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Sasson Gabay in the film The Band's Visit
Sasson Gabay in the film The Band's Visit

Sasson Gabay to Make Broadway Debut in The Band’s Visit

After winning 10 Tony Awards at last night’s ceremony, including Best Musical, The Band’s Visit has just announced that Sasson Gabay will reprise his role as Tewfiq from the 2007 film on which the musical is based. Gabay, who is a star of Israeli stage and screen, will join the production on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.

“Sasson Gabay is an icon of Israeli cinema, and we are thrilled this prolific Israeli actor will be making his Broadway debut in The Band’s Visit,” said Tony Award-winning director, David Cromer. “It has been fascinating to work with Sasson as he returns to a role he created on the screen as he reinterprets Tewfiq for the stage, in a Tony Award-winning musical.”

Sasson Gabay recently won a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Israeli cinema at the Israeli Film Festival. A beloved star of movies, television, and the stage, he has enjoyed a celebrated career that has spanned five decades. Among his critically-acclaimed and world-renowned films are Rambo III, Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem, Delta Force One: The Lost Patrol, and The Band’s Visit.

“An Egyptian Police Band 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.” The piece was written and directed by Eran Kolirin. It was Israel’s submission for the Best Foreign Film category of the 80th Academy Awards.

The Band’s Visit has won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score (David Yazbek), Best Book (Itamar Moses), Lead Actress (Katrina Lenk), Lead Actor (Tony Shalhoub), Featured Actor (Ari’el Stachel), Lighting Design (Tyler Micoleau), Sound Design (Kai Harada), Orchestrations (Jamshied Sharifi), and Director (David Cromer).

Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals and maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.

Learn More About The Band’s Visit