Breaking: Original Film Star Sasson Gabai will Join THE BAND'S VISIT on Broadway as Tewfiq this Month

It was quite the eventful night for THE BAND'S VISIT. The show won Tonys in 10 of the 11 categories for which it was nominated, including the biggest prize of the evening, Best Musical. However, trophies weren't the only things to be excited about, as in the press room producer Orin Wolf confirmed a long wafting rumor that Israeli actor Sasson Gabai would be taking over the role that won Tony Shalhoub a Tony award beginning on June 26.

See Gabai in the Role in the Trailer Below!

What makes this casting especially interesting is that Gabai originated the role of Tewfiq in 2007 film version of THE BAND'S VISIT. Gabai will replace Shalhoub and Dariush Kashani, the latter of which has been taking the role when the former's shooting schedule for Amazon's THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL made him unavailable.

Gabai won the Ophir Award, European Film Award, and the Jerusalem Film Festival's Best Actor award for his role in THE BAND'S VISIT.

In THE BAND'S VISIT, a mix-up sends a group of Egyptian musicians to a remote Israeli town. When the locals take them in for the night, their lives intertwine in the most unexpected ways. Fate brought them to town. Their music brought it to life.

"Sasson Gabay is an icon of Israeli cinema, and we are thrilled this prolific Israeli actor will be making his Broadway debut in The Band's Visit," said Tony Award-winning director, David Cromer. "It has been fascinating to work with Sasson as he returns to a role he created on the screen as he reinterprets Tewfiq for the stage, in a Tony Award-winning musical."

The Israeli star of stage, TV and screen, Sasson Gabay recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Israeli cinema at the Israeli Film Festival. Gabay is one of the most respected and outstanding actors in Israeli film with work spanning five decades, including some of Israel's most popular and critically-acclaimed films as well as international hits such as Rambo III, Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem, Delta Force One: The Lost Patrol and The Band's Visit (Israel's top-grossing film in the US).

Photo and Video Credit: July August Productions