band's visit soundtrack

The Band's Visit (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

December 15, 2017 18 Songs, 42 minutes ℗ 2017 Sh-K-Boom Records, LLC

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The Band's Visit [Original Broadway Cast Recording]

David yazbek.

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Soundtrack Information

The Band's Visit - Original Broadway Cast Recording

Release Date: December 15, 2017

Formats: CD, Digital

• The Band's Visit (2016) [Stage Musical]
• David Yazbek

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The Band's Visit (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

David Yazbek

19 SONGS • 42 MINUTES • DEC 15 2017

• TRACKS TRACKS
• DETAILS DETAILS

A singer/songwriter who cites Elvis Costello and XTC (whom he's produced) among his biggest inspirations, David Yazbek became better known as a Tony-winning musical theater composer/lyricist. He is also recognized for his work in film and television, which includes the theme song for Where in the World Is Carmen San Diego? in the early '90s. He released his first solo album, Laughing Man, under the mononym Yazbek in 1996 before partnering with writer Terrence McNally on The Full Monty, which marked his Broadway debut in 2000. He continued to release solo material into the 2000s in between theater projects such as 2005's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and 2017's The Band's Visit, both Tony Award winners for Best Musical. The latter won Yazbek the Tony for Best Original Score.

Born and raised in New York City, David Yazbek's first instrument was the cello, which he began playing in elementary school. He took up piano as a teenager. Yazbek went on to earn a degree from Brown University, graduating in 1982. He won an Emmy as part of the writing team for The Late Show with David Letterman in 1986 before deciding to focus on music professionally. At first finding success as a commercial jingle writer, he was part owner of the Manhattan Recording Company studio alongside founder Billy Straus from 1987 to 1989.

Yazbek partnered with a friend from high school, Sean Altman of Rockapella, to write the memorable theme song to the PBS educational series Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, which premiered in 1991. Over the next several years, he composed for film shorts and began to find regular work as a music producer, collaborating with such artists as the Persuasions, Tito Puente, and songwriting influence Andy Partridge's band XTC. In turn, Partridge co-produced and played guitar on Yazbek's solo debut album, Laughing Man. It was released by What Are Records? in 1996, credited to simply Yazbek. Another '80s college rock-influenced Yazbek LP, Tock, followed on the same label in 1998. It included the song "You Are Here," which was penned by Partridge, who also performed on the album.

In the meantime, celebrated playwright Terrence McNally was preparing a book for the musical The Full Monty, an adaptation of the 1997 British film of the same name. Originally, composer/lyricist Adam Guettel (The Light in the Piazza) was approached to provide the show's music, but when he had to turn it down, he recommended his former bandmate, Yazbek, for the job. The show opened on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in October of 2000 and became a hit, premiering on the West End two years later. Yazbek's score was nominated for a Tony Award, and he won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music in 2001. Also in 2001, Yazbek released his third solo album, Damascus. A year later, he contributed additional lyrics for the A.R. Rahman musical Bombay Dreams.

His next project was an adaptation of the 1988 comedy film, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. With music and lyrics by Yazbek and a book by Jeffrey Lane, it arrived on Broadway in 2005. Later that year, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels received 11 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. What Are Records? also released the Yazbek song collection Tape Recorder (Collected Works) in 2005.

In 2007, the songwriter returned with another solo album, Evil Monkey Man, this time on Ghostlight Records and under his full name. The same year, Yazbek provided two songs for the film comedy The Ten ("Written in Stone" and "Who Am I and Where Do I Go from Here?"). Back on the stage, the musical Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown reunited the composer with Lane. Based on the 1988 Pedro Almodóvar film, the show opened on Broadway in October 2010 and went on to earn Tony Award nominations for featured actresses Patti LuPone and Laura Benanti, as well as for Yazbek's score.

Another musical adaptation of a film, this time with its book by Itamar Moses, Yazbek's The Band's Visit premiered off-Broadway in late 2016, then opened at Broadway's Ethel Barrymore Theatre in November 2017. About an Egyptian ceremonial band stranded for a day in a remote, one-café Israeli town on their way to a gig, the musical addressed cultural differences and prejudices, as well as a lack thereof. Its score incorporated Egyptian folk, Arab classical music, klezmer, improvisational jazz, and more into songs and instrumental performances (Yazbek himself is of Jewish-Italian and Arab-Lebanese descent). The show was nominated for 11 Tony Awards in 2018, and won ten, including Best Musical and Yazbek's first for Best Original Score. He also won the Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics for the show. ~ Marcy Donelson

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The Band's Visit Soundtrack Lyrics

Band's Visit Musical Lyrics

Band's Visit Lyrics

• Welcome to Nowhere
• It Is What It Is
• Beat Of Your Heart
• Omar Sharif
• Papi Hears the Ocean
• Haled's Song About Love
• Itgara'a
• Something Different
• Itzik's Lullaby
• Something Different (Reprise)
• The Concert
• Afifi (Bonus Track)

Spend an evening in the company of unforgettable strangers at The Band’s Visit—now one of the most celebrated musicals ever. It rejoices in the way music brings us to life, brings us to laughter, brings us to tears, and ultimately, brings us together. In an Israeli desert town where every day feels the same, something different is suddenly in the air. Dina, the local café owner, had long resigned her desires for romance to daydreaming about exotic films and music from her youth. When a band of Egyptian musicians shows up lost at her café, she and her fellow locals take them in for the night. Under the spell of the night sky, their lives intertwine in unexpected ways, and this once sleepy town begins to wake up. Release date: 2017 Last Update:February, 27th 2019

• Les Miserables
• Addams Family, The
• Phantom of the Opera, The
• Jesus Christ Superstar
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

The Band's Visit

November 10 - December 17, 2023

• Photo Gallery
• Cast & Crew
• Program Interviews
• Discount Tickets
• Performance Calendar
• Seating Map

The Huntington holds performances at multiple locations. This production is taking place at The Huntington Theatre .

Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek

Book by Itamar Moses

Based on the screenplay by Eran Kolirin

Directed by Paul Daigneault

Choreography by Daniel Pelzig

Music Direction by José Delgado

A co-production with SpeakEasy Stage

THE BAND’S VISIT is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

The Huntington Theatre 264 Huntington Ave. Boston, MA 02115

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Approximate run time: 90 minutes with no intermission.

Content advisory: Please note this production contains theatrical haze and the smoking of cocoa shell cigarettes (100% nicotine free). Please click  here for a content advisory that addresses thematic elements.

View the Digital Program!

Notable Dates:

Opening Night: 11/15 at 7 pm

Open Caption Performance: 11/21 at 7:30 pm

ASL Performance: 12/13 at 7:30 pm

Audio Described Performance: 12/9 at 2:30 pm

Select a performance

In this Tony Award-winning, feel-good musical, an Egyptian band of musicians is stranded in a small Israeli town after a transportation mix up, and with no lodgings available, the locals take them in for the night. By morning, surprising connections have been made and friendships forged over moments of shared humanity and love of music. A brief visit can have a lasting impact in this stunning musical adaptation of the acclaimed 2007 film that cast a spell over Broadway.  

“Exquisite and luminous.”

– the boston globe, “in short, it’s a wonder”, – boston.com, “gorgeous there’s just everything to love about this musical”, – jared bowen, gbh, “must-see theatre a profoundly beautiful production by two of boston’s best companies.”, – joyce kulhawik, joyceschoices.com, cast & crew, jared troilo.

Jared Troilo   The Huntington: Prayer for the French Republic . SpeakEasy Stage: Jerry Springer: The Opera, Far from Heaven, Dogfight, Significant Other, The View Upstairs, Tj Loves Sally 4 Ever, The Prom . Regional: Lyric Stage, Moonbox Productions, Wheelock Family Theatre, Reagle Music Theatre, Palace Theatre, Greater Boston Stage, Winter Park Playhouse, Shadowland Stages, Umbrella Stage, TigerLion Arts, Company Theatre, and The Barnstormers.

View full biography

Jesse Garlick

Jesse Garlick Off Broadway:  Good  (PTP/NYC) ;   Who Would Be King  (Ars Nova/Liars and Believers). Regional:  A Christmas Carol, Journey to the West, Arcadia   (Central Square Theater);  Good, Assassins   (New Rep);  A Story Beyond, Yellow Bird Chase, Who Would be King   (Liars and Believers);  Hamlet, As You Like It   (Brown Box Theatre Project);  Salome  (Bridge Rep);  Beowulf   (The Poets’ Theatre).

Fady Demian

Zelger, U/S Simon, U/S Camal

Fady Demian The Huntington: Prayer for the French Republic . SpeakEasy Stage: Wild Goose Dreams ; As You Like It (Actors’ Shakespeare Project); Rocky Relationships ( Moonbox Productions); Lorena: A Tabloid Epic and Incels & Other Myths (Boston Playwrights ’ Theatre); Walls (Playback Theatre); Hamlet (Oxford Shakespeare Company); and T he Taming of the Shrew (Prague Shakespeare Company).

Robert Saoud

Avrum, U/S Tewfiq

Robert Saoud  T he Huntington: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Merrily We Roll Along . SpeakEasy Stage: Hello Again , Anna In the Tropics, Some Men, The New Century, XANADU, The Drowsy Chaperone, Casa Valentina . National Tour: GROUCHO: A Life in Review .

Josephine Moshiri Elwood

Josephine Moshiri Elwood The  Huntington: Prayer for the French Republic . SpeakEasy Stage: English, People, Places, & Things, Hand to God, The Whale . Regional:  Vanity Fair  (Central Square Theater) ; Onegin, Gabriel  (Greater Boston Stage Company) ; Old Money  (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company) ; Othello, God’s Ear (Actor’s Shakespeare Company) ; Long Ago and Far Away , The Cherry Orchard  (Walking the dog Theatre).

Noah Kieserman

Telephone Guy

Noah Kieserman  Broadway / National Tour:   Dear Evan Hansen .  Off Broadway:  Space Dogs   (MCC) .  TV/Film: “Law & Order” (NBC), “FBI: Most Wanted” (CBS), “The White House Plumbers” (HBO), “Lady i n The Lake” (Apple TV+). Education: University of Michigan’s BFA Musical Theatre Program. Special thanks to HCKR and Lexy at Framework. @nbkieserman  noahkieserman.com  

Brian Thomas Abraham

Brian Thomas Abraham  Broadway: Life Of Pi, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts 1 & 2 . Regional: ART, Berkshire Theater Group, Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, Milwaukee Rep, San Diego Rep, Laguna Playhouse, Ensemble Theater Company, 3D Theatricals.

Marianna Bassham

Marianna Bassham T he Huntington: Sweat, Common Ground Revisited, Romeo and Juliet, Yerma, I Was Most Alive with You, Becoming Cuba, Our Town , and The Luck of the Irish . SpeakEasy Stage:  People Places and Things, Small Mouth Sounds, Hand to God, Admissions, a Future Perfect , In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play), Reckless, and Blackbird .

Jennifer Apple

Jennifer Apple  Broadway Tour: The Band’s Visit . Regional: Detroit ‘67, Romeo & Juliet (Chautauqua Theater Company); A Walk on the Moon, A Christmas Carol (American Conservatory Theater); title of show (Bridge Production Group); Theory of Relativity (Goodspeed Musicals); Fiddler on the Roof (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival & CFRT).

Kareem Elsamadicy

Kareem Elsamadicy  Off Broadway: Find the Golden Bird, Giovanni the Fearless . Regional: Light in the Piazza, La Traviata (Ars Nova). University: Man of La Mancha (NYU).

Andrew Mayer

Andrew Mayer  Broadway: Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 ; A Christmas Carol. Off-Broadway: I Spy a Spy ; The Hello Girls (Prospect Theater) ; Dying for It ( Atlantic Theater) . Regional: Oliver (Goodspeed); The 12 (Denver Center); Appoggiatura (Indiana Rep); Fiddler on the Roof (Barrington Stage).

James Ra n a  Broadway: The Band’s Visit . Off Broadway: The Government Inspector (Red Bull Theatre); Serendib (Ensemble Studio Theatre); Marat/Sade, Macbeth, Mother Courage (Classical Theatre of Harlem); Shogun Macbeth (Pan Asian Rep); As You Like It (Worth Street Theatre). N ational / International : The Band’s Visit (1st National Tour – LA Critics Circle Nomination) ; Love’s Labor’s Lost (Royal Shakespeare Company) ; Macbeth (Bonn Biennial/Globe Neuss).

Emily Qualmann

Anna, U/S Iris, Dance Captain

Emily Qualmann  Broadway National Tours:  Escape to Margaritaville ,  Fiddler on the Roof . Off Broadway:  The Office!: A Musical Parody . Regional:  The Peculiar Tale…  (Goodspeed Opera House). Education: The Hartt School ‘19. Representation: The Roster Agency. @emilyqualmann emilyqualmann.com  

Zaven Ovian

Zaven Ovian  The Huntington: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Romeo & Juliet . SpeakEasy Stage: English, Shakespeare in Love, Big Fish . Off Broadway: Émilie: La Marquise Du Châtelet… (Duende Productions/The Flea Theater). Regional: Selling Kabul (Premiere Stages at Kean); Water By the Spoonful, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife (Lyric Stage). Education: BFA (Boston Conservatory ‘16). @zavenovian  

Elliot Lazar

U/S Papi, U/S Telephone Guy

Elliot Laz ar  National Tour: Fiddler on the Roof . Regional: Rent , Guys and Dolls ( with Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra ), The Little Mermaid (Rainbow Stage) ; Another Roll of the Dice (North Coast Rep) ; Parade (Opera NUOVA) ; A Little Night Music , The Addams Family (Dry Cold) ; James and the Giant Peach (Manitoba Theatre for Young People) ; The Trump Card (District Theatre Collective) ; American Idiot (Winnipeg Studio Theatre) ; You Were There: A Shadowplay (Pocket Frock) ; Way to Heaven (Winnipeg Jewish Theatre) ; Gianni Schicchi , The Magic Flute , Alcina , Cendrillon (Manitoba Underground Opera). Film/TV: Siberia (Saban Films). Education: BM in Vocal Performance (University of Manitoba ) ; MFA in Theatre ( Boston Conservatory at Berklee). @elliotlazar elliotlazar.com  

Jordana Kagan

U/S Julia, U/S Anna

Jordana Kagan  Regional: The Prom (White Plains Performing Arts Center). Film: Exuvia (Small Motor Skills). University: The Wolves (Fordham University).

Alex Poletti

U/S Haled, U/S Zelger

Alex Poletti  Regional: Ragtime: The Symphonic Concert (Boston Pops at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood); She Loves Me!, The Pirates of Penzance (College Light Opera Company). Education: BFA in Musical Theatre (Boston Conservatory) .

Sarah Corey

Sarah Corey  SpeakEasy Stage:  Caroline, or Change . Off Broadway:  A Letter to Harvey Milk, Love and Real Estate, Illyria.  International Tour:  Death for Five Voices.

Steven Goldstein

Steven Goldstein The Huntington:  I Was Most Alive With You . SpeakEasy Stage:  Big Fish.  Broadway:  Our Town.  Off Broadway:  Boys’ Life, Oh Hell, The Lights  (Lincoln Center Theater);  Romance, The Vosey Inheritance, The Water Engine, Three Sisters  (Atlantic Theater Company, founding member).

Ryan Mardesich

Passenger 1, U/S Sammy, Itzik

Ryan Mardesich  SpeakEasy Stage:  Wild Goose Dreams, Allegiance . Regional: New Repertory Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, Barnstormers of NH, Sierra Repertory Theatre, San Francisco Playhouse, Broadway by the Bay, City Lights Theatre, and many others. Directing:  Sweeney Todd  (Moonbox Productions).

Daniel Rodriguez

Associate Conductor/Keyboard 2/Conductor Substitute/Keyboard 1 Substitute

Daniel Rodriguez T he Huntington: Sunday in the Park with George, A Little Night Music . SpeakEasy Stage: Jerry Springer: The Opera , The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Zanna Don’t! . Regional: Assassins, Preludes , The Last Five Years (Lyric Stage Company); Kinky Boots , Little Shop of Horrors (North Shore Music Theater); Oklahoma , Pippin, West Side Story (Reagle Music Theater); Caroline or Change, Cabaret, The Wild Party ( Moonbox Productions); In the Heights (Wheelock Family Theatre); The Lily’s Revenge, The Blue Flower (ART); Ain’t Misbehavin ’ (Front Porch Arts Collective) .

Her di Xha  He has taught and performed in various genres with artists throughout Central Mass, Boston, and the New York area. He has been a percussionist with the New England Philharmonic and Civic Orchestra of Boston as well as having worked as a pit musician on musicals and theatre productions throughout Massachusetts.

Mike Rivard

Acoustic and Electric Bass

Mike Rivard  The Huntington: Merrily We Roll Along . Regional: Wicked, The Lion King, Beautiful: The Carole King (Broadway in Boston), The Blue Flower (ART), and many others. He leads the award-winning world-dub-jazz collective Club d’Elf , and performs regularly with the Boston Pops Orchestra. 

Mac Ritchey

Oud, Acoustic and Electric Guitar, on stage

Mac Ri t chey  Multi-instrumentalist with a 20-year primary focus on the oud, or ‘Arabic lute’, and an immersion in the modal musical systems of the Middle East. Ritchey is also an acclaimed music producer and proprietor of Possum Hall Studios in Carlisle, MA, having recorded hundreds of albums and projects for clients over 30 years. Additionally, Mac is a guitar luthier, designing and building custom stringed instruments for fellow musicians. possumhall.com  

Joe LaRocca

Reeds, on stage

Joe LaRocca T he Huntington: The Lehman Trilogy . T our: Jesus Christ Superstar (50th Anniversary National Tour, Reed 1). Regional: The Lehman Trilogy (Repertory Theater of St Louis); Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Ogunquit Playhouse, Reed 2); A Man of No Importance (Footlight Club, Reed 1); The Secret Garden, Matilda, Beauty and the Beast, Fun Home, Nine , and others.

Wick Simmons

Cello, on stage

Wick Simmons Broadway Tour:  The Band’s Visit . Wick Simmons has performed at Joe’s Pub, The Kennedy Center, The Dolby, MASS MoCA, Carnegie Hall, Maison l’Amérique Latine, and on NPR. On an international scale, Wick’s body of work spans the worlds of creative-technology, theater, installation art, kink, improvisation, older and newer music.

Fabio Pirozzolo

Percussion, on stage

Fabio Pirozzolo  The Huntington: Yerma . Italian drummer, multi-percussionist and singer currently based in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally from Terracina, Italy, he started his career as a folk percussionist in one of the most famous folk groups in his area, playing the Italian frame drums tamburello and tammorra .

David Yazbek

Music & Lyrics

David Yazbek A varied career as a recording artist, Emmy-winning TV and film writer, music producer and pianist has somehow led Yazbek to a career on Broadway. His four shows, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Women on The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown , and The Band’s Visi t were all Tony nominated for Best Score. Yazbek took home the Tony for Best Score for T he Band’s Visit . The Full Monty won him the Drama Desk Award for Best Music.

Itamar Moses

Itamar Moses is the author of the full-length plays Outrage, Bach at Leipzig, Celebrity Row, The Four of Us, Yellowjackets, Back Back Back , Completeness , and The Whistleblower ; the musicals Nobody Loves You (with Gaby Alter), Fo r tress of Soli tude (with Michael Friedman) and T he Band’s Visit (with David Yazbek), and the evening of short plays Love/Stories (Or Bu t You Will Get Used To It) . His work has appeared Off-Broadway and elsewhere in New York, at regional theaters across the country and in Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Venezuela, Turkey, and Chile, and is published by Faber & Faber and Samuel French .

Paul Daigneault

Paul Daigneault  is a New England-based freelance director, producer, and teacher .  Since founding the award-winning SpeakEasy Stage in 1992, he has produced over 150 Boston premieres. As a director, he is especially proud of his projects that have centered gay and queer stories as well as his passion for contemporary American musicals . 

Daniel Pelzig

Choreographer

Daniel Pelzig  The Huntington: Sunday in the Park with George, A Little Night Music, Company, Candide, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Tartuffe, The Mikado, HMS Pinafore . Broadway: 33 Variations , A Year with Frog and Toad , Sweeney Todd (Kennedy Center Sondheim Festival). Off Broadway: Privates on Parade, Newyorkers , The New Moon, Valhalla .

José Delgado

Music Director/Conductor/Keyboard 1

Jo sé Delgado The Huntington: Becoming Cuba, M . SpeakEasy Stage: Dogfight, The Light in the Piazza, The Wild Party , Parade, Floyd Collins, Caroline or Change, Saturday Night . Regional: Moulin Rouge .

Wilson Chin

Co-Scenic Designer

Wilson Chin The Huntington: Clyde’s , Teenage Dick , Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Romeo and Juliet , Skeleton Crew , Tiger Style! . Broadway: Cost of Living , Pass Over (Drama Desk and Lortel Award nominations), Next Fall . Off Broadway: A Bright New Boise (Signature), The Thanksgiving Play (Playwrights Horizons), Space Dogs (MCC, Lortel Award nomination), Teenage Dick (Ma-Yi/Public), This Land Was Made (Vineyard).

Jimmy Stubbs

Jimmy Stubbs Off Broadway: Richard II/Henry IV (Theatre for a New Audience); Thebes ( Rattlestick Theater). University: Alcina (Yale Opera); Marisol (University of Rochester); The Juniors (Colgate University); Cabaret (Yale Dramatic Association); Fun Home (Yale School of Drama).

Miranda Kau Giurleo

Costume Designer

Miranda Kau Giurleo SpeakEasy Stage: The Scottsboro Boys (IRNE Award — Best Costume Design); School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play ; Prom; Allegiance . Regional: The Royale (Merrimack Rep & Capital Rep – Albany); The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberly, The Heath, Native Gardens, A Christmas Carol (Merrimack Rep); The Convert (Underground Railway Theater); Dancing at Lughnasa , The New Electric Ballroom , Lettice and Lovage (Gloucester Stage); Dry Land , Shockheaded Peter (Company One); Macbeth (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s Second Stage).

Aja M. Jackson

Lighting Designer

Aja M. Jackson The Huntington: T he Band’s Visit, The Art of Burning . Broadway: Fat Ham . Off Broadway: A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet, Rock and Roll Man . Regional: Hear Word (A RT / The Public Theater Under the Radar Festival) ; Lost In Yonkers, The Art of Burning, Pride and Prejudice, Simona’s Search [coming soon] (Hartford Stage) ; A Doll’s House, Harvey, World Goes Round, Behold, A Negress (Everyman Theatre); Fences (Shakespeare and Company); World Goes Round (Olney Theatre); Pimpinone and Ino (Boston Early Music Festival) ; Goddess (Berkeley Rep).

Joshua Millican

Sound Designer

Joshua Millican T he Huntington: A Little Night Music . Broadway/West End: Six, Parade (Revival), Head Over Heels, The Band’s Visit, Prince of Broadway, An American in Paris, Sunday in the Park with George, The Bridges of Madison County, Big Fish . His designs have been heard across six continents and include theatre, film, radio, and museum installations. Education: Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. joshmillican.com  

Vahdat Yeganeh

Vahdat Yeganeh SpeakEasy Stage: English . Regional: ART, Yale Repertory Theatre, the Nora, Underground Railway Theater, Boston Experimental Theatre. Film: Over There (co-producer). Teaching: Learning Lead and the director of Dialogue of Civilizations Program (ART), Theatre and Psychoanalysis (PersPsy Analytic), Theatre of Antonin Artaud and Jerzy Grotowski (New England Conservatory). Publication: Drama for dialogue of civilization (TESOL Journal).   bostonexperimenatltheatre.com      

Rosalind Bevan

Local Casting

Rosalind Bevan The Huntington:  Joy & Pandemic, Clyde’s, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Common Ground Revisited ,  Our Daughters, Like Pillars, The Bluest Eye,  (Line Producer);  Witch  (Assistant Director); Dream Boston audio plays:  Echoes  and  The 54th in ‘22  (Director).

Emily F. McMullen

Production Stage Manager

Emily F. McMullen  has stage managed over 30 shows over the past nine seasons at The Huntington, including John Proctor is the Villain, The Band’s Visit, The Lehman Trilogy, Clyde’s, The Art of Burning, Common Ground Revisited, Hurricane Diane, Sweat, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Indecent, Romeo and Juliet, A Doll’s House, Part 2, Man in the Ring, The Niceties, Top Girls, Bad Dates, Tartuffe, and Merrily We Roll Along .

Lucas Bryce Dixon

Stage Manager

Lucas Dixon  The Huntington: John Proctor is the Villain, The Band’s Visit, Fat Ham, The Lehman Trilogy, Clyde’s, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Common Ground Revisited, The Bluest Eye, Hurricane Diane, Yerma .

Lyndsay Allyn Cox

Producing Director

Lyndsay Allyn Cox The Huntington (acting): Common Ground Revisited ; Our Daughters, Like Pillars ; Witch . Regional (directing): Chicken and Biscuits (Front Porch Arts Collective); Tiny Beautiful Things (Gloucester Stage); Splash Hatch on the E Going Down (The Nora Theatre Company). Regional (acting): Fairview , Men on Boats ( SpeakEasy Stage); Fabulation (or the Re -E ducation of Undine) , Barbecue, By The Way, Meet Vera Stark (Lyric Stage Company); Bright Half Life (Actors’ Shakespeare Project); The Three Musketeers (Greater Boston Stage Company); Winter People (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre); Caroline, Or Change ( Moonbox Productions); The Overwhelming , Leftovers (Company One).

Sondra R. Katz

General Manager

Sondra R. Katz (General Manager) is in her nineteenth season at the Huntington. She has worked on Broadway, Off Broadway, and regionally as a stage manager, company manager, production manager and general manager.

Dori A. Robinson

Assistant Director

Dori A. Robinson The Huntington:  Prayer for the French Republic .  Directing credits include  Silent Sky, The Elm Tree ,  Fully Committed, A Bright Room Called Day, Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, The Lion in Winter ,  Winter of Discontent, Peter and the Starcatcher ,  A Bintel Brief, The Chelmites Capture the Moon .

Assistant to the Director

Huan Bui Regional: As You Like It, Picnic on the Battlefield, Shipwrecked! An Entertainment ! (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey). University: L ove’s Labour’s Lost , God of Carnage , Marisol, The Laramie Project , In the Book Of…, Tribes (UARK Theatre). Education: MFA in Theatre Directing (University of Arkansas). Huan is a Vietnamese theatre maker and a 2023-2024 Literary and Artistic Fellow at SpeakEasy Stage.  

Lee Nishri-Howitt

Voice Coach

Lee Nishri -Howitt The Huntington: Prayer for the French Republic, The Lehman Trilogy , Romeo and Juliet, The Art of Burning . Regional: Once, Allegiance ( SpeakEasy Stage); The Book of Will, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Lyric Stage); Oliver!, Hair, Trayf (New Rep); Little Women, James and the Giant Peach (Wheelock Family Theatre); All is Calm (Greater Boston Stage Company).

John-William Gambrell

Rehearsal Musician/Keyboard 2 Substitute

John-William Gambrell The Huntington:  The Lehman Trilogy  (copyist) .  Other copyist credits:  The Lehman Trilogy  (St. Louis Rep);  Romeo and Juliet, The Tale of Despereaux  (The Old Globe). His original musical,  Toothy’s Treasure , made its Off Broadway workshop debut at the Theater Center in NYC in 2023. A production at the Boston Center for the Arts followed that same year.

Additional Staff for The Band’s Visit

Assisstant Director………………………Dori A. Robinson

Associate Music Director………………Daniel Rodriguez

Dialect Coach……………………………Lee Nishri-Howitt

Intimacy Consultant…………………….Kayleigh Kane

Assistant to the Director………………….Huan Bui

Vocal Coach……………………….David Freeman Coleman

Skating Consultant………………………..Pandora Bassett

Production Assistants……………………………Ross Gray, Kendyl Trott

Carpenters……………………………………..Allie Zalewski Hannah Ashe, Joe Ellard, Max Rocca, Nick Robinette Steven Asaro, Amy West

Automation Run Crew……………………..Charlie Berry

Scenic Artists……………………………………Sam Galvao

Props Artisan………………………………………..Ian Thorsell

Stitcher…………………………………………Sasha Nemi Lato

Wardrobe Run…………………………………..Jennie Fuchs

Wardrobe Swing……………………Katherine Lawrence

Wig Run…………………………………………Kiara Escalera

Season Electrician………………………Violet Gayzagian

Electricians……………………………………Anna Brevetti, Jemma Kepner, Joseph Lark-Riley, Callie Moos, Nick Robinette

Follow Spot Operators……………………Kaitlin Smith, Brian Vlasak

Audio Run A1……………………………..Lexie Lankiewicz

Robb Simring……………………………….Acoustic and Electric Bass Substitute

Read the full interview: LEGENDS OF THE COSTUME SHOP

Discount tickets.

The Huntington offers many different affiliation and aged-based discounts off our ticket prices. Discounts can be applied online, in person, or over the phone. Patrons who purchase discounted tickets must pick up their tickets and provide proof of ID or eligibility at ticketing services before the show. All discounts are subject to availability.

HYPE discounts

$40 tickets are available any time for patrons age 40 years and younger as part of our HYPE program (Huntington Young Patron Events). Valid ID required. Tickets are subject to availability and some zone restrictions may apply. Use promo code DISCOUNT to access HYPE (40 Below) pricing. I nput code DISCOUNT before seat selection. Promo will apply at checkout. Learn more about HYPE .

Student discounts

$25 tickets are available to all performances for full-time students. Use promo code DISCOUNT to access Student pricing.  Valid ID required.

Active US Military

$25 tickets are available to all performances for Active US Military and their immediate family. Use promo code MILITARY to access US Military pricing.  Valid ID required.

Huntington Community Membership Initiative

$20 tickets are available to all performances for participants in the Huntington Community Membership Initiative. Use your exclusive HCMI promo code tied to your organization to redeem. Learn more about our Huntington Community Membership Initiative .

$30-$35 Tickets

In addition to our age and affiliation-based discounts, a limited number of unrestricted $30-$35 tickets are available at each performance.

Accessibility discounts

Patrons who are Deaf and/or blind/low-vision and their guests can purchase tickets to designated ASL-Interpreted or Audio Described performances for $20 each.  Learn more about accessible performances .

Limited Pay-What-You-Wish

At The Huntington, we believe price shouldn’t be a barrier for folks to enjoy world-class theatre. Because of this, we have a limited number of Pay-What-You-Wish tickets available for all Huntington performances for those who need them. Pay-What-You-Wish is not available online. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit Ticketing Services in person at either box office location or call us at 617-266-0800.

Group sales

Groups can save up to 20% off ticket prices for most productions. Student group pricing available.  Learn more about group rates .

HOW TO USE DISCOUNT CODES

Enter your promo code into the top right corner of your screen next to “View Cart”.  Available discounts will apply automatically after entering the promo code.

For questions about promo codes, please contact our ticketing team by emailing [email protected]  or calling 617-266-0800.

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Between the Temples

A cantor in a crisis of faith finds his world turned upside down when his grade school music teacher re-enters his life as his new adult Bat Mitzvah student. A cantor in a crisis of faith finds his world turned upside down when his grade school music teacher re-enters his life as his new adult Bat Mitzvah student. A cantor in a crisis of faith finds his world turned upside down when his grade school music teacher re-enters his life as his new adult Bat Mitzvah student.

• Nathan Silver
• C. Mason Wells
• Jason Schwartzman
• Dolly De Leon
• 1 User review
• 16 Critic reviews
• 82 Metascore
• 4 nominations

• Ben Gottlieb

• Carla Kessler

• Judith Gottlieb

• Meira Gottlieb

• Rabbi Bruce

• Bar Mitzvah Boy

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Mike Love calls Beach Boys reunion with Brian Wilson in documentary 'sweet' and 'special'

In the beginning, The Beach Boys were merely a family band , sharing harmonies and trading vocal runs around the living room.

Brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love and buddy Al Jardine merged their affection for the vocal stylings of 1950s-era pop groups such as The Everly Brothers with the beaming sunshine and languid vibe of their native Hawthorne, California, and innocuous lyrics about T-Birds and surfboards.

But between their 1962 debut album and 1966’s “Pet Sounds” – the undisputed pinnacle of Brian Wilson’s studio wizardry – the band survived changes in lineup, sound and even their outlook, as they joined The Beatles in learning transcendental meditation from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Their saga is presented in the Disney+ documentary, “The Beach Boys, ” arriving on Friday. During the two-hour film co-directed by Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny, the band’s growth unfurls quickly. Brian Wilson’s mental health issues are briefly explained through the nervous breakdown he suffered in 1964 on a flight to Houston – which led to his decision to quit touring – and the camaraderie among the members understandably suffered when the Wilson patriarch, Murry, sold the band’s Sea of Tunes publishing company for $700,000 in 1969 without their consent.

Deeper versions of specifics in the band's lore can be found in the recently released Beach Boys' first official book , aptly titled “ The Beach Boys .” But unearthed performance footage, interviews with contemporary artists such as Ryan Tedder and Janelle Monae expressing their affection for The Beach Boys’ innovative music, and current interviews with members ranging from Brian Wilson to onetime member Blondie Chaplin will feed fans’ cravings.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

The Beach Boys still tour relentlessly. Love, 83 and longtime member Bruce Johnston, 81, are the only veteran members on stage and come armed with a set list of timeless singalongs including  “I Get Around,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” “Help Me, Rhonda” and “Kokomo” (the namesake of Love’s Club Kokomo Spirits rum line).

The summer leg of their Endless Summer Gold tour starts Friday in Connecticut and travels the country through October ( honorary Beach Boy John Stamos will join for a series of dates).

Love chatted with USA TODAY recently from his home in Lake Tahoe, touching on his relationship with Brian Wilson, valuing transcendental meditation and seeking perfection on “Pet Sounds.”

More: Beatles movie 'Let It Be' is more than a shorter 'Get Back': 'They were different animals'

Question: In April, the hardcover book “The Beach Boys” came out and now you have the documentary this month. What is this current Beach Boys renaissance about?

Answer: Well, our “Endless Summer” album came out in 1974 so it’s the 50 th anniversary. We still do about 15 songs from that album in concert. And Iconic Artists Group (led by music business legend Irving Azoff) has taken over the revitalization of The Beach Boys. Irving made a deal with Disney because he felt that we would benefit – and all the great music we’ve done would benefit – from a documentary that would show the chemistry of The Beach Boys. But we’ve had some great things this year. We did Stagecoach (in April) and had the largest crowd at the stage we were playing and our friend Mark McGrath joined us and John Stamos was playing drums. It just showed the joy that was present in the audience response.

Let’s start at the end of the documentary when the band reunites at Paradise Cove. What was that like for you?

It was very sweet. Brian and I grew up together singing songs. He was bringing up things from the past. We had a chit-chat and sang some things a capella, which they didn’t use (in the film). Brian could not have been more into the moment with us. That was a special moment, especially since Paradise Cove was the site of our debut album (“Surfin’ Safari”) cover photo.

How do you feel about the documentary in general?

I feel nostalgic and I feel sad. Our music has been a miraculous blessing for ourselves and many others. But Dennis hasn’t been with us since ‘83 and Carl passed away more than 25 years ago. I think seeing everyone in this touches the heart.

There is quite an array of artists who chime in with thoughts about the band, from Janelle Monae to Lindsey Buckingham. How did you find artists with such a deep love and knowledge of The Beach Boys?

I think that was Thom’s (Zimny) contribution. But I’ve always said The Beach Boys are kind of a sonic oasis. We focus so much on harmonies and positivity with “ Good Vibrations ” and “ Fun, Fun, Fun .” For so many decades now, our music has touched so many people. I think the formula for The Beach Boys is love of harmonies and (other artists) appreciate that.

More: James Taylor talks koalas, the 'gravitational attraction' of touring and Taylor Swift

I think people will be surprised to learn how much you contributed to the songwriting. Would you say you were the Bernie Taupin to Brian’s Elton John?

Yes, I absolutely was. Brian was brilliant musically and no one was better in the studio than him at that time. And then when he took a lesser role, Carl and Bruce and Al stepped up and I came in with some songs as well. We effectively had two groups – a touring group and studio group. Glen Campbell filled in and was brilliant but he left to do fantastic things himself. Then Bruce joined in 1965 and the first song he sang on record was “California Girls.”

The film points out Brian’s obsession with details and perfection. Were the “Pet Sounds” recording sessions frustrating for you?

No, but they were … arduous. Everybody was going for perfection. I started calling Brian “dog ears” because they can hear ranges humans can’t and he was like that. On “Wouldn’t it Be Nice” we’d do a vocal section and he’d say do it again and I’d say why, it was perfect! I called him either dog ears or the Stalin in the studio.

You and Bruce are on the road for most of this year. How do you handle the rigors of touring and traveling?

Travel is probably the most challenging part to get adequate rest. But I have to be thankful to the Maharishi who taught us mediation in Paris in December 1967 and The Beatles were all there . That was a fascinating time. But the value of transcendental meditation for me is that you can get deep rest through a mental technique, which is very simple but powerful. Life can be challenging, but the Maharishi taught us TM himself, which was amazing. And to then be in India for a couple of months with The Beatles there … George Harrison’s birthday was Feb. 25 and I’m March 15. We’re both Pisces and we both took meditation very seriously. Even now, my biggest responsibility is to get the rest and relaxation to have the energy to do a great show.

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Israelis Visit Nova Festival Site for National Day of Mourning

“Our hearts are broken,” one mourner said at the site of a rave for peace and love where hundreds were killed in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7.

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Israelis Gather at Site of Oct. 7 Festival Attack to Mourn Loved Ones

People gathered on israel’s national day of mourning to remember festivalgoers who were killed on oct. 7 by the hamas-led assault..

[music playing] “This is my first time because it was so painful for me. I’ve been in the funeral, and it was too painful. Now I just took myself to here because I want to remember her in here and put a candle for her and pray for her.” “Sad, sad. The sky is crying with us. The rain was all around. I feel bad.” [singing]

By Isabel Kershner

reporting from southern Israel

• May 13, 2024

In a sandy clearing near Israel’s border with Gaza, soldiers, civilians and tourists wandered silently through a dense thicket of poles. Affixed to the poles were portraits of the hundreds of people who came there to dance late one night last October and never made it home.

As Israelis observed Memorial Day, the country’s annual commemoration for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorist attacks, many were drawn to the site of the Tribe of Nova music festival , a rave dedicated to peace and love that was interrupted around sunrise on Oct. 7 by a barrage of rockets from Gaza, signaling the start of the Hamas-led cross-border assault.

In the horror that followed, at least 360 festivalgoers were slain — nearly a third of the roughly 1,200 people killed in southern Israel that day, according to the Israeli authorities. Gunmen who surged across the border surrounded the Nova site , ambushed people as they tried to escape in their cars and hunted them down in bomb shelters along the road or as they fled across furrowed fields.

Observing Israel’s first national day of mourning after the deadliest day in the 76-year history of the state, and with the country still at war in Gaza, many people came to the Nova memorial site beginning on Sunday to remember the dead and those festivalgoers who were taken hostage to Gaza and are still being held there.

On Sunday, a solemn hush was broken at times by Israeli flags snapping in the wind, and by the sharp cracks of artillery fire from Israeli troop positions nearby.

“The earth is crying out,” said Eliran Shuraki, 39, a resident of central Israel who had come to the Nova site for the first time on Sunday with a friend. “Our hearts are broken,” he added.

They had first visited Be’eri , one of the border communities worst affected on Oct. 7, and where one of Mr. Shuraki’s colleagues lost three generations of relatives, he said. Mr. Shuraki’s brother lost a brother-in-law, a police officer, at the Nova festival, he said.

Nicole and Guy Peretz, a couple in their early 30s, had come from Ashkelon up the coast. Both are former police officers, and several of their former colleagues were killed at the site, they said.

“Until you come here yourself and see the incomprehensible number of people with your own eyes, you cannot absorb it,” Ms. Peretz said.

More makeshift memorials dot the roadsides, orchards and meadows for miles around, made up of portraits and piles of stones, handwritten notes and candles, and wreaths that have withered under the beating sun.

In a field nearby, hundreds of incinerated cars gathered from the roadsides after the Oct. 7 attack are piled up in a graveyard of metal.

Even the bomb shelters where so many sought protection that day, only to be killed as they huddled inside, have turned into shrines. Their charred and blood-spattered interiors have been whitewashed. The stench has gone. Their walls are now covered with graffiti: searing messages, photographs and prayers memorializing those who were there but are no longer.

Isabel Kershner , a Times correspondent in Jerusalem, has been reporting on Israeli and Palestinian affairs since 1990. More about Isabel Kershner

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White House fetes Kenya with state dinner featuring sunset views, celebrity star power

President Joe Biden and Kenya’s President William Ruto capped off a White House state visit Thursday with a toast to the friendship and 60-year partnership between the U.S. and Kenya.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden honored Kenyan President William Ruto with one of the biggest state dinners ever thrown at the White House. Close to 500 guests are expected to attend the first state dinner for an African nation since 2008.

President Joe Biden welcomes President William Ruto at the White House for a pomp-filled ceremony aimed at recognizing the growing importance of the U.S.-Kenya relationship.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome Kenya’s President William Ruto and first lady Rachel Ruto to the White House in Washington for a State Dinner, Thursday, May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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Kenya’s President William Ruto exchanges a toast with President Joe Biden during a State Dinner at the White House, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

County music performer Brad Paisley sings during the State Dinner with President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Kenya’s President William Ruto and first lady Rachel Ruto at the White House, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

LeVar Burton and Stephanie Cozart Burton arrive at the Booksellers area of the White House for the State Dinner hosted by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for Kenya’s President William Ruto and Kenya’s first lady Rachel Ruto, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Sean Penn and Ann Lee arrive at the Booksellers area of the White House for the State Dinner hosted by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for Kenya’s President William Ruto and Kenya’s first lady Rachel Ruto, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Kenya’s President William Ruto speaks before offering a toast during a State Dinner with President Joe Biden at the White House, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Rev. Al Sharpton and Aisha McShaw arrive at the Booksellers area of the White House for the State Dinner hosted by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for Kenya’s President William Ruto and Kenya’s first lady Rachel Ruto, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Barbara Kingsolver and Steven Hopp arrive at the Booksellers area of the White House for the State Dinner hosted by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for Kenya’s President William Ruto and Kenya’s first lady Rachel Ruto, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Don McLean and Paris Dunn arrive at the Booksellers area of the White House for the State Dinner hosted by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for Kenya’s President William Ruto and Kenya’s first lady Rachel Ruto, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Kate Gallego, Mayor of Phoenix and Mark Weinberg arrive at the Booksellers area of the White House for the State Dinner hosted by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for Kenya’s President William Ruto and Kenya’s first lady Rachel Ruto, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Roger and Jane Goodell arrive at the Booksellers area of the White House for the State Dinner hosted by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for Kenya’s President William Ruto and Kenya’s first lady Rachel Ruto, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Former President Bill Clinton toasts during the State Dinner with President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Kenya’s President William Ruto and first lady Rachel Ruto at the White House, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thursday’s White House state dinner honoring Kenyan President William Ruto offered around 500 guests stunning D.C. views, a knockout menu, a dose of celebrity star power and even a little family drama.

“I’m looking forward to having all the conversations,” Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar declared as she arrived, no doubt speaking for many a guest at one of the largest-ever White House state dinners.

Country singer Brad Paisley showed up in his signature cowboy hat, and was wearing dual hats as both dinner guest and featured entertainer. He joked that a pavilion largely made of glass that was erected on the South Lawn for the dinner was the world’s fanciest greenhouse, then led off his set with his hits “American Saturday Night” and “This is Country Music.”

Singer-songwriter Don McLean attended the festivities, as did Barbara Kingsolver, author of “The Poisonwood Bible,” set in Africa. Asked what about the continent inspired her, Kingsolver replied, “Everything.”

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms brought her 16-year-old son — but she confessed to reporters that he didn’t want to hold her hand. Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker brought his mom, pronouncing her “the greatest woman in the world.”

The dinner entertainment mixed Paisley’s country music and the gospel choir of Howard University. It was designed with the tastes of Ruto and his wife, Rachel, in mind, with first lady Jill Biden noting the Rutos’ “love of gospel and country music.” The Kenyan president is a former evangelist and often leads praise and worship songs when he speaks in churches in his country.

The menu featured fruitwood-smoked beef short ribs, poached lobster, chilled heirloom tomato soup and a white chocolate basket.

Guests made their red carpet arrival in an entryway adorned with red roses and hot pink orchids while Toto’s hit “Africa” played on violin. The extra-long guest list did require cutting some corners: The typical presidential receiving line was nixed because it would have taken too long to get everyone through.

Actor LeVar Burton of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Reading Rainbow” fame joked that his word of the day for the modern political climate was “fraught,” but clarified that he meant it was fraught “with possibilities.” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was there, as was his NBA counterpart, Adam Silver, who declared, “We need another basketball court at the White House.”

Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, were on hand, as was another ex-president — Barack Obama — who popped by briefly early in the evening but didn’t stick around. During his toast to Ruto, President Joe Biden joked that attendees included “many members of the African diaspora, one who just left, Barack.”

Hillary Clinton pronounced it “wonderful to be back.” Her husband told reporters he particularly liked ”the girl behind you,” pointing to a portrait on the wall of his wife from her first lady days.

The gathering was the first White House state dinner for an African nation since 2008 , and it was the sixth and largest of the state dinners thrown by Biden.

The event was part of the administration’s efforts to build ties with Africa. Biden failed to keep a promise to visit the continent last year, but this week he said he plans to visit “in February, after I’m reelected” — a show of optimism about his prospects in November’s election .

Ruto is on a three-day state visit that coincides with his East African nation prepares to deploy forces to Haiti , part of a U.N.-led effort to try to calm a spiraling security crisis there.

Biden said the U.S. and Kenya “share a strong respect for the history that connects us together.”

In his toast, Ruto said, “We proudly take a firm stance, shoulder to shoulder, for democracy in a world where troubles have shaken the faith of men.”

Other actors on-hand were Wilmer Valderrama, Sean Penn and Michaela Coel. But even celebrities felt a wow factor. Coel, wearing a red and gold dress borrowed from a Sudanese friend, said it was “my first time in Washington — the closest I’ve had to this is ‘Hamilton,’ the musical.”

NBC news anchor Lester Holt said it was his second state dinner, joking, “I don’t get out much.”

Other attendees included former “Top Chef” contestant Kwame Onwuachi and top Democratic donor Mark Gallogly. Sheryl Sandberg , who helped to transform Facebook from a tech startup into a digital advertising empire , philanthropist Melinda Gates and Hunter Biden, the president’s son, who is scheduled to stand trial next month on gun charges in Delaware and on federal tax charges in September, were also there.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, a longtime, leading Democratic voice and former presidential candidate himself, was asked while arriving about Biden’s chances against his predecessor and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump . He responded that “democracy is going to win in ’24” while adding that Africa has not been properly recognized on the world stage — which he said made Thursday night’s dinner especially important.

The decor featured fuchsia and purple African orchids and American roses. That’s a pairing that symbolizes enduring U.S.-Kenyan friendship, Jill Biden said, while recalling her own visit to Kenya as part of a five-day, two-country 2023 African tour .

Guests dined in the sprawling, transparent pavilion meant to afford sweeping views of the sun setting over the Washington Monument and, later, stars overhead. More than 1,000 candles were placed along the pavilion walls, while a suspended centerpiece with 15,000 layered reflective metallic strips was there to amplify the candlelight.

Kenya last had a White House state dinner in 2003. No African nation has had one since President George W. Bush honored Ghana’s President John Kufuor five years after that.

The Bidens previously hosted post-pandemic state dinners for France, South Korea and India — which featured the Biden administration’s previous attendance high of nearly 400 guests — as well as for Australia in October and Japan last month.

Associated Press writer Evelyne Musambi contributed to this report from Nairobi, Kenya.

Sony Music Group warns more than 700 companies against using its content to train AI

One of the biggest record labels in the world is issuing notices warning hundreds of companies not to train artificial intelligence models on its content without permission.

Sony Music Group — which owns such well-known labels as Columbia Records, RCA Records and Epic Records — has started sending formal letters to more than 700 generative AI companies and streaming platforms prohibiting them from mining text or data, web scraping or otherwise using any SMG content without explicit licensing agreements.

That covers a wide variety of content, including audio recordings, musical compositions (including lyrics), cover artwork and metadata, according to a copy of the letter obtained by NBC News.

In its letter, SMG said it recognizes the “significant potential and advancement” of AI.

"However, unauthorized use of SMG Content in the training, development or commercialization of AI systems deprives SMG Companies and SMG Talent of control over and appropriate compensation for the uses of SMG Content, conflicts with the normal exploitation of those works, unreasonably prejudices our legitimate interests, and infringes our intellectual property and other rights," it wrote.

Such activity “conflicts with the normal exploitation of those works, unreasonably prejudices our legitimate interests, and infringes our intellectual property and other rights," the letter says.

Asked for comment, a spokesperson for SMG referred NBC News to a declaration the company posted online Thursday.

“Evolutions in technology have frequently shifted the course of creative industries. AI will likely continue that long-standing trend,” it wrote in the post. “However, that innovation must ensure that songwriters’ and recording artists’ rights, including copyrights, are respected.”

The letter asks companies either to confirm that they have not used SMG content without permission or, if they have, to provide details about how the content was used in AI training.

The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI law, which passed in March, includes a clause requiring providers of general-purpose AI models to make public a “sufficiently detailed” summary of the content used to train those models.

Concerns around the use of AI have plagued the music industry in recent months as the rapid proliferation of generative AI tools makes it easier than ever for anyone to scrape copyrighted content to produce AI-generated music.

While regulations protecting human-made work still lag in the U.S., many companies have begun to negotiate their own agreements around the licensing of their content for AI model training. Some have also sued AI companies , claiming their AI models were trained on copyrighted materials.

Some tracks that appear to use AI-generated vocals have already popped up online. Last year, a viral song called “heart on my sleeve,” created by an anonymous musician who goes by "ghostwriter,” featured vocals that sound like those of Drake and The Weeknd. It was quickly taken down from streaming services because of a copyright claim by Universal Music Group.

(UMG has no relationship to NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.)

In April, Drake released “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which featured the AI-generated voice of the late rapper Tupac Shakur . The diss track was removed from Drake’s X and Instagram accounts days after Shakur’s estate  threatened to sue him .

Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl testified last month before the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on intellectual property to advocate for legislation that would protect against using nonconsensual deepfakes.

“Our fundamental position on AI is simple. Everyone should have the right to decide how their own name, likeness and voice is used,” Kyncl said in prepared remarks . “These characteristics are the very foundations of our individuality — they are not simply data to be taken and used by others. Each person’s identity must not be used in ways that they would never condone or wish to participate in.”

Artists are also pushing for protections against AI. More than 200 artists signed an open letter last month calling on AI developers, tech companies and digital music services to pledge not to use AI in ways that “undermine or replace the human artistry of songwriters and artists.”

Angela Yang is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News.

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iOS 18 Apple Music App to Get Smarter Song Transitions

With iOS 18 and macOS 15 , the Apple Music app will gain smarter song transitions, reports AppleInsider . Apple is reportedly testing a new feature called "smart song transitions" that would be an improvement to the current crossfade option that comes into play when transitioning from one song to the next.

AppleInsider says that Apple is also working on a new feature called "Passthrough" for ‌Apple Music‌ and QuickTime Player, but there is no information on what this feature is. The site suggests that it is related to Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos.

Similarly, Apple is said to be working on a "Spatial Gaming" feature internally, but there are also no details on what this might be.

‌iOS 18‌ is set to be unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference that will kick off on Monday, June 10.

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Customisable. The word you’re looking for is “customisable”, not smart. ?

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