The heart of Times Square in New York City pulsed with pure anticipation when Broadway’s lights shined, signaling the long awaited opening of HARMONY the musical. It was a star-studded event with composer Barry Manilow and writer Bruce Sussman at the helm, an evening that blew all boundaries of an opening night, even with automobiles of the 1930’s gracing the red carpet. It was a night to go down in theatrical history with Broadway legends like Sutton Foster and Brian Stokes Mitchell offering support to their fellow actors and many wanting a photo-op with Barry Manilow. HARMONY opened to mostly positive reviews from various well-respected publications. The New York Times stated,” Manilow’s vocal arrangements, written with John O’Neill, the show’s music director, are marvelous.” The show stars musical theatre veterans Sierra Boggess, Julie Benko and Chip Zien.
Sierra Boggess, Chip Zien, Julie Benko
The premise? The show begins in Berlin Germany in 1927, with a bit of darkness with a war looming in the near future. The HARMONY official website describes “Six remarkably talented young men form a singing group who become international sensations: The Comedian Harmonists. They sell millions of records, star in major motion pictures, and play the biggest theaters around the world. By 1935, they were never heard from again. What happened? That’s the extraordinary true story of HARMONY. Featuring an original score by Tony®, Grammy® and Emmy® Award winner Barry Manilow with lyrics and book by long-time collaborator and Drama Desk Award winner Bruce Sussman.” Throughout the show, the character “The Rabbi” (Chip Zien) hints that he is the only member of HARMONY that survived the war. Variety.com described, “You’d think, then, that the two and half hours of action up on the stage would be sorrowful and terrifying, and ultimately tragic, but they’re not. The play, equal parts glitzy and superficial, consists largely of jaunty songs.”
Bruce Sussman, Barry Manilow, Warren Carlyle
Dance Captain Kate Wesler and Assistant Dance Captain Dan Hoy told Pop Style TV, exclusively, ” Wait until you see these boys do the choreography. It’s quite spectacular. ” Wesler adds that her favorite dance number in the show is , “In this world.”
HARMONY is playing at Barrymore Theatre: 243 W 47th St.New York, NY 10036.
Box Office Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 10am – 8pm
Sunday: Noon – 6pm (Open until curtain when there is a late performance.)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON HOW TO GET TICKETS!
