The Band's Visit: Experts at Waiting

It’s a line delivered by the cast in their first song, just before an Egyptian band mistakenly arrives in a sleepy Israeli desert town in 1996: “We’re experts at waiting.” The Band’s Visit opens with the notion that although nothing ever happens in the moving circle of “the same scenery going by,” something big is coming. And it’s a visually loud entrance when the uniformed band stumbles upon a quiet café, looking for directions and lodging. It is then that the audience becomes the experts at waiting as lines are carefully delivered in broken English– a mix of Egyptians breaking from Arabic and Israelis pausing from Hebrew, both trying to come together to speak the same language and understand each other. Each line and lyric is written with deep intention that is purposefully and perfectly articulated by the cast.

That simple attempt to understand each other– both literally and figuratively– is the tone of the musical which has won 10 Tony Awards, making it one of the most award-winning musicals in history. The original Broadway cast album also received a Grammy Award in 2019 for Best Musical Theater Album. And, the show’s best tune, “Answer Me,” a tender song led by “Telephone Boy” Mike Cefalo, won an Emmy Award for a performance on NBC’s “Today.”

At the cast party held at The Fabulous Fox Theatre Tuesday night, Cefalo spoke about his role, and “how different and meaningful” the musical is written from other shows now popular on Broadway and on national tours.

Dance captain Hannah Shankman and “Telephone Boy” Mike Cefalo at the cast party after opening night of The Band’s Visit at the Fabulous Fox Theatre.

Cefalo stood waiting by the phone for a long part of the musical, a physically strenuous role he says he is grateful to play. His “waiting stance” and mostly silent part makes “Answer Me” that much more powerful as the final culmination of each character’s need for a connection in life. Cefalo leads off the song, and then other cast members join in, each singing about that one moment that made a difference, whether it’s with a stranger or a long lost love.

It’s a given on a national tour of an award-winning show the leads are going to be outstanding. How lucky for audience members to see award-winning Israeli film actor Sasson Gabay reprise the role of “Tewfiq,” the role he created in the 2007 film of The Band’s Visit. Janet Dacal as “Dina” was equally brilliant. Go see the show during its run at The Fox through March 8, and be sure to wait until the end for the the best song and an exceptional performance by the band.

*Tickets for THE BAND’S VISIT at the Fabulous Fox are on sale now at MetroTix.com, by calling 314.534.1111 or in person at the Fabulous Fox Box Office. Ticket prices start at $24. Prices are subject to change; please refer to FabulousFox.com for current pricing.