Broadway NewsPomme Koch Is The Band's Visit’s New Itzik, Starting February 12Koch succeeds Brandon Uranowitz in the role created by John Cariani.
By
Andrew Gans
February 12, 2019
Pomme Koch
Marc J. Franklin
Pomme Koch, an original standby in the Tony-winning Best Musical The Band’s Visit, takes over the role of Itzik full-time beginning February 12 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
The Band’s Visit, as previously announced,will play its final performance April 7. Upon closing, the production will have played 589 regular and 36 preview performances at the Barrymore. The Broadway production officially opened November 9, 2017, having transferred from an acclaimed Off-Broadway run at the Atlantic Theater Company, which began in December 2016.
The musical—directed by David Cromer, with a book by Itamar Moses and a score by David Yazbek (each of whom won Tony Awards for their work)—recouped its $8.75 million capitalization in September of last year, less than 12 months following its first preview.
Based on the Israeli film of the same name by Eran Kolirin, the musical chronicles a single day in the Israeli desert town of Bet Hatikva, when an Egyptian Police Orchestra bound for Petah (with a P) Tikva mistakenly wind up stranded in the “nowhere” spot. When the locals take in the travelers, unexpected bonds make for an unforgettable journey.
David Yazbek
Marc J. Franklin
The musical won ten Tony Awards at the 2018 ceremony, and earlier this week, the original Broadway Cast Recording from Ghostlight Records won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
The current Broadway company includes Tony winner Katrina Lenk, Sasson Gabay (who appeared in the original 2007 film), Tony winner Ari'el Stachel, Etai Benson, Adam Kantor, Andrew Polk, Samir Shukry, Bill Army, Rachel Prather, Jonathan Raviv, Alok Tewari, Sharone Sayegh, Kristen Sieh, Layan Elwazani, Ahmad Maksoud, Pomme Koch, Jodi McFadden, Zal Owen, and James Rana; the musicians include Alexandra Eckhardt, Ossama Farouk, Dan Lipton, Philip Mayer, Sam Sadigursky, Jeff Theiss, Harvey Valdes, and Garo Yellin.
The Band’s Visit will launch a national tour June 25 at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Rhode Island before heading to such cities as Washington, D.C., Chicago, Baltimore, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.
