The Band’s Visit Brings Music, Levity & Joy Back to the Dolby Theatre

The multiple Tony Award winning ‘The Band’s Visit’ brings music, magic and pure joy back to the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood

As many of you know, I am a huge musical theater geek and like many of you I have not attended a live theater performance in over two years and boy have I missed it! Based on this, it will come as no surprise that I felt like a giddy school girl attending my very first in-person show since the pandemic at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. My first post-pandemic theater going experience was for the Opening Night of The Band’s Visit, a ten-time Tony Award wining musical and one of the most lauded Tony Award-winning musicals of all time!

Before I tell you more about this wonderfully enchanting show, I wanted to take a moment to let you know that the Dolby Theatre is strictly enforcing LA County COVID-19 protocols which means that you need to show ID, Proof of Vaccination and you are required to wear your mask the entire time while in the theater. And as added reassurance, the ushers continue to proctor the theater during the performance in order to ensure compliance with the mask-up policy.

Now let me tell you more about this uplifting, heart-warming musical that is the perfect show to lift your spirits after being away from live theater for the past couple of years. The Band’s Visit is a delightfully quirky story about a small Israeli town that’s off the beaten path, where life is simple, boring and not much happens there until a band of lost Egyptian musicians arrive out of the blue to inject life, love and music into this quiet insignificant town.

The essence of the show is captured beautifully in the opening and closing line: “Once not long ago a group of musicians came to Israel from Egypt. You probably didn’t hear about it. It wasn’t very important.” In truth, it really is the little things that have the biggest impact and change us forever.

The show centers around Dina (portrayed by seasoned stage actress Janet Dacal of Prince of Broadway, Wonderland and In The Heights), a beautiful but simple local café owner who daydreams about romance, the exotic movies and music of her youth as well as Tewfiq (Award–winning Israeli film actor Sasson Gabay who reprises the role he created for the 2007 film), the stoic but kind-hearted leader of the band. These two unlikely souls find connection and companionship for one magical memorable night that will change them forever.

I love the simplicity and magic of the story of the The Band’s Visit accompanied by the clever memorable rich music and lyrics by Tony Award and Drama Desk Award winner David Yazbek. I saw the original 2018 Tony Award winning cast of this musical on Broadway and this production didn’t disappoint! What makes this show so enjoyable is that it truly immerses the audience in the slow simplicity of the lifestyle of this small town and it takes you on a fun and romanticized journey of life through their eyes through beautiful soulful music. This show is honest, relatable, fun, sad and a truly wonderful way to kick-off live theater and the holiday season.

The Band’s Visit is now playing at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood Blvd. through December 19, 2021. It has a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes without intermission.