HARMONY: SUPERB SINGING MARKS BARRY MANILOW’S LONG-DELAYED BROADWAY DEBUT AS COMPOSER
8 / 10
You would think that a recording superstar on the level of Barry Manilow (85 million records sold) might enjoy a bit of a step up when attempting to get a show mounted on Broadway. You’d be wrong: From its conception some 30 years ago, Harmony hit every conceivable bump in the road, starting with a few fizzling out-of-town tryouts and a Covid delay before National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene succeeded in introducing it – to considerable acclaim – at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in the spring of 2022. Certain elements remain: Beowulf Boritt’s simple but snazzy black-patent-leather-like box of a set and Warren Carlyle’s snappy direction and choreography continue to contribute plenty of sizzle. If a few clunker lines from longtime collaborator Bruce Sussman’s book and lyrics have managed to survive the transfer, the damage is minimal – perhaps because the storylines are so broadly limned to begin with.
