A Review: The Band’s Visit.

This has been a long trip … longer than usual, although in addition to RPA business in Miami, there was some personal time when I visited with my sister in Mount Dora, Florida for a few days.
 
And I took an extra day in New York City to see the hit musical, The Band’s Visit, for which I am now going to offer a mini-review: It’s terrific!
 
So, by the way, is the original film, which is the inspiration for the Broadway show. The movie has the same title, but is not a musical. It doesn’t matter. The movie is wonderful and so is the Broadway production.
 
The story line is simple: An Egyptian band of about a dozen members has been invited to perform their traditional repertoire at a festival in a smallish Israeli city. Through an innocent mixup, they purchase tickets for a bus that delivers them to a dusty little town with an almost identical name . . . a town far off the beaten path, swept by the desert winds, with not more than a couple of dozen residents. And there’s no bus to take them back to civilization for another few days.
 
The show is about how the band members and the villagers manage to overcome their initial suspicions. See the show or see the movie, Either way, it doesn’t matter. You will enjoy it. And in these times, with bad people in charge, it will give you a little hope.