The Band's Visit

Something very different has arrived in Providence in the form of the musical dramedy "The Band's Visit." In this Tony-winning musical, an orchestra, comprised of members of the Egyptian Police force, has been invited to Israel for a performance at the Arab Cultural Center in Petah Tikvah. Arriving at the border, the band members purchase bus tickets, but due to the language barrier, the ticket salesperson sends them to a small village in the middle of the desert, Bet Hatikva.

Based on the 2007 Israeli film of the same name, the musical chronicles the night that the band is stranded in the wrong town. After arriving, the men approach a cafe where the owner Dina (Chilina Kennedy) along with two workers Papi (Adam Gabay) and Itzik (Pomme Koch) reluctantly greet them. Headed by Tewfiq (Sasson Gabay, who originated the role in the film), the men realize that they cannot catch a bus until morning.

Taken in by the locals, the band members clash with the locals at first because they cannot understand each other. Tewfiq gets to know Dina, as she relates having listened to Egyptian radio stations as a child. The others stay with Simon (James Rana) and his wife Julia (Sara Kapner who with her father Avrum (David Studwell) a recent widower. The story is a simple one; yet filled with nuances perhaps better suited to a smaller venue than PPAC. (It must be noted that off and on Broadway, it played at much smaller houses.)

It doesn't hinder the story however, the characters are fairly well drawn and each brings a sense of longing and amusement to their portrayals. Sasson Gabay brings much gravitas to Tewfiq: he embodies the lonely reflective nature of this man effortlessly. His real-life son Adam, who was cast after auditioning for the National tour, is amusing as the shy Papi who's afraid of meeting women. Studwell is excellent as the father who relates his past to the newcomers with little regret. Rana is solid as Simon the rather listless husband and Joe Joseph as Haled is delightful as he coaches Papi in the art of attracting women.

The setting and stage design echo an Israeli desert town of the past, it's delightful rotating stage keeps the plot moving in an otherwise static production. There's not a lot of action – this is most definitely a character driven show; Kennedy, off a recent stint as the lead in 'Beautiful – The Carole King Musical" brings much of the heart that made this a ten-time Tony winner. Both she and Gabay Sr. are the solid leads that make "The Band's Visit" one to see before it moves on to another city.

"The Band's Visit" is running through June 30th at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, RI. 02903. For information or tickets call 401-421-2787 or visit www.ppacri.org.