The Band's Visit Tickets

By: Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek, and a Book by Itamar Moses, based on the screenplay by Eran Kolirin
Director: David Cromer
Producer: Orin Wolf, John Styles and John N. Hart, Jr.
Cast list: Katrina Lenk (as Dina), Sasson Gabay (as Tewfiq), Ari'el Stachel (as Haled), Pomme Koch (as Itzik), George Abud (as Camal), Etai Benson (as Papi), Adam Kantor (as Telephone Guy), Andrew Polk (as Avrum), Bill Army (as Zelger), Rachel Prather (as Julia), Jonathan Raviv (as Sammy), Sharone Sayegh (as Anna), Kristen Sieh (as Iris), and Joseph Kamal (as Simon)
Design: Scott Pask
Lighting: Tyler Micoleau
Costume: Sarah Laux
Choreography: Patrick McCollum
Sound: Kai Harada
Other info: Orchestrations by Jamshied Sharifi, Music Supervision by Dean Sharenow, Projection
Design: by Maya Ciarrocchi, and Hair
Design: by Charles LaPointe

This intimate, charming musical will transport you to another world, where isolation begets community, and the soaring music from a far-off land might just remind you of home. Based on the 2007 Israeli film written and directed by Eran Kolin, “The Band’s Visit” had its world premiere off Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company in 2016. The musical has a book by Itamar Moses, score by David Yazbek, and is directed by David Cromer. The story follows a touring Egyptian police band on its way to perform at the cultural center in Petah Tikva in Israel. When they board the wrong bus to Bet Hatikva, a stranded desert town with only one pay phone on its barren streets, their route converges with a lively group of locals. What could have been a disaster turns into an evening of camaraderie, as the locals take in the band members and introduce them to the culture and community of the town. Sometimes when you are feeling the most lost and alone, a stranger — or a group of them — can make you feel like the world is whole and good again.

“The New York Times” raved that the show is “one of the most ravishing musicals you will ever be seduced by,” and says that “this portrait of a single night in a tiny Israeli desert town confirms a lyric that arrives, like nearly everything in this remarkable show, on a breath of reluctantly romantic hope: “Nothing is as beautiful as something you don’t expect.” So take time to find beauty in imperfections, comfort in isolation, and meaning in the insignificance.

Recommended for 12 + Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre.

What to watch for

The creative team and some of the cast visited Yeruham, the Israeli town that inspired Bet Hatikva, before rehearsals for Broadway began.

Composer/lyricist David Yazbek says that Katrina Lenk’s performance of “Omar Sharif” is one of his favorite renditions of any of his songs.

When “The Band’s Visit” premiered at Atlantic Theatre Company, the show won several honors, including the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical, Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical, and Best Musical from the New York Drama Critics Circle.

“The Band’s Visit” marks Tony Shalhoub’s first musical on Broadway. The Golden Globe and Emmy-winning actor has previously only appeared in plays.

Stay after the curtain call is over: The band takes the stage and plays an encore.