The new musical The Band's Visit, featuring a book by Itamar Moses and a score by David Yazbek, opens at Broadway's Barrymore Theatre on November 9. David Cromer directs and Patrick McCollum choreographs the musical which began previews on October 7.
The Band's Visit is based on Eran Kolirin’s 2007 film about an Egyptian police band that arrives in Israel to play a concert. After a mix-up at the border, they are sent to a remote village in the middle of the desert. With no bus until morning and no hotel in sight, these unlikely travelers are taken in by the locals. Under the spell of the desert sky, their lives become intertwined in the most unexpected ways.
Tony Shalhoub stars as Tewfiq alongside Katrina Lenk as Dina, with John Cariani as Itzik, Ariel Stachel as Haled, George Abud as Camal, Andrew Polk as Avrum, Bill Army as Zelger, Rachel Prather as Julia, Jonathan Raviv as Sammy, Sharone Sayegh as Anna, Kristen Sieh as Iris, Alok Tewari as Simon, Etai Benson as Papi and Adam Kantor as Telephone Guy.
To cheer the show's opening night, Broadway.com Resident Artist Justin "Squigs" Roberton sketched a luminous portrait of Shalhoub, Lenk and company introducing a moving new work to Broadway.
About the Artist: With a desire to celebrate the magic of live theater and those who create it, and with a deep reverence for such touchstones as the work of Al Hirschfeld and the wall at Sardi’s, Squigs is happy and grateful to be among those carrying on the traditions where theater and caricature meet. He was born and raised in Oregon, lived in Los Angeles for quite a long time and now calls New York City his home.