L.A. Jewish native Coby Getzug on playing an Israeli in the national touring production of ‘The Band’s Visit’

(Photo: Coby Getzug speaking at the Hollywood Roosevelt Theater about his role in ‘The Band’s Visit.’ Credit: Kelly Hartog)

L.A. native and 2015 UCLA musical theater graduate Coby Getzug already had racked up a list of formidable credits including “Spring Awakening,” “The Book of Mormon” and “Our Town.” The homegrown talent who went to Adat Ariel day school and whose family are active members in the IKAR community, is currently playing the role of Papi in the national touring production of “The Band’s Visit.” He’s thrilled to be back in town for a few weeks and to take on a character who is Israeli and speaks Hebrew onstage.

During a panel discussion about the show at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with several other cast members (see main story here), the moderator quipped that Getzug’s family was also so excited that his mother was single-handedly responsible for selling half the tickets to the Los Angeles performances.

After the panel, I sat down with Getzug to ask him some burning questions.

SoCalJewishNews: The dedication in your bio notes in the show’s Playbill states, “For my Savta.” (Savta is Hebrew for grandmother.) Can you tell us a little about that dedication?

Coby Getzug: My savta was born in Mea Shearim (an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem). She is in a very different place now than she was then. When she was a preteen, her mom passed away and so her dad came here first and then the rest of the siblings followed. She assimilated fairly quickly because she was a teenager, so you would never know now meeting her that she comes from that world. But I grew up with a very strong connection to Judaism [and] a very strong connection to Israel. It’s really moving for me to be able to play an Israeli in this way because I feel very connected to my savta and she’s also one of my favorite people.

SCJN: And you’ve been able to use your Hebrew language skills in the show?

CG: Well, my Hebrew was pretty good until I stopped going to day school and I sort of lost it a bit, but it’s still in there. It’s been great in this cast because between Sasson (Gabay, who plays Tawfiq), Yoni (Avi Battat, who plays band member Camal), and a couple of other Hebrew speakers, there’s Hebrew getting thrown around backstage as well as Arabic, so I’m learning some phrases in Arabic, too. It’s cool. It’s special to be a part of a cast where Hebrew can be thrown around casually. And it’s been really fun for me to rediscover that language in the recesses of my brain.

SCJN: The show doesn’t talk directly about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but have people discussed it with you in light of the show?

CG: Not specifically, but I think the show is timely for a lot of reasons, especially with the events (in Israel) in the last few months. I think what’s so beautiful about this piece is that it’s set in Israel and it deals with Israelis and Arabs, but it’s about human connection and it’s not about conflict. There really isn’t a better time to present a story about people from this region and about people from different cultures in this light. I think it’s a really important thing for people to remember that we’re all human and we all want to connect and we all want to feel safe and share experiences.

SCJN: American audiences may not be aware of how legendary an actor Sasson Gabay is in Israel. What is it like for you to be onstage with an Israeli icon?

CG: Oh man, it’s a real honor and privilege to work with him. What’s so amazing about him is he was in the movie originally. He did the show for a long time on Broadway and has been touring with it for a long time now. And every performance is different and he’s so present and  engaged with you while you’re on stage with him. I don’t get a lot of scenes with him, unfortunately, but the times that I do, it’s magical. I really feel like I’m in the presence of a legend.

It’s funny, because we’ve been to a lot of places where I’ll meet Israelis who will say, ‘Sasson is big!” We know. But he’s also our abba (father). He’s the group’s leader, and anytime I have a question, if I want to throw in a little Hebrew here or there, he’s always the first one to offer up some phrases or coach me on my pronunciation. It’s an honor to be working with him and to learn from him and watch him tell this story that he’s been telling for so many years in a way that feels fresh and relevant.

“What’s so beautiful about this piece is that it’s set in Israel and it deals with Israelis and Arabs, but it’s about human connection and it’s not about conflict. There really isn’t a better time to present a story about people from this region and about people from different cultures in this light.”

SCJN: What’s it like to be in Los Angeles with the show and to be here for Hanukkah?

CG: I just had some of the cast over for Hanukkah on Monday night. It was really fun and very cool to be able to share that experience with them. I couldn’t be more excited to be here. I mean, we joked about it (during the panel),  but my mom truly is bringing everyone she knows. I’m just excited for people to experience the show and see the story.

Growing up, I went to Adat Ariel, and Rabbi Moshe Rothblum was the head rabbi there for a very long time. He did a musical every year and when I was in sixth grade, I played Winthrop in “The Music Man.” It was the greatest experience ever, and we’ve stayed close over the years. I had him and his wife as my guests last night, and that was a really beautiful, full-circle moment for me.

SCJN: So was that “Music Man” experience a formative one for you? Is that the point where you said, ‘This is what I want to do with my life?’

CG: Absolutely. I was 11 or 12 when I did that and that’s right when I got the bug. I went to the Los Angeles (County) High School for Performing Arts and was a theater major there. That really solidified my love for the theater. I was also involved with community theater productions at Adat Ariel and at the Children’s Theater Group of Southern California.

After high school, I took a year off and toured with “Spring Awakening” and then went to UCLA for musical theater. There was no turning back after that. But yes, being in the rabbi’s play in sixth grade was definitely formative for me.

SCJN: What about your Israel experiences?

CG: I went to Israel for the first time in sixth grade on an exchange program. I’m now starting to realize that sixth grade was a pretty formative year! Then I went back for my brother’s bar mitzvah. We spent a couple of weeks there. And I went on Birthright in college. I haven’t been back since then but I’m dying to go. My mom spent a good deal of time in Israel, too. She speaks Hebrew, so the love of Israel has always been fostered in my home, and we have a lot of family in Israel as well. I can’t wait to go back.

SCJN: Anything else that makes this show special for you?

CG: I really believe in the power of theater and live experiences, especially after the past couple of years that we’ve had (with the pandemic). There’s such an indescribable power in sharing something in person that can really lift your soul in a way that I think a lot of people’s souls need to be lifted these days. So I would urge people to come and share this experience with us.

I’m just so excited to be part of a show that celebrates Israeli culture and Egyptian culture and Middle Eastern people and music.

“The Band’s Visit” runs through Dec. 19 at The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and will run at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa from March 23–April 2, 2022.

For Dolby Theatre tickets and times visit www.BroadwayInHollywood.com or www.Ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-982-2787.