The Band’s Visit Brings Broadway Back to TPAC

Steven McCash takes us back to TPAC for a look at the 10-time Tony Award winning musical, The Band's Visit.

Share This Post

590 days have passed since a crowd at the Tennessee Performance Arts Center (TPAC) saw a Broadway production. Tuesday marked the return of touring Broadway shows to TPAC and the season kicked off with the 10-time Tony Award winning musical The Band’s Visit. Patrons have been counting down the days until they could return to the theater ever since the curtain closed on the TPAC stage when the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar took their final bows.

Those in attendance waited longer to enter the theater due to the new safety protocols the theater has put in place in response to Covid-19. All ticket holder 12-years and older must show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test within 72 hours of the event. All guests are required to wear a mask as well. During the wait to get in and the walk to my seat, I never once heard anyone gripe or complain about the new process. As the staff of TPAC works more shows, the process to get in the building will become faster.

The Band’s Visit is an unconventional musical set in the city of Bet Hatikva in the desert of Israel. It centers around the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra that has found itself in the nearly deserted city due to a language barrier at a bus station in Tel Aviv. The orchestra settles in for the night once they learn there are no outgoing buses until morning. As the night sky appears, the unlikely travelers are taken in by the locals and the universal appeal of music and love brings their lives together.

The band is led by Colonel Tewfiq Zakaria, a quiet leader, who is still mourning the loss of his wife and is beautifully portrayed by Sasson Gabay. Gabay is an Israeli actor who originated the role in the 2007 movie version the stage version is based on and it was very exciting to see him reprise the role he is best known for.

There were numerous highlights to the show including the musicians who make up the orchestra. The band members beautifully flow in and out of scenes as they play their traditional Middle Eastern instruments live on stage. The musical numbers are the true stars of the show and the song that steals the show is “Haled’s Song About Love.” The soft jazz number is beautifully sung by Joe Joseph who portrays Haled, the bands violinist.

The true standout in a show filled with them is Janet Dacal. Dacal plays the charismatic Dina, a café owner, who leads the locals in taking in the band for the night. Janet is absolutely captivating in the lead role and truly delivers on “Omar Sharif” and “Something Different.” She is a seasoned Broadway veteran appearing in Prince of Broadway, Wonderland, and In the Heights.

Once the curtain rose all of the problems in the world were put on pause for an hour-and-a-half while we were whisked away to a far away land. The Band’s Visit is in town through Sunday and is an excellent choice to start off the Broadway Season at TPAC. The 2021-2022 season includes Mean Girls, The Lion King, The Prom, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, and Oklahoma!

Steven McCash is the Lead Music Writer and Utility Man for SoBros Network. Steven is the host of the ‘Drinking With…’ podcast, and the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music in addition to the occasional live show review. He also pitches in as a Nashville lifestyle writer and football analyst (hence the ‘Utility Man’ title). Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75

Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore