The 10-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical The Band’s Visit has arrived to Orange County. Is it worth a watch?

A musical with no intermission, The Band’s Visit is based on the 2007 Israeli film with the same name. A band of Egyptian musicians band arrive to a small town in Israeli. Dina, a owner of a local cafe and other residents from the town take in the band for a night. With their unique talents, the band brings the town back to life with timeless music that teaches them all a new way of seeing the world.

With music and lyrics by Tony Award®-winner David Yazbek, and a book by Tony Award®-
winner Itamar Moses, The Band’s Visit is a show that captivates you as soon as you begin looking for your seat inside the theatre. The details are distinguishable. You are immersed in the sounds and sights of Israeli right away. Don’t expect big dance musical numbers, but a moving story that channels intimacy and perfection. Yazbek music and lyrics might come off as dull to some, but he is able to connect you to the characters from the show in a very special way with arabic classic sounds. It’s quite profund. It honestly feels like a love letter to people of small towns that use music to tell their story and express their desires and lifestyle. The music is simple but stupendous. Some tunes are catchy with repetitive and remarkable hums that support the great story of The Band’s Visit.

The tour production includes the Award-winning Israeli film actor Sasson Gabay who is reprising the role of Tewfiq. He created the role in the 2007 film and played it on Broadway and 17 citites in the first national tour. Also, the show includes Janet Dacal as the seductive Dina. Dacal as Janet is great as she shows Dina’s faults very clear. Decal’s portray of Dina show a woman who is empty inside, but is fully aware on how she carries herself around men. She is constantly fighting with her emotions to suprass the emptiness in her life. By the end of the night, you will relate to her strengths and weaknesses. Dacal is great!

The third act includes a song sang by the cast called “Answer Me” which in my opinion was the hightlight of the night. The unique lyrics conveys the message of hope and being optimistic. Yazbek uses this number to connect all the characters together to showcase that after all, if we lean foward together, happiness can be restore. Hard times can go away if we focus on the good things we have in front of us.

The Bands Visit might feel underwhelming for the typical theatergoer who wants a musical with big and colorful numbers and perhaps might feel that the musical is dull, but its overall message of love and unity with each other overpowers what can be boring to others.

Go see The Band’s Visit, it will change your life.

Single tickets for The Band’s Visit at Segerstrom Center for the Arts start at $26 and are now
available online at SCFTA.org.