The long-awaited New York premiere of Harmony, based on the true story of German singing group The Comedian Harmonists, has received generally positive reviews from theater critics. The creative team includes Barry Manilow (music), Bruce Sussman (book, lyrics), Warren Carlyle (direction, choreography), Beowulf Boritt (sets), Linda Cho and Ricky Lurie (costumes), Dan Moses Schreier (sound), Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer (lights), Dan Moses Schreier (sound), Batwin & Robin (video), Tom Watson (wig & hair), and John O’Neill (music direction). The production continues at National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene through May 8.
The cast includes Sean Bell, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen, Eric Peters, Blake Roman and Steven Telsey as The Comedian Harmonists, with Chip Zien, Sierra Boggess, Jessie Davidson, Ana Hoffman, Kenny Morris, Elise Frances Daniells, Zak Edwards, Abby Goldfarb, Eddie Grey, Shayne Kennon, Kolby Kindle Benjamin H. Moore, Matthew Mucha, Andrew O’Shanick, Tori Palin, Barrett Riggins, Kayleen Seidl, Dan Teixeira, Nancy Ticotin, and Kate Wesler. Below is Manilow singing “Every Single Day” from the show.
N.Y. Post (Johnny Oleksinksi): It’s some of the better quality stage scores of the theater season. … Manilow’s score, with lyrics by Bruce Sussman, is pretty and occasionally touching. And all of the singers are sensational. … The narrator role is a new addition to the show … presumably to lend some gravitas and perspective — and Zien is in excellent form. But the role’s inclusion both spoils his character’s eventual fate (he’s obviously not an angel) and gives everything a stuffy air of nostalgia. We’re always looking back. … It would be nice to see something more transportive and evocative. So the long journey of Harmony continues. But with Manilow’s fine music, and this extraordinary company of actors, it’s worth the extra mileage. 4 out of 5 stars.
N.Y. Theatre Guide (Gillian Russo): Ain’t Too Proud and Jersey Boys already made successes of the same concept, but I’m happy to report that Harmony earns its place among them. … The many moving parts of this musical aren’t in as perfect harmony as the Comedian Harmonists, but they’re pretty darn close. … Harmony skillfully balances its various through-lines: The humorous moments don’t feel inappropriate amid heavy threads of anti-Semitism and loss, and these threads are sufficiently explored without plunging the audience into unrelenting despair. With minor exceptions, Harmony hits all the right notes. 4 out of 5 stars.
N.Y. Times (Elizabeth Vincentelli): Manilow, Sussman and Carlyle mostly succeed in balancing the shifting moods, which is no easy feat because they must shuffle broad humor and, well, Nazis. The “comedian” in the band’s name was to be taken literally, for example, and the singers were as famous for their stage antics and novelty songs as for their tight singing. The downside is that there is a thin line between speedy and rushed, and the men are drawn in brushstrokes. … Two women get the epic “Where You Go,” which has the heart-on-sleeve grandeur of the finest Michel Legrand ballads. Such Harmony songs as that one, “This Is Our Time” and “Every Single Day” create a sense of out-of-time inevitability, yet they also remain grounded in the story: It is impossible to forget why we are watching the show.
Time Out (Raven Snook): Although Harmony is engaging and heartfelt, it peters off into historical hokum. … The show’s first half is a tuneful whirlwind of lush and lovely melodies by Manilow (and workmanlike lyrics by Sussman). The second half is where things go off-key. … Manilow and Sussman’s paint-by-production-numbers approach is understandable: Many biomusicals use it, and audiences enjoy it well enough. But though it may be a crowd-pleaser, Harmony doesn’t make the most of the possibilities of its medium. The story of the Comedian Harmonists … deserves musical-theater storytelling as nuanced and compelling as the group’s polyphonic sound. 3 out of 5 stars.
Variety (A.D. Amorosi): Sussman and Manilow’s score for the show lends a contemporary flair to the joy, brotherhood, disappointment, disillusionment and guilt experienced by The Comedian Harmonists … and the women who loved them. In particular, Manilow’s memorable melodies are both cleverly married to the schlager-showtune-cabaret vibe of its time while still sounding as fresh as yesterday. … Sussman, meanwhile, provides a crackling, cracking-wise script. … Every element of Harmony clicks in place like a gorgeous puzzle. … Along with arriving at a collective sense of family by show’s end, this history lesson also demonstrates the power of making humanity sing, even in our darkest hours.