Itamar Moses - The Bands Visit

The best musical of 2017... Exquisite... It kept evoking for me Anton Chekhovs plays set in Russian backwaters, where an interruption in the boring, isolating routine of the characters suddenly opens a window onto their common humanity... In the company of strangers, the characters begin to see themselves anew. The sacred honor of hospitality compels patience and presence, but its music that ultimately dismantles barriers... At a time when politics is dividing us not only from each other but also from ourselves, The Bands Visit offers balm for the breach in our souls.

CHARLES MCNULTY, LOS ANGELES TIMES Beautiful is a word we bandy about in the daily pursuit of adjectives to describe the things we love. But even in an entertainment world overrun with superlatives, this is the one youre compelled to use to describe The Bands Visit... It is gentle, soulful, tunefuland the best new musical on Broadway. PETER MARKS, WASHINGTON POST An evening of enchantment... A uniquely unconventional musical told in a new manner. The Bands Visit takes place in the desert and, like a mirage, it shimmers. The Bands Visit takes place in the desert and, like a mirage, it shimmers.

But better. Because this hushed, heart-melting musical is realand truly magical... The show is a quiet musical meditation that casts a spell through its songs... Moses and Yazbek have created something rare, grown-up and special. The book packs warmth, wit and economy. Irresistible songs blend strains of Arabic and Israeli melodies and flecks of jazz...

It works so wonderfully because it never overstates. It doesnt belt. It whispers. It doesnt grab. It reaches... it shines.

JOE DZIEMIANOWICZ, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS An embraceable musical fable about the surprising friendships that bloom in the middle of a political desert... Connections are made on little things, everyday things, common things we all share... Broadway theatergoers looking for something off-the-beaten-musical-track should be charmed by this unassuming show. But this disarming musical has the emotional depth that holds up to repeated viewings and the offbeat charm that could make it a cult hit. MARILYN STASIO, VARIETYThe Bands Visit is a sweet, haunting stopover in the desert... This is a play about waiting, and loneliness, and the human need to connect with another human...

There are no elaborately choreographed dance sequences or dramatic betrayals or plot twists. The only revelation is that there are no revelations; that humans and their petty, internal concerns, their hopes and failures, are worthy enough to sing about... Its a quiet, beautiful thing The Bands Visit does. DANA SCHWARTZ, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY Beguiling music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a spare and shrewd book by Itamar Moses... In The Bands Visit we get the glorious nothingness of an uneventful night in the middle of nowhere... It is a show about nothing, but it fills the stage with feelingthe muted kind that dwells in missed connections.

MICHAEL SCHULMAN, NEW YORKERThe Bands Visit is copyright 2018 by David Yazbek and Itamar Moses The Bands Visit is published by Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 520 Eighth Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10018-4156 All rights reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine, radio or television reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that this material, being fully protected under the Copyright Laws of the United States of America and all other countries of the Berne and Universal Copyright Conventions, is subject to a royalty. All rights, including but not limited to, professional, amateur, recording, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and television broadcasting, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are expressly reserved. Particular emphasis is placed on the question of readings and all uses of this book by educational institutions, permission for which must be secured from the authors representatives: Olivier Sultan, Creative Artists Agency, 405 Lexington Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10174, (212) 277-9000, and Mark Subias, United Talent Agency, 888 Seventh Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10106, (212) 659-2600. Summertime, Words and Music by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward and Ira Gershwin 1935 (Renewed 1962), George Gershwin Music, Ira Gershwin Music and DuBose and Dorothy Heyward Memorial Fund.

All rights administered by WB Music Corp. All rights reserved. The publication of The Bands Visit by David Yazbek and Itamar Moses, through TCGs Book Program, is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. TCG books are exclusively distributed to the book trade by Consortium Book Sales and Distribution. Library of Congress Control Number: 2018015286 ISBN 978-1-55936-901-5 (ebook) A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. Book design and composition by Lisa Govan Cover photographs by Sophy Holland and Matthew Murphy, design by AKA First Edition, May 2018 For my Father,who showed me Lebanon.DYFor my Grandparents.IM Contents Table of Contents

The Bands Visit had its world premiere at Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson; Managing Director) in New York on November 11, 2016.

It was directed by David Cromer. The scenic design was by Scott Pask, the costume design was by Sarah Laux, the lighting design was by Tyler Micoleau, the sound design was by Kenneth C. Goodwin, the choreography was by Patrick McCollum, the projection design was by Maya Ciarrocchi; the music director was Andrea Grody and the production stage manager was Richard A. Hodge. The cast was:

TEWFIQ	Tony Shalhoub
SIMON	Alok Tewari
HALED	Ariel Stachel
CAMAL	George Abud
DINA	Katrina Lenk
ITZIK	John Cariani
PAPI	Daniel David Stewart
IRIS	Kristen Sieh
AVRUM	Andrew Polk
ZELGER	Bill Army
ANNA	Sharone Sayegh
JULIA	Rachel Prather
SAMMY	Jonathan Raviv
TELEPHONE GUY	Erik Liberman
OTHER BAND MEMBERS	Sam Sadigursky (reeds),
Harvey Valdes (oud),
Garo Yellin (cello)

The Bands Visit opened on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on November 9, 2017. The producers were Orin Wolf, StylesFour Productions, Evamere Entertainment, Atlantic Theater Company, David F.

Schwartz, Barbara Broccoli, Frederick Zollo, GroveREG, Lassen Blume Baldwin, Thomas Steven Perakos, Marc Platt, The Shubert Organization, The Baruch/Routh/Frankel/Viertel Group, Robert Cole, deRoy-Carr-Klausner, Federman-Moellenberg, FilmNation Entertainment, Roy Furman, FVSL Theatricals, Hendel-Karmazin, Hori-Pro Inc., IPN, Jam Theatricals, The John Gore Organization, Koenigsberg-Krauss, David Mirvish, James L. Nederlander, Al Nocciolino, Once Upon A Time Productions, Susan Rose, and Paul Shiverick; the executive producer was Allan Williams. The cast and creative team remained the same as the Atlantic Theater Company production, except Kai Harada was the sound designer, and there were the following cast changes and addition: