Sasson Gabay joins the cast of The Band's Visit on Broadway

The original star of "The Band's Visit" film reprises his role on Broadway at the Barrymore Theatre tonight.

Israeli star Sasson Gabay, who originated the role of Tewfiq in the 2007 film of The Band's Visit, makes his Broadway debut and reprises the role in the 10-time Tony Award-winning musical at the Barrymore Theatre tonight.

Tony Award-winning director, David Cromer previously commented: "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. 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."

Mr. Gabay was recently honored the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Israeli cinema at the Israeli Film Festival. Outside of Israel, he has also appeared in such international films as "Rambo III," "Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem," and "Delta Force One: The Lost Patrol."

The complete cast of The Band's Visit currently includes Tony Award winner Katrina Lenk (as Dina), Sasson Gabay​ (as Tewfiq), Tony Award winner Ari'el Stachel (as Haled), Tony Award nominee John Cariani (as Itzik), George Abud (as Camal), Andrew Polk (as Avrum), Bill Army (as Zelger), Rachel Prather (as Julia), Jonathan Raviv (as Sammy), Sharone Sayegh (as Anna), Kristen Sieh (as Iris), Alok Tewari (as Simon), Etai Benson (as Papi), and Adam Kantor (as Telephone Guy).

In addition, musicians for the production include Andrea Grody, Alexandra Eckhardt, Ossama Farouk, Philip Mayer, Sam Sadigursky, Jeff Theiss, Harvey Valdes and Garo Yellin.

The Band's Visit features music & lyrics by Tony Award winner David Yazbek, a book by Tony Award winner Itamar Moses, and is directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer. The Broadway premiere began previews on October 7, 2017, before an official opening on November 9.

Synopsis: "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 Band's Visit celebrates the deeply human ways music and laughter connect us all."

The creative team behind The Band's Visit features choreography by Patrick McCollum, orchestrations by Jamshied Sharifi, scenic design by Scott Pask, costume design by Sarah Laux, lighting design by Tyler Micoleau, sound design by Kai Harada and projections content design by Maya Ciarrocchi.

The production staged its world premiere off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company's Linda Gross Theater, where it ran from November 11, 2016, through to January 8, 2017. It officially opened to wide acclaim on December 8 and was extended twice due to popular demand.

The Band's Visit is produced on Broadway by Orin Wolf, John Styles and John N. Hart Jr.

The Band's Visit Tickets are available now for performances through to June 30, 2019.

^{(Photo by Evan Zimmerman)}