Manilow & Sussman's 'Harmony' Review: A Glorious New Work of Theatrical Art (5 STARS)

Harmony is as close to perfect as theater gets.

The sensational true story of The Comedian Harmonists, that has tragically been forgotten by history, has triumphantly been brought back to life in a sensational new musical, Harmony, penned by legendary songwriting team Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman.

It is a true-life tale of “the three Jews and three Gentiles” who formed a pre-Nazi-era, singing group that was as “hotter than horseradish,” playing packed concert halls around the world, selling millions of records and filming 12 movies. Yet these international stars who were at the peak of their powers on December 16, 1933, at New York’s Carnegie Hall, made a fatal decision that night that would put them on a collision course with history.

Sussman and Manilow’s score cleverly references the authentic cabaret vibe of its time while still sounding contemporary and fresh. While Sussman’s crackling script is both decidedly classic and daringly modern, giving a contemporary twist to the classical musical comedy form. And kudos to both for creating an entirely original score and refusing to take the low road and cramming in a bunch of their pop hits.

When many modern bookwriters resort to puns and punch lines to get a giggle, Sussman aims higher and succeeds. Every single laugh in the show – and there are many – comes from character and situation.

However, it is when Sussman turns to drama that his real genius shines through. The climactic scene on the night train to Munich – dramatizing an uncanny event that actually happened – is a story-telling triumph.

Director-choreographer Warren Carlyle serves up the material with style and restraint, while lighting designers Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer show what musical theatre heaven really looks like.

Chip Zien, in the role of a lifetime, fittingly gives the performance of his long and impressive career. His climactic musical turn, "Threnody," will leave you breathless.

Equally impressive are Danny Kornfeld, Sean Bell, Zal Owen, Eric Peters, Blake Roman and Steven Telsey who are cast perfectly as the Harmonists. Embodying the style and wit of the real-life men they are playing, the six brilliantly talented young performers will all have long and successful careers as long as talent and charm still matter.

Similarly, the two women, Ruth, brought to life by the dazzling Julie Benko fresh off her Funny Girl success, and the brilliant Sierra Boggess, playing Mary, are impossible to keep your eyes off of. (How is it possible that Zien and Boggess have never been nominated for a Tony award, let alone win one? Trust me, Harmony is about to change that for both of them)

If there isn’t a place for Harmony to thrive on Broadway, then we should all just give up. For Harmony must not just be seen and heard, it must be remembered. After all, great theater both entertains and educates – and Harmony is truly great theater.