Saturday Special- Bandstand the Broadway Musical on Screen

We were invited to Bandstand the Broadway Musical on Screen's Special Film Premiere for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Bandstand the Broadway Musical on Screen

Where: Visit Fathom Events for a theater near you

Who: Teens and Up

When: Monday June 25,2018  7:00 PM and Thursday June 28, 2018 7:00 PM

Mom's view: Bandstand is a deeply meaningful musical about the plight of soldier's returning from war. However, despite what that may sound like and although there are serious issues dealt with and darker moments in the show, it is not completely a downer, although I would not recommend it for very young children due to the subject matter. The show is also full of light happy and even funny moments. It has a beautiful original soundtrack full of upbeat danceable swing tunes like Nobody and First Feet First and poignant ballads like Who I Was , Everything Happens, and Welcome Home. The songs are both sung and played by the talented cast.

The band at the center of the show is led by Donny Novitski played by Cory Cott, known for replacing Jeremy Jordan in Newsies. Donny is a soldier returning from war who decides to form a band full of veterans like himself.  The way the band comes together and becomes like a family is really touching. In a case of life imitating art, the cast had such a great time playing together in the musical that since the show's untimely closing they have actual gone out and played gigs together as the Donny Nova Band (the name of the band in the show).

For lovers of romance, the show also has plenty of that in story of Donny and Julia Trojan. Julia, played by Broadway favorite, Laura Osnes,  known for such shows as Grease, Cinderella and Bonnie and Clyde,  is the widow of an army buddy of Donny's. When she becomes the band's singer, the pair are both drawn together and pulled apart by their shared tragedy. All in all, in the show is really moving in so many ways.

For our previous review of the show when it briefly played on Broadway last year,  go to Theater Thursday: Bandstand. However, if you were not lucky enough to be able to see the show during its all too short run on stage,  now is your chance. In its closing days, the show was captured on film and now that film is being shown on movie screens across the country by Fathom Events for two days only Monday June 25, 2018 at 7:00 PM and Thursday June 28, 2018 at 7:00 PM. Don't miss your opportunity to see this extremely touching musical!

For more information or to reserve tickets, go to  Fathom Events.

Tune in tomorrow for this week's Sunday Scoop.