Sasson Gabay, Star of The Band's Visit Film, to Replace Tony Shalhoub on Broadway

UPDATE, June 11, 2018: Sasson Gabay will join the company of The Band's Visit on Tuesday, June 26, taking over the role of Tewfiq from Dariush Kashani. Tony Shalhoub played his final performance on May 27.

Sasson Gabay, who played Lieutenant-colonel Tawfiq Zacharya in the 2007 film The Band's Visit, will replace Tony Shalhoub on Broadway in the same role, producer Orin Wolf announced in the 2018 Tonys press room.

Based on Eran Kolirin's film The Band's Visit, the musical, written by David Yazbek and Itamar Moses, and directed by David Cromer, tells the story of the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Band, which lands in Israel and is inadvertently sent in the wrong direction. Soon, the band finds itself in a small settlement in the heart of the Negev desert with no transportation going out until morning and no hotel in sight.

The production opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on November 9, 2017, featuring Tony-winning stars Katrina Lenk (Dina) and Tony Shalhoub (Tewfiq). The cast currently features Katrina Lenk, Dariush Kashani, John Cariani, Tony nominee Ari'el Stachel, George Abud, Etai Benson, Adam Kantor, Andrew Polk, Bill Army, Rachel Prather, Jonathan Raviv, Sharone Sayegh, Kristen Sieh, Alok Tewari, Layan Elwazani, Pomme Koch, Ahmad Maksoud, Madison Micucci, and James Rana. Musicians include Andrea Grody, Alexandra Eckhardt, Ossama Farouk, Philip Mayer, Sam Sadigursky, Jeff Theiss, Harvey Valdes, and Garo Yellin.

The Band's Visit's world premiere opened to critical acclaim at the Atlantic Theater Company on December 8, 2016. The show's original Broadway cast recording was released by Ghostlight Records and is available digitally and in stores everywhere. It is the winner of 10 2018 Tony Awards.