Israeli actor Sasson Gabai believes that when people get together they realize how much they are alike. He tells HFPA journalist Sam Asi that that’s what The Band’s Visit is about. In 2007 Gabai starred in a movie that follows eight men of the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra arriving in Israel from Egypt and ending up in the wrong town. Now he is about to continue the Broadway musical based on the same story and playing the same character, Lieutenant-colonel Tawfiq Zacharya.

“The film received enormous artistic and commercial success in Israel and all over the world. Since then there was a gap of, let’s say more than ten years, and I found myself again dealing with the same project, which was adapted from a film beautifully into a musical. It started at the beginning off-Broadway with Tony Shalhoub and then moved to Broadway and then after a few months I took over, and I spent a year on Broadway doing The Band’s Visit musical and it received enormous success.”

He toured with the production in the United States about eight months before the Covid-19 pandemic closed things down.  “Now the production is hopefully resuming in September. We will do it with almost a new cast, and we intend to resume the National tour up to next July. So I started something years ago and it’s still with me and it didn’t intend to be like that, but I’m so happy that from the stars it happened to be like that.”

Gabai was excited about the Broadway production. “I was so occupied with doing the right thing, with being with the movement, and location and with the theater and with rehearsals, I felt like something belonged to me, I felt responsible as one who started The Band’s Visit as the leading actor. It took me some time to realize and to enjoy the fact that I am on Broadway.”

He explains that Broadway is very efficient and professional and the audience is excited from the start. “We had lots of talent in Israel, lots of writing, acting and directing and you can see it in the films and TV series that are quite successful abroad with audiences all over. But the professionalism of Broadway is second to none. And the audience, well Israel audiences are great, fine audiences, but you have to work hard, especially in theater in order to, you have to go and grab them, you have to take them to make them be with you. As for the American audiences, obviously, on Broadway, they were so excited from the start, so much giving and so much preparing to get ready to get this wonderful experience and this excitement.”

Listen to the podcast and hear when he met Shimon Peres and what kind of feedback he gave to Gabai; how he prepared for his recent role as Shimon Peres in the movie Oslo and how he usually approaches his characters; why he thinks willingness to negotiate is important; how he developed a good ear for many different accents and sounds; how his background has affected his career; what he used to do every Friday afternoon; why he believes that simple storytelling is powerful; and why Israel has such a rich cinema and TV.