Editor’s note: Event News Enterprise entertainment writer Lynda Lacayo recently caught up with Janet Dacal, of the leading players in the upcoming Segerstrom production of “The Band’s Visit” and filed this report.
Q. I’ve checked out your Bio & you are an accomplished and award winning actress (Drama Desk Award for “In the Heights”) Is there anything in you background that you think makes you uniquely suited for the role of Dina in “The Band’s Visit?”
Dina is a woman who’s been through quite a bit & somehow manages to be resilient in her life & hold onto hope & I think that’s a universal theme that every human being can relate to – We’ll all had our challenges in life that have been a challenge & made us stronger. I think, that’s why people can associate with her & are able to see themselves in her. And I can attest to that (feeling the same. My own life circumstances have been challenging & I have managed to come out a better, stronger person, that’s something that makes me relate to Dina.
Q. What is it about the role of Dina that made you want to audition for the part? Describe your character, Dina. Does your Cuban heritage make it easier or more difficult to play/understand her? (The Israeli culture resembles the Latin Culture) (Worked with dialect coach, Zohar Tirosh-Polk to grasp the Israeli accent.)
Quite honestly, I think Dina is one of the most beautiful roles written for a woman in the musical theater genre in a very, very long time. It quite a coveted role I’m honored to live in her shoes every night. It gives me great pleasure to have been given the role.
Oh, absolutely, my Cuban heritage is such a benefit in knowing & playing Dina. It doesn’t make it difficult at all, on the contrary some of the strongest women I know, if not all the strongest women I know come from a Latin background Definitely, I pull from those women in order to embody this character.
Q. Were you familiar with the movie or the musical “The Band’s Visit” prior to landing the role of Dina? If not, did you research for the role of Dina? (Dialect coach helped her to understand the nature of her Israeli character & why they are the way they are. Dina is a woman who, despite being worn & hardened by her life circumstances, holds on to hope & is open to the surprises that life brings).Do you feel you have traits in common with her? What do you like best about playing her?
Yes & Yes I was familiar with the show prior to auditioning for the role. At the time “The Band’s Visit” opened on Broadway I was working at a theater next store in the show “The Prince of Broadway based on the accomplishments of the extraordinary Director Harold Prince. And I clearly remember them loading the show into the theater where it played. So, that was the first moment of it coming into my radar. And everybody that was familiar with “The Band’s Visit” fell in love with show. I did see it on Broadway and I just remember being in the theater & being so taken with this story & Katrina Lenk’s performance. And that was quite informative when it came time for me to audition for the role. I had a sense of what the play was about. Obliviously it was really helpful in understanding the material. I did research, I saw it at the Lincoln Library as well. You know, as an actor you prepare as much as you can in order to fully inhabit whatever role you are going into & I absolutely did my homework because revere the show, I think it’s extraordinary. Best about playing is that she’s so resilient, so dynamic & she’s warm, she’s all over the place. She’s such a realistic picture of a woman who’s really been through it & there’s no hiding her strengths, her way of being, her femininity & also her masculinity . She’s just so full & it’s really fun to play as many colors of that I get to tap into in the ninety minutes that I get to play her. (All of the colors of what she is.) Yes, traits in common. See above.
Q. “The Band’s Visit” has won many awards as well as critical acclaim, yet is not universally known to theater audiences. How would you describe it to audiences seeing it for the first time?
It’s a poetic, realistic, very special evening. I would say it’s more of a lay with music. The music is such a fundamental part of the play & the music is unlike anything you’ve heard on a Broadway stage before. And I think, that’s why it’s so special.
Q. The musical underscores cultural misunderstandings between Arab and Israeli characters. How do the musical’s writers bring them together in a universal way? (This musical does touch on some very realistic human experience, but ultimately, music is what connects these characters & helps to break the barrier between them. Music is the universal language). Is there a lesson here that we could all benefit from. (That we are more alike than different)
Again, it goes back to the music, I feel that the language of music is universal – actually, it sparks the connection between my character & the gentleman, Sasson Gabay who plays Tewfiq, the Band’s leader, in the film & also on Broadway. It’s such an honor to play opposite him every night. In addition to that, it’s the concept that we are more alike than different. We are all human, just living under different circumstances. And it’s humanity that binds these characters. The lesson to be learned from “The Band’s Visit is that’ we are all more alike than different. That we have our humanity in common.’
Q. “The Band’s Visit” is unlike traditional Broadway musicals productions with their elaborate staging & huge ensembles. How have audiences responded to this softer side of Broadway? (It’s so unique & different, it’s like the taste of spice, unlike any favor that’s been on Broadway before) Is there a moral in “The Band’s Visit” that you would like audiences to take away from this show? (Audiences will walk away being moved, touched & inspired.)
I think because it is a softer, more poetic piece. Audiences walk away really more profoundly moved by what they see on stage. And I think this is because it’s not a big, flashy musical with lots of singers & dancers. It’s a very realistic experience. We can relate to it & learn from it. Moral: When we are open to people who are unlike us it creates a stage for us to be moved meaningful ways that we would not have otherwise let ourselves experience.
Q. The music in “The Band’s Visit” is another ‘not typical’ of Broadway feature that is unique to this show. Tell me a bit about the music. (Many of the songs have a pop Broadway flair –bouncy and fun, with a Middle Eastern lilt – there’s a deeper connection between the scenes, when the bands perform in the Arabic classical style). Are musician/actors actually playing genuine Arabic instruments on stage? (authentic Arabic music with many Western elements, which according to composer David Yazbex wasn’t sure that a Broadway Musical could support the kind of spiritual depth found in the story and characters)?
I think the music is quite amazing. Our composer &lyrist, David Yazbex is such a maestro. When you hear him speaking about his experience in creating this piece, he says that he believes in merging himself into to the genre. He learned to play very instruments so he understood & was really able to capture the authentic sound of the mid-eastern genre. The music is a fusion of jazz, traditional musical theater as well as the authentic mid-eastern sound. He did an incredible job of manifesting the score. People have enjoyed it, the album won a Grammy, it’s won best Musical and various other awards. It really is such beautiful fusion these musical genres.
Oh yes, they are actually playing on stage. I would say that we have so of the world’s best musicians that play in the theater world & that are also specific to Middle Eastern sound. The Band does play on stage and what audiences see every night is fresh & unique. And there parts of the show when even we don’t know what going to be played because they have been given the ability to improvise on stage with their solo’s so it keeps it can really exciting & fun for the players as well.
Q. The gentle ballad “Osmar Sharif” has been called the signature song of the show. Would you agree & why would you say that it is representative of the show’s message of human coming together despite cultural differences. (Dacal says of the song “It’s such an insight into my character, her vulnerability & the way she thinks. In song, Dina is reminding about a memory, which opens up the communication with Tewfiq. It’s beautiful that music & art & film allow that connection to happen”). How does the story & music transcend cultural clashes thus bringing people together through art? (Dacal song “Nothing Is as Beautiful as Something You Don’t Expect” is representative of the layers & depth of this quiet show.)
I agree that it is representative of humanity coming together because it is the point at which my character makes a connection with my co-star. It infuses, you know, it’s a beautiful reflection of who she is on the inside & what truly moves her & captivates her. She is able to work through to her softer side that we don’t really see until this moment. It encompasses the essence of the show.
Again, it’s the music that unites us all. The music is the vehicle that allows us to come together.
Q. Describe “The Band’s Visit” in 3 words or less. What is it about “The Band’s Visit,” a musical unlike any other, (delicate & spiritual) that has made it so appealing to audiences?
Three words that best describe this musical are Poetic, humorous, & realistic. In general the show is known for its realistic nature, but it’s also about how humanity copes with things that are challenging and it makes fun of that. We allow ourselves to live with humor in order to live a little more lightly so we are not constantly in a place of negativity. Life is life so we have to find a way to alleviate some of that physical heat. And, yeah, humor is a great coping mechanism & it is definitely one of the Dina’s traits. Audiences might not pin point her as having a sense of humor but she does. And not just for myself but for other characters in the play.
I would say because of its human connections. It’s the ability to see that when we are open to things we can have some empathy for one another. People are good dispute whatever idea’s we might have of people who we don’t truly know. When we see another human in need, our tendency is to want to lend a hand & to help. That’s where we met as a human species & it’s what happens in this play.
Q. Anything you would like to add?
It’s timely in our world today, it seems like we can’t agree on much these days.