Before attending the Broadway musical for The Band’s Visit, I viewed the film and was unimpressed. There was just something about the movie that was depressing and unremarkable. Perhaps it was all of those long moments of awkward silence that seemed to engross a majority of scenes. Perhaps it was the fact that it did not really have a ‘happy’ ending.

And then the musical happened!

I simply adored the expertise that turned The Band’s Visit into an unforgettable experience for me. Various themes were illuminated, as a result of a combination of live music and a more animated atmosphere. The Band’s Visit is a display of the motif that while things may work out sometimes, there need not always be a happy ending. Early in the musical, I began rooting for Tewfiq and Dina, but with time, we see that this was not going to happen. Dina’s feelings were evident, but circumstances were too complicated. Khalid also inevitably couldn’t escape from his fate of an arranged marriage. On the other hand, Papi broke out of his shell and was introduced to love, and Itzik somewhat found a resolution with his wife. As Simon suggests, perhaps the concerto doesn’t get concluded; perhaps this is it.