Band's Visit Diversity

I attended The Band's Visit panel at BroadwayCon and then saw the show and I was blown away by the diversity. There's been a focus on diversity but it usually means more black and Latinx actors (which is also needed), while it rarely means Jewish, Arab, and Middle Eastern actors.

The actors in The Band's Visit have phenomenal backgrounds. Many of them have families who are Israeli via Arab countries. Ari'el's family were Yemeni Jews before fleeing persecution by moving to Israel and then coming here. Sharon's family are Iraqi Jews who fled persecution by moving to Israel and then here. What they talked about at BroadwayCon was beautiful and many people don't know, most Israelis actually date back to Arab countries, and immigrated to Israel because it's safe for Jews. Israelis and Arabs being so similar (and sometimes the same) needs to be understood more.

Also what's beautiful is that the show doesn't touch on politics or war. Like many, I dislike the current Israeli PM (like many of us dislike the current US President), but that doesn't define Israeli people. When Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote In The Heights, it wasn't the first time Latinos were on stage, but the first time they were on stage and not in a gang, but just living like everybody else. That's what The Band's Visit is, and it's moving. Israelis are just like us, and I'm so happy there's a musical that's showing them authentically.