. Dina and the workers offer to house the band in their various homes until he next day, when they can catch a bus to Petah Tikva. During their overnight stay, the band members become intertwined in the drama of the lives of the townspeople, and they in theirs.
There’s Papi, the clinically shy café worker who finally gets to go on a double-date with a girl he adores but is so anxious he can barely speak to her; Itzik, father to an infant whose wife is at the end of her rope with his inability to grow up and make something of himself; Telephone Guy, a lonely man who waits obsessively for a return call from a girlfriend on a solitary outdoor pay phone; and Dina, whose bitterness towards her ex-husband is keeping her from finding love. The band’s players are troubled as well: There’s Colonel Tewfik, the leader of the band, who struggles with grief over the death of his wife and the suicide of his son; Haled the trumpet player, who fancies himself an Egyptian version of version of the jazz great and womanizer Chet Baker as he seeks a last fling before his arranged marriage next month; and Simon the clarinetist who can’t seem to get past the overture of the concerto he is writing.
The human drama provides a springboard for some terrific songs, including “Haled’s Song About Love”, where Haled coaches Papi on the art of love, a tune that could be added to the list of standards in the American Songbook; “Something Different” sung beautifully by Janet Dacal as Dina, is a touching song about falling in love with someone you never imagined you would; and the closing number “Answer Me” is as heartfelt and urgent as any closing number as you’re likely to find in a Broadway production. In addition to the songs, the band members play a number of instrumental Middle Eastern-influenced pieces that open your ears and touch your heart. This is a truly different and terrific musical, and a welcome change from every movie-based musical being churned out on Broadway these days. No wonder it won 10 Tony® Awards, including Best Musical. If you want to see it, get tickets now. It closes Sunday. For tickets and information, go to: https://thehanovertheatre.org/event/the-bands-visit/2022-06-16/
