Broadway musical Bandstand makes limited big screen run

Tori Moss, Managing Editor
June 20, 2018

The 2017 Tony Award-winning musical for Best Choreography, Bandstand, will hit the big screen in just five days.

For two days only, June 25 and 28, the hit musical Bandstand, featuring Laura Osnes and Corey Cott, will be shown in movie theatres all over the country. Produced by Fathom Events, the show will be keeping its original cast from the broadway musical.

In the past, Fathom Events has also produced other broadway hits such as Newsies: The Broadway Musical, Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, and Angels in America.

Laura Osnes, also known as Julia Trojan, sings her heart out with the other members of The Donny Nova Band on stage at Birdland Jazz Club on March 11, 2018. The show opened on April 26, 2017, and closed on September 17, 2017, since, being performed at Birdland Jazz Club in New York City multiple times. (The Broadcaster/Tori Moss)

Set in 1945, post World War II, Bandstand focuses on the struggles of coming home from war. Donny Novitski, played by Cott, is not only suffering from the trauma of war, but he is also mourning the loss of his best friend, Michael Trojan.

Opening the show, the song “Just Like It Was Before,” gives the audience an idea of what the soldiers imagined it would be like when they made it back home; however, it was definitely not what they expected.

A few scenes into the show, and the audience is introduced to Michael’s beloved widow, Julia, played by Osnes. Prior to his death, Michael asks Donny to take care of Julia if anything were to happen to him. Of course, like a true friend, Donny keeps his promise.

Once Donny and Julia meet, it is love at first sight.

The show continues with Donny forming a band with five other war veterans, plus a newly branded gold star wife, Julia Trojan. The band comes together to enter a contest as a “tribute to the troops” under the name of “The Donny Nova Band ft. Julia Trojan.”

The winning band from each state gets to travel to New York City on “first class pullman cars,” Donny and Michael’s dream.

“The Donny Nova Band” wins in the state of Ohio and will continue on to New York City. Once they arrive in NYC, they are soon faced with the reality the heroes of war actually receive.

The band performs its song “Welcome Home (finale),” and wows the crowd with the reality many soldiers face and is not seen.

Will “The Donny Nova Band” win the competition? Will Donny and Julia end up falling deeply in love? Will soldiers ever get the honor they deserve? To find out more, see Fathom Events production of Bandstand on June 25 and 28. You won’t want to miss it.