The year is 1996; the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra are waiting at the central bus station in Tel Aviv. Their band leader is a quiet and thoughtful man. He recognizes that his young subordinate officer is a different man entirely; adventurous, bold and anxious to get moving, so he asks Haled to purchase the bus tickets for their group. He goes to the ticket window and asks the clerk for tickets to Petah Tikvah, a relatively large city. However, his accent is thick and hard to understand; the clerk thinks he has asked for tickets for the isolated town of Bet Hatikva.
In Bet Hatikva, the residents are bored stiff, and have nothing to do. ("Waiting".) This is why the arrival of bus load of musicians causes something of a stir. Two of the members ask for directions to the Arab Cultural Center, where they are scheduled to perform the next day. This causes confusion and suspicion - who are these strangers asking for places that do not exist? They ask to speak to cafe owner Dina, a sharp and intelligent woman who quickly realizes that not only are the group lost, but that they have no idea that they are lost. She realizes that they believe themselves to be in Petah Tikvah. (Welcome To Nowhere). She tells them that they must have boarded the wrong bus. One of the band members asks to use a phone, but there is only one phone in town, and nobody ever gets to use it because it is hogged by a man who waits next to it every night for his girlfriend to call. She hasn't called for several months but this has not stopped him waiting, and guarding the phone from all comers.
Dina invites the men to eat at the cafe and also offers accommodation, which they reluctantly agree to, since their options are extremely limited. Tewfiq hangs out in Dina's kitchen with her, asking casual questions in an attempt to get to know her a little bit. She tells him she was married once ("It Is What It Is") but it didn't work out. Sometimes life doesn't work out as planned.
Another man, Itzik, invites a band member called Simon into his home, to stay with him and his wife and baby; his father-in-lawt lives there as well. Simon makes small talk; he asks what happened to Avrum's wife. Avrum tells him that music was the foundation upon which their life together was built. They had met in a music club. ("The Beat Of Your Heart") Throughout the touching story, Itzik's wife remains silent, chewing steadfastly.
That night is the most interesting that the people of the town have experienced in a long while; the band members all make plans to go out. Dina asks Tewfiq to join her for dinner. She reminisces about the music she used to listen to on Egyptian radio. This is unexpected to Tewfiq, who was a little reluctant to accept her invitation. They begin to bond over shared memories.
Papi has gone on a date with the object of his affections, but has terrible anxiety about the date, so at the last minute asks Haled to go with them. They decide to hit the roller rink. Papi ignores the girl all night and admits that romance in general makes him anxious ("Papi Hears The Ocean") Haled tries to boost his confidence and he does such a good job of it that Papi talks to the girl in question, successfully ("Haled's Song About Love")
Dina takes Tewfiq to the park after their dinner. Tewfiq is socially awkward, and quiet, because he has a stutter, but when she asks him to sing, his stutter disappears. (It'gara) Dina doesn't understand what he is singing, but is hypnotized by his song. She starts to believe that the bus didn't really come to the wrong place at all; rather, that it was meant to come to her little town so that she and Tewfiq could meet ("Something Different")
Itzik sings his son a lullaby ("Itzik's Lullaby") His wife is turned off by this and finds him ineffectual. She leaves, which concerns Simon until Itzik tells him that this happens periodically. She always comes back. He is right; she returns just in time to hear her son crying, but he is soothed by a tune played by Simon on his clarinet. The power of the music calms Itzak's wife as well and they make up. Simon finishes his tune and goes to bed.
Dina probes more into Tewfiq's life back home. He confides that he and his son never got along. It was probably why his son committed suicide and this has been an enormous source of guilt for him. His wife killed herself because of her grief over hr sone's death. Haled arrives as he is getting more uncomfortable, and tells him that the bus will arrive in the morning to take them to their intended destination. Tewfiq leaves to go to bed, and Dina sings about the nature of their relationship ("Something Different *reprise*") and this makes her feel more romantic. She kisses Haled when he pays her a compliment.
In the morning, the band gathers by Dina's cafe, as planned, to pick up the bus. Concerned that geography is not Tewfiq's strong suit Dina gives him a piece of paper with the name of their destination written on it. Later that day the band arrive successfully in Petah Tikvah, where they are due to play their concert. As Tewfiq raises his conductor's baton, and the lights go out on the stage.
