Harmony is a stage musical with music by Barry Manilow and book and lyrics by Bruce Sussman. The musical tells the true story of the Comedian Harmonists, an ensemble of six young men in 1920s Germany who took the world by storm with their blend of sophisticated close harmonies and uproarious stage antics, until their inclusion of Jewish singers put them on a collision course with history.
The musical premiered at La Jolla Playhouse in the Mandell Weiss Theatre, in 1997. A planned Broadway production was slated for 2004, but due to lack of funds, it was ultimately canceled. The production opened in Atlanta in 2013, and Los Angeles in 2014, before an Off-Broadway production opened in April 2022. A Broadway transfer opened in November 2023 starring Chip Zien and Sierra Boggess. It closed on February 4, 2024.
Productions
San Diego (1997) In February 1997, Harmony was announced to start previews on October 7, 1997, in the Mandell Weiss Theatre at La Jolla Playhouse. It was created by Barry Manilow, with book and lyrics by Bruce Sussman. It opened on October 19, 1997, and closed on November 30, 1997. The entire production received mixed reviews, and was three hours in length.
David Warren directed the production, with set design by Derek McLane, costume design by Mark Wendland, sound design by Steve Canyon Kennedy and lighting by Ken Posner. Danny Burstein originated the role of Rabbi. Other cast members include Mark Chmiel as Lesh, James Clow as Bobby, Steven Goldstein as Erich, Thom Christopher Warren as Harry, Patrick Wilson as Chopin, Rebecca Luker as Mary and Janet Metz as Ruth.
An out-of-town try-out in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was slated for opening on December 17, 2003, with previews on November 25, 2003. A Broadway run was also planned for 2004. Previews for the Philadelphia try-out was delayed to December 2, 2003, with opening on December 10, 2003 due to delivery issues. Both productions were canceled following an announcement on November 13, 2003, due to lack of funds.
Atlanta and Los Angeles (2013, 2014) After winning back the rights to the musical in 2005, Manilow and Sussman chose to run the musical at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. It ran from September 6, 2013, and closed on October 6, 2013. It then ran at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California, from March 4, 2014, closing on April 13, 2014.
Off-Broadway (2022) Harmony was planned to debut Off-Broadway at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City, New York, on February 9, 2020, closing on March 29, 2020. The opening was subsequently delayed to February 11, 2021 and then again delayed to 2022. Previews began on March 23, 2022, opening on April 13, 2022 and ran until May 8, 2022.
Warren Carlyle directed and choreographed the production, with scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Linda Cho, sound design by Dan Moses Schreier and lighting by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer. Sara Edwards would also choreograph the Off-Broadway production. Danny Kornfield portrayed Rabbi, with Steve Telsey playing Lesh, Sean Bell as Bobby, Eric Peters as Erich, Zal Owen as Harry, Blake Roman as Chopin, Sierra Boggess as Mary, Jessie Davidson as Ruth and Chip Zien as Older Rabbi.
Broadway (2023-2024) A Broadway production of Harmony opened in 2023. Previews began at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on October 18, 2023, with an opening night of November 13, 2023. Warren Carlyle again directed and choreographed the production. Kornfeld, Telsey, Bell, Peters, Owen, Roman, Boggess and Zien reprised their roles, while Julie Benko originated the role of Ruth on Broadway. An original cast album was released on August 31, 2023.
The production played its final performance on February 4, 2024. It was not able to recoup the $15 million for which it was capitalized.
Post Broadway
On April 26 2025 it was announced that Hale Center Theater in Sandy Utah would produce the first regional production since the shows Broadway transfer. The production (Directed by Dave Tinney.) opened on HCT’s Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage on May 25 2026 and ran until August 1 2026. The second regional production was announced in March 2026 and was scheduled to run at Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk, CT, that September. The cast included OBC ensemble member and Harry and Young Rabbi cover Constantine Pappas, who played Young Rabbi.https://www.broadwayworld.com/connecticut/article/HARMONY-to-Make-Connecticut-Professional-Regional-Premiere-in-Norwalk-20260831
Cast and characters CharacterSan DiegoAtlantaLos AngelesOff-BroadwayBroadway19972013201420222023"Rabbi" Josef Roman Cycowski Chip ZienMary HegelRebecca LukerLeigh Ann LarkinSierra BoggessRuth SternJanet MetzHannah CorneauJessie DavidsonJulie BenkoBobby BibertiJames ClowDouglas WilliamsSean BellYoung "Rabbi"Danny BursteinShayne KennonDanny KornfeldHarry FrommermanThom Christopher WarrenTony YazbeckMatt BaileyZal OwenErich CollinSteven GoldsteinChris DwanEric PetersErwin "Chopin" BootzPatrick WilsonWill TaylorBlake RomanAri "Lesh" LeshnikoffMark ChmielWill BlumSteven TelseyJosephine BakerThursday Farrar Ana HoffmanAllison SemmesMarlene DietrichJodi StevensLauren Elaine TaylorChip ZienKayleen SeidlStandartenfϋhrerKurt ZiskieChad LindseyAndrew O'Shanick
Synopsis Act I
The show starts with an old Rabbi recounting his days in the Comedian Harmonists. Rabbi recounts that he was in the group and we hear them sing together in "Harmony". We see them holding the auditions and the various members joining the group- Young Rabbi, Bobby, Erich, Lesh, Harry, and Chopin. Mary is a Christian seamstress, dating the Jewish Young Rabbi. She ponders on the future world and how the area around her is changing. ("What Do You See?") Mary wonders to Young Rabbi whether they can make it. Young Rabbi assures her it’s not so bad out there and they are in love and can move forward. Meanwhile the Harmonists have gotten an audition at a nice club, this could potentially be their big break. We also meet Ruth, a Jew who is dating the Christian Chopin. Ruth is a fiery revolutionist with communist ideals- Mary makes her a red coat and the boys go to support her at a rally with Chopin donning a red scarf to support her. (“This is Our Time”) With the Harmonists getting a spot to play at the nice club, Erich is now concerned because his parents are quite wealthy, so it would get back to them that he played at the club from people who saw him. He is a doctor, so him starting to devote his career to singing is a big change. In this song, he practices telling his parents the news with the other boys acting as his parents and coming up with different reactions. (“Your Son is Becoming a Singer”) We go back to Mary and Young Rabbi. Things have gotten worse for Jews around Germany. Mary is concerned that they are setting themselves up for failure. Young Rabbi assures her that they will fight for each other and proposes marriage. (“Every Single Day”) The harmonists go to the club for their big performance. (“How Can I Serve You Madam?”) It turns out someone has broken into their dressing room since the tuxes for their performance are made by a Jewish shop owner. They end up performing a more comedic styled performance without pants in big jackets with water spraying effects. It’s a huge hit, and the Harmonists become the Comedian Harmonists and incorporate comedy and parody into their acts. This quickly takes off and they become hugely popular. We see Young Rabbi and Mary and Ruth and Chopin get married. ("The Wedding") They perform traditional Jewish wedding customs, but at the end, someone runs up the aisle and breaks the glass of the synagogue. The group and Mary go on a European tour and go to America to play Carnegie Hall. ("Home") They are extremely successful and meet tons of celebrities along the way. This tour is contrasted with images on stage of Nazi propaganda depicting the Nazi rise to power in Germany. The group is largely shielded from this as they are away overseas. They run into Albert Einstein (played by the Old Rabbi in a wig). Einstein talks about how bad things have gotten and how he’s never going back. The group gets an offer to stay in the US and host a radio show and do a regular show with the famous Josephine Baker. They debate it, but Bobby is insistent that everybody loves them more at home and they should go back where they have come from. The group eventually gives in to Bobby. Old Rabbi reminisces and wishes they had stayed.
Act II