NEWSBarry Manilow & Bruce Sussman's Musical 'Harmony' Officially Broadway-Bound
May 2 2023, Published 4:36 p.m. ET
Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman's musical Harmony is officially Broadway-bound!
After a sold-out run at New York's National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene last spring, the production will head to the big stage in the fall, it was recently announced.
Previews will begin at Broadway's Barrymore Theatre on Wednesday, October 18, a few weeks before opening night, which is set for Monday, November 13.
Harmony follows the real-life story of The Comedian Harmonists — played by Sean Bell, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen, Eric Peters, Blake Roman and Steven Telsey — who sold millions of records in the '20s and '30s and sold out major venues 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," the synopsis reads.
The musical features an original score by Manilow with lyrics and book by Sussman. Additionally, Warren Carlyle, who has worked on The Music Man, Hello, Dolly!)is the director and choreographer, while Ken Davenport, Sandi Moran and Garry Kief are producers.
“Broadway is where we always dreamed we would be,” the duo said in a statement. “Dreams really do come true.”
Added Carlyle, “I’m so thrilled that we are bringing the amazing, true story of Harmony to Broadway. It’s a great honor and privilege to both direct and choreograph such an important story.”
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Though the musical isn't set in today's world, Sussman and Manilow reflected on how the events are similar to what is happening with the war going on in Ukraine.
“It sounds very current,” Manilow said in an interview in 2022.
“I think one of the many joys about doing this show now is that it seems to be resonating more than ever,” Sussman added.
“There are actually moments in the show where I fear that people are going to think I’m writing to the headlines. These things were written, some of them years ago, and it’s just now that they seem like they’re taken from the front page of the paper or your lead story on CNN,” he said.
