‘The Band’s Visit’ to Close in April

Katrina Lenk and Tony Shalhoub performing a scene from "The Band's Visit" at the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, June 10, 2018. The musical won 10 awards at the show. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

(JTA) — “The Band’s Visit,” a musical set in an Israeli village that won 10 Tony Awards last year, will end its Broadway run on April 7.

The New York Times reported that although the play was relatively successful on Broadway and has booked a national tour to begin in June, it failed to draw a large enough audience to sustain an “extended run.”

“[I]ts delicate tone and subtle story line proved a tough fit for brassy Broadway … where ticket-buyers are mostly tourists drawn to shows with more pizzazz or bigger brand names,” Michael Paulson wrote.

The show, which won the Tony for best musical, depicts an encounter between a group of Arab musicians and residents of a small fictional Israeli town, and drew rave reviews from critics. It was adapted from a 2007 Israeli film by Eran Kolirin.

Three of the show’s leads — Katrina Lenk, Tony Shalhoub and Ariel Stachel — won Tony Awards for their performances, in addition to its director, composer and book writer.

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