In 'Harmony,' a band's success collides with history
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Monday, November 4, 2024


In 'Harmony,' a band's success collides with history
From left, Steven Telsey, Sean Bell, Blake Roman, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen and Eric Peters in “Harmony” at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, March 23, 2022. Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman’s musical chronicles the story of the Comedian Harmonists, a sextet of Jews and gentiles in Weimar-era Germany. Sara Krulwich/The New York Times.

by Elisabeth Vincentelli



NEW YORK, NY.- For many people, especially those of a certain generation, the name Barry Manilow immediately summons innocuous marshmallow-soft rock. Regardless of whether you interpret that description as comforting or saccharine, it is not necessarily a style you would associate with a show about a Weimar-era vocal group split apart by the rise of Nazism.

And yet here is “Harmony: A New Musical,” a project Manilow and his longtime collaborator Bruce Sussman have been nursing for over 25 years. It opened Wednesday at the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, a location bearing the weight of history that adds an extra layer of poignancy to an imperfect but very affecting show.

Those skeptical of the fact that the men behind “Copacabana” could tackle serious matters should perhaps listen closely to “Tryin’ to Get the Feeling Again” or “Even Now,” just two examples of Manilow’s flair. Those 1970s songs are very much of their time yet also ageless, and they embrace dramatic storytelling seasoned with a touch of unabashed sentiment that some may dismiss as sentimental. They are the aural equivalent of 1950s melodramas by Douglas Sirk like “All That Heaven Allows,” and, as such, not so different from the best numbers in “Harmony,” which are crafted in a defiantly classic mold. Every time the production becomes a little wobbly, those songs steer it back to solid emotional ground.

Presented by the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene, the show is essentially a biomusical — though not a jukebox — in which Manilow (music) and Sussman (book and lyrics) retrace the saga of the Comedian Harmonists, a sextet made up of Jews and gentiles and whose popularity in the late 1920s and early 1930s spread well beyond their Berlin base.

It is at Carnegie Hall in December 1933 that we first meet the band members, performing the lengthy title number, in which the singers emulate jazz instruments before whisking us back to the group’s formation in 1927.

This is when Harry Frommermann (Zal Owen), a supremely gifted arranger and orchestrator, not unlike Manilow himself, places a newspaper ad looking for singers. A crew as motley as it is talented answers the call, as if this were in an episode of “Making the (Boy) Band.” It includes Erwin Bootz (Blake Roman), nicknamed Chopin because of his virtuoso piano playing; “chain-smoking Bulgarian tenor” Ari Leschnikoff (Steven Telsey), who goes by the nickname Lesh; wealthy, monocle-wearing medical student Erich Collin (Eric Peters); and rapscallion bass Bobby Biberti (a very funny Sean Bell, with Danny Kaye vibes).

Rounding out the ensemble is Roman Cycowski (Danny Kornfeld), nicknamed Rabbi because he had been studying in Poland to become one. Rabbi plays a key role or rather two: His older self, portrayed by Broadway veteran Chip Zien (the original Baker of “Into the Woods,” “Falsettos”), acts as narrator, both reflecting back on his band’s history and commenting on the various goings-on.

This extra Rabbi is new to the NYTF’s iteration of the musical — “Harmony” premiered at La Jolla Playhouse in 1997, then reemerged in 2014 for runs in Atlanta and Los Angeles — and, at first, he does not feel entirely necessary, especially since Zien also pops up, in a somewhat distracting manner, in a few minor roles.

As we go on, though, Zien’s Rabbi comes into his melancholy own: He is, after all, the one character who knows where this is going, and Zien eventually leaves it all out on the stage in his heartbreaking last song. In case you were wondering what it feels like to cry under a mask, there is a good chance you will find out then.

But before getting to that point, “Harmony” barrels through a lot as it tries to capture the band members’ individual lives and their joint accomplishments: the Comedian Harmonists’ original lineup may have been together only for a relatively brief time, but they were a terrific act, and their run was action-packed. (No wonder they have continued to fascinate over the decades, as the subject of a documentary, a book, a feature film and numerous tributes, including the short-lived 1999 Broadway show “Band in Berlin.”)

The show is in good hands with director and choreographer Warren Carlyle (“The Music Man,” “Hello, Dolly”). Not only does he maintain a steady pace, but he somehow manages to fit ambitious numbers — including the pocket Ziegfeld extravaganza “We’re Goin’ Loco!” and the Kander and Ebbesque “Come to the Fatherland,” in which the Comedian Harmonists become human marionettes — on the Museum of Jewish Heritage’s small stage.

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. A pair of love interests, Mary (Sierra Boggess) and Ruth (Jessie Davidson), are even less than that — one is loving, the other feisty, and that’s pretty much it.

At least those 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.



'Harmony'

Through May 8 at the Edmond J. Safra Hall at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Manhattan; nytf.org. Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.










Today's News

April 15, 2022

Chris Gollon: Stations of the Cross on view this Easter

Picasso's striking portrait of his lover, Dora Maar, to star in Sotheby's Modern Evening Auction in Hong Kong

Rediscovered Old Masters shine in spring auctions at Koller

Painting by Picasso from the estate of Sir Sean Connery will lead Christie's Hong Kong sale

Northern Renaissance masterpieces on long term loan go on display at The Holburne Museum

Major Matisse exhibition coming to Philadelphia

Christie's Hong Kong Chinese Paintings Department presents exemplary works from the Classical Period

The Collection Jacqueline Matisse Monnier achieves $44,1M at Christie's

Jerry Uelsmann, surreal image-maker, dies at 87

David Zwirner to represent Huma Bhabha

Vancouver Art Gallery launches three new exhibitions

National Gallery acquires Jeffrey Smart work ahead of final weeks of exhibition

Exhibition of new and historical sculpture by Larry Bell opens at Dia Beacon

'To My Girls,' a toast to millennial 'instagays'

Mimi Reinhard, who typed up Schindler's List, dies at 107

Solo exhibition of ceramic artist Casey Whittier's work on view at Staenberg Gallery

In 'Harmony,' a band's success collides with history

Catalina Museum for Art & History announces Sheila Bergman as Executive Director

Christie's announces new management team for Christie's Middle East

Gabriel Barcia-Colombo joins C24 Gallery

Items from horse racing's first Triple Crown winner will be auctioned May 5th

Heritage Auctions to offer treasures from renowned collector and philanthropist Melvin 'Pete' Mark

At Swann Galleries April 28: Newly discovered Rembrandt drawing, early Picasso print & more

Stephenson's to host April 22 Superheroes, Comic Books, Sports Memorabilia & Posters Auction

Here's How to Understand forex no deposit bonus in Detail

The Commercialisation of Korean Culture

How to Setup & Use Nearby Sharing with Windows 11

Norgesspill review

Up to 50% Ancestry Renewal Discount On Memberships

How to Create Your Own Stickers

Four Ways to Grow Your Digital Art Collection

The Science Behind Foam: Understanding Density and Firmness




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful