By Chris Heide
The Company of The Band’s Visit, photo by Evan Zimmerman
The Band’s Visit is part of the return of Broadway at the Paramount, after the pandemic shuttered most of the 2020-2021 season. A Tony award winning musical, The Band’s Visit is different from most bombastic Broadway productions. With an intimate feel and breezy pace, The Band’s Visit is a decidedly different kind of musical.
To be completely honest, it was not my favorite show. Let’s start with what didn’t work before shifting into what did work.
In terms of musicality, there were very few songs from this sleepy show that I would consider memorable. In fact, it was not until the final number, “Answer Me”, that I felt like I was experiencing a show stopping number. The plot itself was incoherent and inconsistent, with many plot threats introduced that seemingly went nowhere. The show itself is about an Egyptian orchestra that gets stranded in a small Israeli town for one night. Giving the history of conflict between those two regions, there could have been an opportunity for a palpable, political, and interesting tension running through the plot. What we got instead felt like a family-friendly, feel-good tale of two cultures that delicately intermingled for one night. Because of the lack of narrative tension, and the awkward timing of the dialogue, the show itself felt longer than it was.
Now, there were many positives. The vocals of most of the performers were top-notch, with the supporting characters delivering most of the belting you would expect from Tony Award winning show. To my surprise and delight, the band featured in the show actually played their instruments on stage. Those moments were beautifully interwoven into the plot and to be honest, they were the strongest components of the show. The technical prowess of these musicians was astounding.
Overall, The Band’s Visit falls somewhere in the middle of memorable Broadway productions. It is certainly not a show stopping musical intended to produce a feeling of euphoria in its audience. Instead, this sleepy and intimate production does have a certain charm, that will appeal to many, and much needed cultural diversity. But something was missing. That spark needed to make it one of the best shows of all time was missing.