Based on the unbelievable true story, Harmony tells the tale of the most successful entertainers you’ve never heard of. . . . until now. In the 1920s and 30s, The Comedian Harmonists sold millions of records, made dozens of films, and sold out the biggest theaters around the world. Their heavenly harmonies and musical comedy antics catapulted these six talented young men from singing in the subway tunnels of Berlin to international superstardom. What happened next is the story of Harmony. Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle, this timely and captivating rags-to-riches story lost to history comes to dazzling life with a sensational cast of Broadway favorites.
There was a time when reviewers excited about an opening would resort to the “Run, don’t walk…” plug. You don’t hear it much nowadays. Nonetheless, I’m reviving it for Harmony, the superb new musical for which Barry Manilow wrote the tunes and Bruce Sussman wrote the lyrics and book. Be advised not even to run but to race to this tale of a six-man Berlin singing group that was founded in 1927, became an international sensation by the early 1930s, and disbanded when Hitler decided that the three Jewish members must no longer appear on stage but were better off leaving the country, as they were able to do. Sounds like a grim story, and it is. But not completely so, as the title suggests and as its authors hope in an implied message that remains as cogent today, when antisemitism in on the rise domestically and globally. Whether that wished-for goal is attainable or not, Manilow, Sussman and crew are ebulliently pushing for harmony musically and societally.
For the last two decades, Barry Manilow and his longtime writing partner Bruce Sussman have worked tirelessly to bring Harmony: A New Musical to Broadway. The show, which opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theater on Nov. 13, chronicles the true story of the Comedian Harmonists, a six-membered German vocal group that rose to popularity in the late 1920s only to be completely erased from history because it featured Jewish members. With Harmony, Manilow and Sussman succeed in shining a light on a moving and timely tale, but the show doesn't truly begin to sing until its second act.
Rush Tickets:
18@18
Price: The first 18 rush tickets will be available to purchase for $18.00 each.
Where: Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street) box office.
Limit: One per customer.
Restrictions: Seat locations for this program vary and may be available in all sections of the theatre.
Digital Lottery:
Price: $49
Where: https://rush.telecharge.com/
When: The lottery will open at 12 AM on the day before the performance closing at 3 PM the day before the performance. Winners are drawn at 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Seats may be located in any section of the theater. While every effort will be made to seat pairs together with a full view, there is a chance that pairs may be split up and that your seat may have a partial view of the stage. Winners will be notified by email shortly after each drawing and have five hours to claim and purchase tickets online. Tickets will be emailed.
1997 | Regional (US) |
World Premiere Regional (US) |
2003 | Regional (US) |
Regional Production Regional (US) |
2023 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Musical | Harmony |
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