A new musical, "The Band's Visit", opened on Broadway this week. It is a show that, if you are inclined to pay attention to such things, we will be hearing a lot about over the next several months, especially when Tony Awards time rolls around in the Spring.
Friend Bill Montrose, the Official Broadway Correspondent to The Grandstander, was there this week to take in this big opening in New York, and I will turn the rest of this post over to him for a review of this new show. You will recall that way back in the Fall of 2015, before it was known here in the hinterlands, Bill and his wife Joanne took in the new show "Hamilton" and predicted on the spot the place that this little show was to come to occupy in American theater culture, so his opinion is not to be taken lightly.
So, how was "The Band's Visit"? Take it away, Bill....
You KNOW that I'm an "easy critic" when it comes to Broadway; I love almost everything I see, so read on.
I had some concerns about "The Band's Visit" prior to Joanne and I attending this Musical in NYC the other night. It opened last week to universal rave reviews;
for example, "...Ravishing Musical that whispers with romance", "has emotional density" - NY Times ...and "Magic! Impossible to resist" - Variety. My concerns centered on my wondering: 'What is the appeal of a show about an Egyptian Police Band taking the wrong bus, ending up in an Israeli desert town'? Plus, it's being celebrated for its Non-Broadway like production: i.e., No big opening , no 11:00 o'clock number, 90 minutes - no intermission; (none of which, of course, is fatal to any show.) Now, here is where you might expect me to say - after seeing the show - that these concerns were unwarranted and that I believe The Band's Visit to be a masterpiece! Uh-uh, sorry, my rating would be a 6 (out of 10). I liked 'The Band's Visit', did not love it.
With a serious story, I prefer to see some character(s) that I can relate to, or identify with. Here, I did not. Each member of the band from Egypt and each of the Israeli townspeople manifests loneliness and unhappiness. They all get along with each other, and there's no mention of the Arab-Israeli conflict; just quiet conversation (and song) about their unfulfilled lives. (I was waiting for something).
The cast is headed by Tony Shalhoub (TV Series - Monk; Movie - The Big Night) as leader of the band, and Katrina Lenk as the owner of the desert café, who suggests that the band spend the one night in the local homes, then catch the bus the following day. Their performances are first rate, especially Ms Lenk whose few sultry song numbers were my musical highlights. Shalhoub's a pro, yet his broken English reminded me somewhat of 'Antonio', his character from the 90's sitcom - "Wings"; a little stuttering and tentative.
OK, about the music. A lot of instrumental middle eastern melodies (meh), the high points being Ms Lenk's songs, which demonstrate the genius of this Musical's composer, David Yazbek. I do believe that he is a lyrical genius, having seen his three prior Broadway productions: The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. As a Broadway junkie, I listen to these cast recordings often, so I feel qualified to rank Mr. Yazbek in that "Genius" category. Accordingly, I'm guessing that he'll be celebrated (award-wise) for The Band's Visit.
So what could have improved (in my humble opinion) this show? I suggest that it could have added a second act. As a 90 minute piece that begins with lonely,unhappy people, then ends with lonely unfulfilled people ... why not use Act 2 to provide some fulfillment? some resolution or redemption to their lonely lives?
Well, as one critic wrote, "...Allow the simplicity to wash over you". I guess they're saying Keep it real, or, Keep it understated.
Having said all that, look for The Band's Visit to win many TONY Awards. Because, what the hell do I know?
So there you are, Grandstander readers. You heard it here first!
Thanks, Bill.
No comments:
Post a Comment