The Band's Visit and the Danger of Reviews

As I watched The Band’s Visit I started thinking of one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite philosophers: “The beauty of the ocean is found not in its vastness nor its depth but rather in the crashing of a single wave.” That philosopher is me. I know it sounds like it was written by someone who writes quote of the day calendars. Nope—just me.

Ignoring the terrible imagery I crafted, there is some truth to the fact that there is incredible beauty in the smallest moments of life. The Band’s Visit takes aim at this concept, and for the most part hits the mark. The Band’s Visit is also a show that I found had expectations nearly as large as the ocean, and I’m a little worried these expectations tried to sink the show.

This will take two parts—first, I’d like to discuss why I think the show worked in a lot of ways and the slight reservations I had. Second, I want to discuss the power of reviews and why I’m wary of too much praise before I see a show.

The Play

The Band’s Visit starts with the stated fact that what you’re about to see is not known because it isn’t important. This isn’t a lie. The story is about one night in a small Israeli town where an Egyptian orchestra mistakenly ends up. It’s a story about nothing more than human interaction—this doesn’t bother me. Seinfeld was famously about nothing and had about 412 episodes that now run in syndication on at least 12 networks.

The real strength of the play is in the music. The music is beautiful, evocative, and powerful. It is at times funny and at times touching. Arabic and English songs are similarly given an incredible treatment by the talented musicians that make up the titular band. One of my biggest critiques of the show is that I’d actually liked to have more music throughout. There were long stretches of time where there was interesting interaction between the characters, but in a musical that is self-admittedly about nothing, the times between the gorgeous music were a little uneven. Sometimes I just did not care as much and wanted another song to start.

I do not think there were any weak performances, but the strongest performer was the female lead, Katrina Lenk, who plays Dina—the owner of a café in the Israeli town. Lenk is funny and has a voice that is both powerful and emotive. Her song Something Different is one of the show’s best numbers.

It was also nice to see a most positive experience set in the part of the world that Western art seemingly only depicts in either negative or historical settings. There is no doubt that there are real concerns in the Middle East nor is there any denying a long, rich history. This show doesn’t have issues with violence nor does it have Pharaohs. This is a show about Israeli people and Egyptian people existing and being people. It bums me out that that feels a little unique, but it is really refreshing to see.

It all boils down to one thing: needing more music. I don’t love the admission on the top that the show is about nothing important—I’d rather have that just exist within the story itself. It put a little more emphasis for me on the times where nothing was happening. I could get lost in the talent, the singing, and the music, but I wanted more. It is a show that I might not remember as being transformative, but I will listen regularly to the cast album.

The Reviews

I’ve touched on this in a post before. Simply put: hearing too much hype or too much criticism can have a real effect on the expectations one has for a show. If I am told consistently that a hamburger is the greatest hamburger that has ever been ham or burger, and I’m constantly hit over the head with how glorious this damn hamburger is, my first bite won’t be nearly as juicy. Hell, it might be a great burger, but what can live up to that expectation?

These are select quotes from The New York Times review of The Band’s Visit from November 9, 2017:

• Mr. Yazbek’s quietly simmering score, which inflects Broadway balladry and character songs with a haunting Middle Eastern accent, felt as essential as oxygen.
• Breaking news for Broadway theatergoers, even — or perhaps especially — those who thought they were past the age of infatuation: It is time to fall in love again.
• All [the show] asks is that you be quiet enough to hear the music in the murmurs, whispers and silences of human existence at its most mundane — and transcendent.
• I would literally rather not drink any water nor eat any food for weeks of my life if it meant I could see this show once more.

I made up the last quote. Obviously. But it doesn’t feel like a stretch. I enjoyed this show, but to discuss the score as essential as oxygen while being both transcendent and causing infatuation? That is incredibly hyperbolic. For. Any. Show. I single out The New York Times, but they were not alone on this over the top praise. Obviously The New York Times does some really great work, but I can think of very, very few pieces of art that hold that power. (Disclaimer: Prince’s Purple Rain—both movie and song—are unquestionably two pieces that are more valuable to the human population than oxygen.)

I also note that talking about how dangerous and absurd reviews can be on a website that I am labeling as reviews might feel hypocritical. I also sometimes use my phone to take pictures of street art that says we should use our phones less. I’m a monster.

What I hope reviews can do is open dialogues about shows. We can discuss what we like; we can discuss what will stick with us. I think reviews are often seen as the deciding factor on whether a show is valuable and what that value is. If that is the case, then you fall prey to the inevitable predator of expectations, which ironically enough was not something I had for any of the Alien v. Predator movies.

Ultimately, The Band’s Visit is a good show. I enjoyed it; I really did. I wish I could have seen the show without expecting the show to be both my first time having sex and my last meal on earth rolled into one 90-minute perfection of glory. That might have taken my like of the show and turned it to love.