National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene Pushes Premiere Date of Musical HARMONY by Barry Manilow to 2021

National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (Artistic Director Zalmen Mlotek and Executive Director Dominick Balletta), in association with Tony Award-winning Producer Ken Davenport, today announced that New York debut of the new musical Harmony by the legendary Barry Manilow and his longtime collaborator Bruce Sussman will be postponed until 2021 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, Edmond J. Safra Plaza, 36 Battery Place, NYC. The show was previously scheduled to start performances on February 11, 2020.

Harmony will now start previews on February 9, 2021 with Opening Night set for March 3, 2021.

Although the production was scheduled to start rehearsals this month, director, and choreographer Warren Carlyle had a recent bout of appendicitis which has been successfully treated but pushed production later. Unfortunately, the production now has to be scheduled next season because of other conflicting commitments.

"Barry and Bruce have created an extraordinary show and I am so thankful that the team has been able to adjust their schedules for the new dates. I wish it could be sooner, but this is a timeless and remarkable story that I promise will be worth the wait," said Warren Carlyle.

Ticketholders should call 866-811-4111 for questions about refunds and exchanges.

The musical tells the true story of the Comedian Harmonists, an ensemble of six talented young men in 1920s Germany who took the world by storm with their signature blend of sophisticated close harmonies and uproarious stage antics, until their inclusion of Jewish singers put them on a collision course with history.

The legendary Manilow and theatre veteran Sussman have collaborated for nearly a half century. Together they have written hundreds of songs for all media-films, television, and stage, including the Grammy Award-winning Copacabana.

Directing and choreographing Harmony will be Tony Award winner and Emmy-nominated Warren Carlyle, who won a 2014 Tony Award for his choreography for After Midnight, for which he also received a direction nomination, and was nominated for a 2019 Tony for choreography for the revival of Kiss Me Kate. His other Broadway credits include Hello, Dolly!, She Loves Me, On the Twentieth Century, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. A Christmas Story, and Chaplin, and he directed and choreographed Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway and did the same for Hugh Jackman's 2019 World Tour.

Serving as Producer is Ken Davenport, who most recently won a Tony for Best Revival of a Musical for Once on This Island and a Tony for Best Musical for Kinky Boots, and received Tony nominations for Spring Awakening (Revival of a Musical), The Visit (Musical), and You're Welcome America (Special Theatrical Event). The creative team includes: Beowulf Boritt, Set Design (Act One (Tony Award), Come From Away); Linda Cho, Costume Design (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (Tony Award)); Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer, Lighting Design (Shuffle Along, Gary, The Iceman Cometh); Dan Moses Schreier, Sound Design (Gary, The Iceman Cometh, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder); John O'Neill, Musical Director; Zalmen Mlotek, Artistic Director, NYTF; Motl Didner, Associate Artistic Director, NYTF; and, casting by Jamibeth Margolis, CSA (Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, Cleveland Musical Theatre, Sistas: The Musical (Off Broadway).

Now celebrating its 105th season, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF) is the world's oldest continuously operating Yiddish theatre company, and originally produced the wildly successful award-winning Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, directed by Joel Grey and soon to tour after it closes Off-Broadway on January 5, 2020.

Harmony tells the true story of the Comedian Harmonists, an ensemble of six talented young men in 1920s Germany who took the world by storm with their signature blend of sophisticated close harmonies and uproarious stage antics, until their inclusion of Jewish singers put them on a collision course with history.

Harmony was part of NYTF's 2019-2020 season of "Spiritual Resistance," which features artistic and theatrical works that explore themes of struggle against oppression. Currently running is The Sorceress: A Yiddish Musical Fantasy, a fairytale-like story - opening on December 8 and running through December 29th -of a pure-hearted young woman who triumphs over her tormentors, a scheming stepmother, and a wicked witch. NYTF's programming runs concurrent with the exhibition Auschwitz: Not long ago. Not far away. being presented at the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust.