Articles and Reviews - Archives 73

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October 28, 2013 Press Release: Dream FoundationAn Inspiring Evening: Dream Foundation’s 12th Annual Celebration of Dreams Gala
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The 12th Annual Celebration of Dreams Gala was held Saturday night at the Bacara Resort & Spa. The annual gala, essential to Dream Foundation’s existence, generating nearly one-third of the foundation’s entire annual operating budget, is one of the most successful fundraisers on the Central Coast. This in large part is due to the sponsors and talent that donate thousands of dollars in products and services, this year in excess of $200,000. Sponsors for 2013 included American Airlines, AOO Events, Inc., Bacara Resort & Spa, BEAU JOIE Champagne, Bentley Westlake, Carl’s Jr., Gregory Pasetta, O’Gara Coach Westlake, Walter Claudio Salon Studio and Yacht Club Vodka.

Dream Foundation is the first and largest national wish-granting organization for adults and their families battling life-threatening illness.

Gala night began as guests arrived to a line of Bentleys for photo ops and viewing pleasure! This grand entrance led to an outdoor dream as distinguished guests, VIPs and celebrities jaunted about sipping champagne, bidding on their favorite item in the silent auction and enjoying each precious moment. Once inside the beautifully adorned grand ballroom, the gala included a live auction with Jane Lynch and Andrew Firestone serving as auctioneers and auctioning 10 one-of-a-kind items including getaways to the French Alps and Africa, a guitar signed that night by Richie Sambora, VIP tickets to a Lakers/Pacers game and much more. The night continued with a smorgasbord of amazing performers, including Olivia Newton-John, Richie Sambora, "Glee’s" Darren Criss, Broadway’s Teal Wicks, Sean Jones, teenage sensation Malia Civetz, dance troupe Tell-A-Vision and Barry Manilow, Dream Foundation’s 2013 Humanitarian Award Honoree.

Barry inspired the room with an a cappella performance of "One Voice" and humbly accepted his award. "Dream Foundation represents everything that is good about human beings. I am so proud to be here. And to the angel, Thom Rollerson, who proves it takes only one person, one voice, to change the world."

Along with Barry Manilow, CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. and its CEO, Andy Puzder were presented with the 2013 Outstanding Corporate Partner Award. A video was presented showing Puzder’s gracious efforts complete with testimonials by fellow colleagues, politicians, celebrities, friends and those at Dream Foundation, who have witnessed his compassion firsthand.

The evening concluded with an epic after-party at Mirò Restaurant, with internationally acclaimed DJ Chris Cox spinning and the Carl’s Jr. Star Diner serving burgers and fries for guests to enjoy on the way home.

While attendees spent the evening rubbing elbows with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars—including Barry Manilow, Olivia Newton-John, Richie Sambora, Priscilla Presley, Jane Lynch, Darren Criss, Alan Thicke & Tanya Callau, Nigel Lythgoe, Sean Jones and Teal Wicks—the real stars for the evening were Dream Foundation’s dream recipients and their families.

Richard "Dick" Tidd, who passed just this year, was memorialized by his wife Sara and sister-in-law Sue, who joined the celebration as they continue to celebrate Dick’s life and final wish of a flourishing vegetable garden. Dick passed exactly a week after the garden was finished but it was one of the most beautiful weeks of his life. "Thank you for your love. My life has become better because of Dream Foundation. Thank you for making my husband’s dream come true. It just keeps giving," she exclaimed tearfully after watching a beautiful montage of her husband’s final wish become reality. Also in attendance and still battling was 19-year-old Diamond Davis.

Diamond has been battling chronic liver disease most of her life but was delighted when her wish for an iPad and a gift card was fulfilled by Dream Foundation. All she wanted was entertainment during her treatments and to go shopping for once at her heart’s content. Though her future is bleak, her spirit and smile are glowing.

The founder/president of Dream Foundation, Thomas Rollerson, passionately addressed the audience: "We must commend the bravery of everyone in this room, and everyone connected to the Dream Foundation who could not be here tonight. It is through bravery that we charge forward, it is through bravery that we fight every day and it is through bravery that we continue to make dreams come true."

It was a lovely evening. Dream Foundation’s mission was celebrated and shared by those who are making a difference one dream at a time!

Images of the event: Getty Images | Wire Images

About Dream Foundation

Founded in 1994, Dream Foundation is the first and largest national wish-granting organization for adults. With a mission to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their families battling life-threatening illness, Dream Foundation serves more than 2,500 dreams each year and relies on a network of volunteers, sponsors and individual donors. Dream recipients are those individuals who have been given a year or less life expectancy and dreams range from the basic need items, like a working stove, to bedside reunions and meaningful experiences with children and loved ones. For more information on dreams or how to donate, visit www.dreamfoundation.org or call (805) 564-2131.

October 20, 2013 Music-NewsBarry Manilow joins BBC Children in Need Rocks 2013
American singer Barry Manilow, US folk band The Lumineers, British singer Tom Odell, and British boy band The Wanted are the latest artists to join this year's stellar line up for BBC Children in Need Rocks curated by Gary Barlow. The latest additions join the likes of Robbie Williams, Ellie Goulding and Rizzle Kicks for two concerts in November that will raise money to help change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people right here in the UK.

Manilow said: "I have known Gary from early Take That days when they re-recorded my hit "Could it be Magic" in 1992. We have remained friends and I am thrilled he asked me to be a part of this great BBC Children in Need Rocks night. I have been proud to support BBC Children in Need for many years as it's a truly wonderful cause that does great work for children and young people in the UK. See you there on the night."

Gary Barlow says: "We are in for a fantastic couple of nights with lots of amazing artists and some very exciting collaborations. I can't wait to get up on stage for a few numbers too, it's all for a great cause."

The world class line-up who will perform at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith now includes:

Tuesday 12th November
Barry Manilow, Robbie Williams, The Wanted, Dizzee Rascal, Little Mix

Wednesday 13th November
The Lumineers, Tom Odell, Ellie Goulding, Rizzle Kicks, Bastille, Passenger

Chris Evans and Fearne Cotton will host both nights, which will be combined into one TV programme for broadcast on BBC One and BBC One HD during BBC Children in Need Appeal week. Host Chris Evans says: "I am honoured to be hosting the Rocks concerts alongside Fearne; Gary certainly knows how to put on a show, so I think guests and viewers will be in for a very special couple of evenings, a real treat!"

Host Fearne Cotton says: "BBC Children in Need Rocks is always fantastic and once again Gary has pulled off a mega line up. I can't wait to present this year, we've got two nights of music which means double the fun, and I have no doubt that we're going to raise a huge amount of money for a very special charity doing amazing work."

For tickets for BBC Children in Need Rocks please visit bbc.co.uk/pudsey

October 21, 2013 Broadway WorldBarry Manilow Reflects On HARMONY Tryout & Looks Ahead
Popular music icon Barry Manilow reflects on the recent out-of-town tryout of his new musical HARMONY and looks ahead to the future for the project - and his own forthcoming endeavors - as part of a new blog post on his official Facebook page.

Manilow writes, "Well, everything has calmed down since "Harmony" finished its run in Atlanta. Bruce and I couldn't be happier with the response the show has gotten. My deepest thanks to all of you for your encouragement and the beautiful notes you've written about the show. "Harmony" has been a huge mountain to climb, but we never gave up on it. We're prouder of our show now than we ever were. Now that the road shows are done and "Harmony" is on hiatus, I'm in the middle of creating two new albums."

So, what's next for HARMONY following its most recent successful tryout? Well, we will have to see what the next production, planned for the Ahmanson in California early next year, will bring!

The official synopsis of HARMONY is as follows: "HARMONY tells the compelling story of the Comedian Harmonists. They were the first sensational boy band: six talented young men who came together in 1920s Germany and took the world by storm with their signature blend of sophisticated close harmonies and uproarious stage antics. The Comedian Harmonists sold millions of records, starred in a dozen films and packed the houses of the most prestigious concert halls around the globe until the world they knew forever changed. Their amazing story inspirEd Barry and Bruce to create a spectacular new musical with an original score that celebrates this extraordinary group of friends and ensures their quest for true harmony in the most discordant chapter of human history will never be forgotten."

HARMONY opened September 6 at the ALLIANCE THEATRE in Atlanta and recently ended its run there. A second production at the Ahmanson Theatre in California is planned for March 2014, as well.

October 15, 2013 Press Release
[SOURCE: STILETTO Entertainment]
Superstar, Barry Manilow, Is Coming To Florida: Stops Include: Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Jacksonville, Estero, Pensacola and Tampa
NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Multi-million selling artist, Barry Manilow, is coming to Florida in January 2014. With more than 50 Top 40 hits like, "Mandy," "Can't Smile Without You" and "Copacabana (at The Copa)," Manilow, the undisputed #1 Adult Contemporary Artist of all time, will bring his high-energy, hit-packed concert to cities across the state of Florida.

2014 Florida Concert Dates:

  • January 17 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL (BB&T Center)
  • January 18 - Orlando, FL (Amway Center)
  • January 23 - Jacksonville, FL (Veterans Memorial Arena)
  • January 24 - Estero, FL (Germain Arena)
  • January 30 - Pensacola, FL (Pensacola Bay Center)
  • January 31 - Tampa, FL (Tampa Bay Times Forum)

    Purchase tickets at manilow.com, Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000.

    With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Barry Manilow's unparalleled career encompasses virtually every arena of entertainment, including performing, writing, composing, arranging, and producing. A Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Manilow has produced, arranged, and released more than 40 albums during the course of his career. He has also written and produced songs for Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick, and many more. He has been honored with a Grammy, two Emmys, a Tony Award, an Oscar nomination, and a top selling autobiography.

  • October 15, 2013 Classic Hits and OldiesBarry Manilow Announces 2014 US Tour Dates
    Barry Manilow is getting ready to bring some musical sunshine to the Sunshine State and some other southern U.S. locations come 2014. The pop legend has announced a series of new concerts in January that will see him visiting several Florida cities, as well as North Charleston, South Carolina, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

    The trek gets under way on January 17 in Fort Lauderdale and is mapped out through a January 31 show in Tampa. Tickets can be purchased at Manilow.com, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

    Barry also has plans for a tour of the United Kingdom that’s scheduled for May. Here are all of his confirmed U.S. dates:

    1/17 — Ft. Lauderdale, FL, BB&T Center
    1/18 — Orlando, FL, Amway Center
    1/19 — North Charleston, SC, North Charleston Coliseum
    1/23 — Jacksonville, FL, Veterans Memorial Arena
    1/24 — Estero, FL, Germain Arena
    1/29 — Baton Rouge, LA, Baton Rouge River Center
    1/30 — Pensacola, FL, Pensacola Bay Center
    1/31 — Tampa, FL, Tampa Bay Times Forum

    October 2, 2013 New Orleans Times-Picayune"Barry Manilow to perform in Baton Rouge on Jan. 29" by Chelsea Brasted
    Barry Manilow is headed to Baton Rouge for one night at the Baton Rouge River Center, venue representatives announced Oct. 2. Manilow, an international pop star, came to fame after releasing his breakout hit, "Mandy," in 1974.

    Manilow got his start in music earlier, however, famously working with Bette Midler beginning in the early 1970s. He released his self-titled debut album with Bell Records, which later became Arista Records with which Manilow stayed for nearly 30 years.

    In those decades, Manilow released nearly 20 albums, including "Trying' to Get the Feeling" (1975), "Even Now" (1978), "One Voice" (1979), "If I Should Love Again" (1981) and another self-titled album in 1989. Manilow has received a variety of awards for his musical efforts, including among them Emmys, American Music Awards, a Special Tony and a Grammy for "Copacabana" in 1979.

    Coming into the 2000s, Manilow's sound took a slight turn and he released the jazz concept album "Here at the Mayflower" and a Christmas album with Concord Records before returning to Arista. Since his return, Manilow has released a handful of other albums. His most recent work, a rock opera concept album, "15 Minutes: Fame ... Can You Take It?," dropped in 2011 and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200.

    Manilow performs Jan. 29, 2014. Tickets start at $18 and officially go on sale Oct. 5, 2013.

    October 1, 2013 Huffington Post"Still in Harmony" by Robert J. Elisberg
    I saw [the musical Harmony by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman] in its San Diego premiere 16 years ago at the La Jolla Playhouse and thought it was terrific. Wonderful in the first act, but some work needed in the second. But overall, the show [had] a rich score that wasn't like a collection of Barry Manilow hits, but that fit the show and its era. I've just been a sort of lone voice in trying to get that across.

    At the time, I had no expectation that the show had a future, after all those passing years. I just had always remembered it -- and remembered it with great fondness -- and wanted to write about a show that deserved to be remembered. Well, after those 16 years, the show finally -- and remarkably -- has gotten its second chance, this time at the Tony-winning for regional theater, the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. After working on the show on and off, Harmony opened on September 15.

    I figured that the tale deserved an update. I finally was able to track down the full review in the Atlanta Journal Constitution -- and it's quite the rave, with Wendell Brock calling it, among other praise, "A nearly flawless work of art." Here are excerpts -

    Manilow's 'Harmony' is a glorious work of art: After some rousing opening numbers ('Overture,' 'Harmony'), Mary's luminous 'And What Do You See?' and a couple of comedic bonbons ('Your Son Is Becoming a Singer!'; 'How Can I Serve You, Madame?'), the double wedding scene is a thing of somber joy, for you can feel the menace of Hitler hovering in the shadows ... In the end, "Harmony" is a nearly flawless work of art that almost manages to cloak the harrowing underside of history in a bubble of elegance, sophistication and wit. At the end of the night, the waltz fades away, but the stars never dim. Can this obscure story find success in the realm of commercial theater? I believe so.

    There's one other review I've been able to find, from Atlanta Magazine. It's more of a feature piece about the opening, but within it, Richard L. Eldredge writes: The show's music remains stylistically true to the play's period and free from any 1970s-era excess reminiscent of Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again, with plenty of vocal gymnastics hard-wired into the score for the show's leads Shayne Kennon, Douglas Williams, Will Taylor, Tony Yazbeck, Will Blum and Chris Dwan to have fun with. The score has much more in common with Manilow's pair of obscure jazz-oriented albums, Two AM Paradise Café and Swing Street than his steady stream of AM radio hits from 40 years ago.

    For many years, I faced a lot of skeptics thinking that I must be out of my mind saying how good Harmony was, and sorry I was that it hadn't gone further, because the second act issues were small and very fixable. So, at least at this juncture, I'm so pleased for all the creators of the show that they've brought it back to life and are having quite a wonderful success with it.

    It opens in Los Angeles in March.

    When Where Articles/Reviews
    September 27, 2013 eFestivalsBringing the Copacabana to Ipswich, and Southampton
    Multi-million selling musical legend, Barry Manilow is bringing his stadium shows to Ipswich Town Football Club and Southampton's Ageas Bowl for just two nights only when the undisputed #1 Adult Contemporary Artist of all time, will bring his high-energy, hit-packed concert showcasing his unparalleled career.

    The confirmed stadium dates are as follows:

  • Fri 16th May Ipswich Town Football Club, Ipswich
  • Sat 24th May Ageas Bowl, Hampshire CCC

    Tickets are on sale now, priced at £45, £75, and £85.00.

    Fans of one of the most in-demand acts in pop music will be hoping for their own favourite singalongs from more than 50 Top 40 hits including, 'Mandy', 'Can't Smile Without You' and 'the smash singalong hit 'Copacabana (at The Copa)'.

    Barry has had worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million and has been successful in virtually every area of entertainment, including performing, writing, composing, arranging, and producing. He's a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, and written and produced songs for hitmakers including Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick, and many more.

    This is a rare to chance to see the star who had been honored with a Grammy, two Emmys, a Tony Award, an Oscar nomination, and even Five Star ratings on Amazon for his top selling autobiography.

  • September 23, 2013 Business WireBarry Manilow and CKE Restaurants CEO to be Honored at Dream Foundation’s 12th Annual Celebration of Dreams Gala: Celebrities and foundation friends gather for October 26th awards and benefit fundraiser at Bacara Resort and Spa
    Dream Foundation, the first and largest national wish-granting organization for adults and their families battling life-threatening illness, is pleased to announce its 2013 Celebration of Dreams Gala honorees, Barry Manilow as well as CKE Restaurants, Inc. and its CEO, Andy Puzder.

    Over his 50-year career, Mr. Manilow has inspired and helped millions through his music and philanthropic gestures. For the Dream Foundation, Mr. Manilow has provided memorable experiences for those in need whether that dream was a personal meeting or a phone call, attending a concert or receiving autographed memorabilia.

    "Mr. Manilow’s continued support and his dedication to Dream Foundation and others made him an easy choice for this year’s Humanitarian Award," said Dream Foundation Founder/President Thomas Rollerson. "Without the years of support of advocates like Barry, we simply would not have the resources needed to touch the lives of the families we serve. This honor is also special and personal to us because Barry’s own foundation, Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, helps people at the end of life by empowering them with the gift of music and was launched very close to the time we created Dream Foundation."

    Dream Foundation also will be honoring CKE Restaurants, Inc. and its CEO, Andy Puzder, with the 2013 Outstanding Corporate Partner Award. Mr. Puzder is a longtime friend of Dream Foundation and his personal and corporate commitment for more than 15 years has provided wishes for countless dreamers. In 2012, CKE, the parent company of the Carl's Jr.® and Hardee's® premium burger chains, selected Dream Foundation as a national beneficiary of its annual Stars for Heroes™ charity campaign.

    "From our inception, CKE Restaurants, Inc. has demonstrated compassion for our families struggling with the financial strain that is often part of the end-of-life journey," Rollerson said. "Many people don’t realize that more than 50 percent of the dreams we serve are for improved quality-of-life and basic-need items, such as a mobility scooter, hearing aid batteries, a utility bill payment or even a hearty meal.

    "CKE CEO Andy Puzder upholds the corporation’s early commitment to dreams with steadfast dedication and leadership," Rollerson said. "He regularly rolls up his own sleeves to provide personal contributions. Andy also connects us to Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s franchisees who continue to provide Stars for Heroes funding to make dreams come true. For this, we celebrate Andy, CKE Restaurants, Inc. and all the franchisees."

    On October 26, 2013, the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, Calif., will be transformed into a dreamlike world as celebrities and distinguished guests enjoy a night of heartwarming stories, live entertainment and innovative cuisine. The Celebration of Dreams Gala is imperative to Dream Foundation’s existence, generating nearly one-third of the foundation’s entire annual operating budget thereby enabling the fulfillment of thousands of final dreams. The foundation anticipates serving more than 2,500 final dreams this year.

    About Dream Foundation

    Founded in 1994, Dream Foundation is the first and largest national wish-granting organization for adults. With a mission to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their families battling life-threatening illness, Dream Foundation serves more than 2,500 dreams each year and relies on a network of volunteers, sponsors and individual donors. Dream recipients are those individuals who have been given a year or less life expectancy and dreams range from the basic need items, like a working stove, to bedside reunions and meaningful experiences with children and loved ones. For more information on dreams or how to donate, visit www.dreamfoundation.org or call 805-564-2131.

    September 20, 2013 New York Post"The Manilow of the hour" by Michael Riedel
    Fanilows, rejoice! Barry Manilow’s long-incubating musical "Harmony" is up and running in Atlanta and, judging from the reviews, it’s sure to hit Broadway next year.

    Manilow and co-writer Bruce Sussman (who wrote the lyrics to the durable "Copacabana") have been plugging away at "Harmony" for almost 20 years. The show is about the Comedian Harmonists, a hugely popular all-male singing group in Germany in the 1920s and ’30s. Their rise, though, coincided with that of the Nazis, and since their ensemble included several Jews, they were forced to disband when Hitler came to power. They were largely forgotten until a German filmmaker interviewed the last surviving members for a 1977 documentary. The movie led to a resurgence of interest in the group and, after Sussman saw it in 1992, inspired the musical.

    A friend who saw the musical in previews last week e-mailed me afterward: "What can I say? I loved it! Totally ‘verklempt’ at the end . . . and the audience went bonkers — and it was a mostly WASPy, wealthy Atlanta audience!" (For those who are like that audience, "verklempt" is a Yiddish word meaning "choked with emotion")

    The critics confirmed my friend’s verdict a few days later. "Though a little fine-tuning here is inevitable, this show feels Broadway-bound," wrote Atlanta INtown. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Manilow and Sussman have created a virtual 'Jersey Boys' for Jews. I mean that as a high compliment." The critic went on to praise the rousing opening and some "luminous" Manilow-style ballads.

    Manilow and Sussman are "over the moon" about the reception for their show, a friend says.

    The road to Atlanta was paved with hardship and tears. When the show premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in 1997, the reviews were mixed. Manilow and Sussman went back to the piano to rewrite. They announced a Broadway opening in 2003, with a Philadelphia tryout. But the day the cast was to board the train for Philly, Manilow’s producer, Mark Schwartz, tearfully admitted he’d raised only a fraction of the $7 million production cost. The show was abruptly shut down.

    Manilow called me that day from a plane and said: "Other than the death of my mother, this is probably the most devastating day of my life." He blamed "all this insanity" on Schwartz’s "incompetence and dishonesty."

    For years, Manilow and Sussman were tied up in arbitration against Schwartz to reclaim the rights to their show. At one point, a friend of Schwartz’s cornered Manilow in an elevator and screamed obscenities at him. Manilow was so unnerved, he started attending arbitration hearings with a bodyguard.

    In the end, he and Sussman prevailed, and now "Harmony" is all theirs.

    September 18, 2013 Atlanta Intown Paper"Theatre Review: 'Harmony' at Alliance Theatre" by Manning Harris
    Everything about the Alliance Theatre’s new musical "Harmony" is huge: the big name creators (Barry Manilow, music; Bruce Sussman, book and lyrics), the cast, the glorious set and costumes, the fine orchestra, the riveting true story it tells. "Harmony" will run only until October 6, and although a little fine-tuning here and there is inevitable, this show feels Broadway-bound, despite the gentle demurring from its creators. If you want to see it, I wouldn’t delay getting tickets.

    "Harmony" tells the story of the Comedian Harmonists, a German sextet who rose to international fame in the late 1920′s and early 1930′s. Unfortunately, their ascent coincided with the rise of the Nazis; and the Harmonists had Jewish and non-Jewish performers. This was unacceptable, and by 1934 the group was banned.

    What interested Mr. Manilow, as Bret Love reported in the program, was that "they were so huge…the Beatles of their generation—the first boy band. How did we not know about this group?" And they were also funny—real vaudevillians with astonishing versatility. If "Harmony" is a success, that "fame gap" will certainly be diminished.

    Mr. Sussman was quoted in the New York Times: "This is a show about the quest for harmony in what turned out to be the most discordant chapter in human history." It has been gestating with its creators for over 20 years. But a now famous phone call by both men to Susan Booth, Alliance Artistic Director, put an end to the planning and dreaming when she said: "Please tell me you’re calling about ‘Harmony!’" The show was soon underway in earnest, with Tony Speciale directing and music direction by Patrick Vaccariello.

    "Harmony" starts with a bang with great sound from its actor-singers and orchestra. Tobin Ost’s sets and costume design are superb. Whether it’s the Brandenburg Gate looming in the background or a bystander wearing a swastika, we never forget where we are—or when. Many of the actors are making their Alliance debuts, and they all have New York or national credits; they are solid professionals, quite young and attractive, and of course, very talented. Here they are:

    Will Blum, Liberty Cogen, Hannah Corneau (who plays Ruth, the Jewish wife of one of the Harmonists, fearless, radical—very unloved by the Nazis), Chris Dwan, Bryan Thomas Hunt, Greg Kamp, Shayne Kennon (who plays "Rabbi" Josef and also serves as a narrator), Leigh Ann Larkin, Chad Lindsey, Lindsay Moore, Brandon O’Dell (who plays Albert Einstein, among others), Patrick O’Neill, Charles Osborne, Kim Sava, Dave Schoonover, Lauren Elaine Taylor, Will Taylor, Douglas Williams (terrific bass voice), and Tony Yazbeck. Ms. Taylor plays a young Marlene Dietrich in a sort of comic way, which I don’t quite get: Marlene Dietrich was a glamorous provocateur almost from day one.

    As striking and compelling as "Harmony" is, undoubtedly it will undergo some tinkering, and this is usual in big-time show business. After all, shows used to open in New Haven, then Boston or Philadelphia, and finally New York. For tickets and information, visit alliancetheatre.com.

    September 18, 2013 Access Atlanta"Manilow and Sussman are melodic maestros with 'Harmony'" by Melissa Ruggieri
    The biggest gripe about Broadway musicals is that they no longer contain memorable songs. Earlier this year, I had the honor of interviewing the great Richard Sherman, who, with his now-deceased brother Robert, wrote hundreds of songs for Disney films and theatrical productions – and knows a thing or two about crafting something remarkably catchy ("A Spoonful of Sugar," anyone?). During our interview, Sherman lamented the crucial ingredient missing in most theatrical music today. "Melody, melody, melody. Where did melody go?" he asked plaintively.

    I think the answer might be: Into Barry Manilow’s head.

    It’s been three days since I absorbed "Harmony: A New Musical," the stunning, poignant production by Manilow (who wrote the music) and his brilliant co-captain Bruce Sussman (who handled the book and lyrics) about the true story of 1920s German singing group, the Comedian Harmonists. And at least a trio of songs is still lodged in my brain.

    On Monday, I woke up with the strains of "Harmony," the centerpiece of the musical with its shifting rhythm patterns, cheeky lyrics and a crescendo worthy of the best Broadway show tunes, buzzing in my head.

    Tuesday morning brought the powerful "This is Our Time," a song that shimmers with the gloss of a movie soundtrack ballad and Sussman’s sweet lyrics, then dovetails into a defiant proclamation that will make you want to leap onto a table and thrust a fist skyward.

    By Tuesday afternoon, my brain was fully in "Harmony" mode as I kept mentally repeating the chorus of "Every Single Day," the closest to a classic Manilow song among the score. It’s a stunning ballad – poignant, beautiful and with a cadence that promises a massive payoff... and delivers.

    There are nearly 20 musical numbers in the adeptly constructed show, and Manilow and Sussman somehow perfectly capture the sounds of the era (1920s Germany), toss in a few dollops of humor (any Jewish son will appreciate "Your Son is Becoming a Singer") and provoke authentic emotion with their ambitious score.

    Of course, this excellent cast is to be commended as well. Hannah Corneau (Ruth) and Leigh Ann Larkin (Mary) are devastating with their bracingly stark delivery of "Where You Go," a tender declaration of faithfulness. And the men who portray the Comedian Harmonists... well, they handle their musical tasks flawlessly.

    The harmonic precision displayed by Will Blum (Lesh Leshnikoff), Chris Dwan (Erich Collin), Shayne Kennon ("Rabbi" Josef Roman Cykowski), Will Taylor (Chopin Bootz), Tony Yazbeck (Harry Frommerman) and astoundingly good baritone Douglas Williams (Bobby Biberti) is sublime throughout the show; they’re equally as angelic following the orchestral swoops of the bittersweet closing number, "Stars in the Night."

    That song, Manilow told me in a sit down last month at the Alliance Theatre with Sussman, was the first title Sussman gave him when they started to write the musical. "I wrote the music to the song based on the title. When I finished it, I was crying because I knew what [Bruce] was going to do. The melody was very emotional. It moved me before he wrote a word," Manilow said.

    At Sunday’s official opening, Manilow and Sussman took the stage with the cast during the curtain call – a rare and refreshing act of accessibility – and addressed the audience. "You people that come from Atlanta, you must be so proud to have this theater," Manilow said. "It’s all about the work, all about the art."

    He also praised director Tony Speciale and the cast, adding, "This is the most talented group of people we’ve ever worked with." True, perhaps. But talent shines even brighter when given such masterful material.

    "Harmony: A New Musical": 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. 2:30 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. 7:30 p.m. Sundays. Through Oct. 6. (No 7:30 p.m. performance Oct. 6.) $30-$79. Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-733-5000, http://alliancetheatre.org.

    September 18, 2013 Fenuxe"'Harmony' Brings Broadway To Peachtree" by D. David Kinney
    Harmony, a new show by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, premiered at the Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff on Sunday. It’s about the Comedian Harmonists, the first world famous boy band. They performed from 1928 until 1934 when their music collided with Hitler and the Third Reich.

    I’ll be honest... I didn’t know what to expect before the curtain went up. I had googled the show before I went, read through press releases, and researched the Comedian Harmonists, but I didn’t know what a Barry Manilow musical would be like. How would soft-rock translate to a Broadway-style musical?

    I immediately knew I was in for a musical treat as the orchestra began tuning their instruments before the show. There was nothing soft-rock or pop going on tonight. This was classic Broadway. Manilow explained the musical change in an interview with the New York Times: "I’ve been kind of imprisoned in the pop music world, very happily, but there are these rules that you need to adhere to in pop music. There is a certain brick wall that you hit. But this gave me the opportunity to go way, way beyond what I’ve been doing for 30 years."

    And did Barry Manilow deliver? I think he hit the ball clear out of ballpark. Several songs are still stuck in my head and I’ve been belting out "Where You Go" in the shower for the past three days.

    So, what about the play overall? I was in tears by the end of the show. Its message is incredibly powerful, the direction was engaging, and the choreography efficiently conveyed the strong emotions radiating from the show’s lyrics and score. However, I do think the show took a little too long to jump into the real meat and potatoes of the story. But once the ball gets rolling in this production there is absolutely no stopping it.

    The show also features talented members of our gay community. I would like to specifically point out Douglas Williams, who plays Bobby Biberti. Williams sings bass in the Comedian Harmonists and he’s an absolute theatre dreamboat on stage. His voice is like butter and he’s one tall drink of water. You definitely don’t want to miss the scene where he and the other 5 Comedian Harmonists do a musical number in their underwear.

    Although there are no gay characters in the show there are several references to homosexuality. In fact, the song "Your Son Is Becoming A Singer!" so closely parallels the coming out process that I forgot midway through the song that the character Erich was coming out as a singer and not coming out as gay.

    Conclusion? GO SEE THIS SHOW! Broadway has left the great white way and is sitting pretty on Peachtree.

    September 17, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution"Theater review: Manilow’s 'Harmony' is a glorious work of art" by Wendell Brock
    They were a boy band who sang like angels and wrestled with demons. They struggled with each other, with their women, with the law. They even had trouble coming up with the right name to describe their gossamer sound. Success proved elusive at first, then overwhelming - and tragic.

    As a charismatic member of the pop group in question narrates its early history, introducing the singers one by one and describing how they came together, you may be reminded of a certain Broadway musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. With "Harmony: A New Musical" - which charts the rise and fall of an all-male ensemble in the dark days of Nazi Germany — Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman have created a virtual "Jersey Boys" for Jews. I mean that as a high compliment.

    A labor of love whose two-decade incubation period includes a short-lived run at California’s La Jolla Playhouse (1997) and a promised Broadway engagement that never transpired (2004), this biography of the nearly forgotten Comedian Harmonists is getting a glorious third chance at the Alliance Theatre.

    Though I admit being slightly disconcerted that the structure and subject matter so mirrored the foolproof "Jersey Boys" (which won the 2006 Tony Award for best musical), my reservations were ultimately transformed by Manilow’s virtuosic score; Sussman’s briskly paced book and engaging lyrics; and JoAnn M. Hunter’s dynamite choreography. (For the record, "Harmony" — impeccably directed here by Tony Speciale — is not a jukebox musical, but a wholly original work inspired by the intricate harmonies and syncopated rhythms of Berlin’s vaudeville heyday of the ’20s and ’30s.)

    Indeed, the script does feel a little formulaic at first, a little too heavy on safe laughs and one-liners. And while it would be impossible to render full portraits of all six Comedian Harmonists in an evening-long work, the roles of the foppish, chain-smoking Lesh (Will Blum), the magnificent baritone Bobby (Douglas Williams) and the sturdy Harry (Tony Yazbeck) feel a bit thin. Instead, the writers focus on the characters known as the Rabbi (Shayne Kennon) and Chopin (Will Taylor), who marry outside their faiths respectively to Mary (Leigh Ann Larkin) and Ruth (Hannah Corneau). Erich (Chris Dwan), the sixth member of the group, harbors dangerous secrets and influential friends, including Albert Einstein and composer Richard Strauss, who make delightful cameos played by Brandon O’Dell.

    After some rousing opening numbers ("Overture," "Harmony"), Mary’s luminous "And What Do You See?" and a couple of comedic bonbons ("Your Son Is Becoming a Singer!"; "How Can I Serve You, Madame?"), the double wedding scene is a thing of somber joy, for you can feel the menace of Hitler hovering in the shadows. (This is probably a fine time to say that Tobin Ost’s sets and costumes, Jeff Croiter’s lighting and Darrel Maloney’s projections are absolutely gorgeous.)

    While the 19-member cast is uniformly good, some performances deserve singling out. Kennon, in particular, is heartbreaking. Williams is possessed of a one-of-a-kind instrument, and you can hear it every time he opens his mouth to speak or sing. As the female leads, Larkin and Corneau are dazzling.

    In the end, "Harmony" is a nearly flawless work of art that almost manages to cloak the harrowing underside of history in a bubble of elegance, sophistication and wit. At the end of the night, the waltz fades away, but the stars never dim. Can this obscure story find success in the realm of commercial theater? I believe so.

    September 16, 2013 Broadway WorldWatch Highlights from HARMONY - A NEW MUSICAL at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre!
    ALLIANCE THEATRE presents HARMONY - A NEW MUSICAL, with music by Barry Manilow and book & lyrics by Bruce Sussman, now playing through October 6, 2013. CLICK HERE to watch highlights from the show!

    Drama Desk Award nominee Tony Speciale (Classic Stage Company: Unnatural Acts, A Midsummer Night's Dream) will direct HARMONY and is supported by a talented creative team including Set & Costume Designer Tobin Ost (Jekyll & Hyde Revival, Newsies The Musical), Projection Designer Darrel Maloney (American Idiot), LX Designer Jeff Croiter (Jekyll & Hyde Revival, The Anarchist), winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Play for his work on Peter and the Starcatcher, Choreographer JoAnn M. Hunter (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever), Music Director Patrick Vaccariello (Annie Revival, Come Fly Away), Assistant Music Director John O'Neill, and Sound Designer John Shivers, winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Sound Design of a Musical for his work on the Tony Award winning musical Kinky Boots.

    The character of Rabbi, who acts as narrator for the story, will be played by Shayne Kennon. Kennon's credits include the European tour of Madagascar, and regional productions of The Rocky Horror Show, The Full Monty and Rent. Also joining the cast in principal roles - Tony Yazbeck (Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Gypsy) as Harry; Douglas Williams as Bobby; Chris Dwan (Off-Broadway: The Old Boy, Peter & I) as Erich; Will Taylor (A Chorus Line) as Chopin; Will Blum (The Book of Mormon) as Lesh; Leigh Ann Larkin (A Little Night Music, Gypsy) as Mary; and Hannah Corneau as Ruth.

    The ensemble for HARMONY consists of eleven actors who must play over thirty roles including historical figures like Marlene Dietrich, Albert Einstein, and Richard Strauss - all of whom the Comedian Harmonists really knew. Members of the ensemble include Dave Schoonover, Patrick O'Neill, Greg Kamp, Charles Osborne, Bryan Thomas Hunt, Chad Lindsey, Brandon O'Dell, Lauren Elaine Taylor, Kim Sava, Lindsay Moore, and Liberty Cogen.

    Tickets start at $30 and are available at The Woodruff Arts Center Box Office in person or by calling 404-733-5000. Tickets are also available online at www.alliancetheatre.org/harmony.

    September 16, 2013 Neighbor Newspapers"Alliance Theatre's 'Harmony' dazzles" by Everett Catts
    ["Harmony – A New Musical"] at the Alliance Theatre in Midtown has to rank with any top Broadway show. From start to finish Sunday night, the actors in the collaboration between legendary musician Barry Manilow, his longtime writing partner, Bruce Sussman, who did the script and lyrics, and director Tony Speciale was amazing. It was opening night but the musical’s run actually started Sept. 6 and ends Oct. 6.

    'Harmony' is the story of the Comedian Harmonists, a singing group of six men --- both Jews and gentiles - in Germany who sold millions of records and starred in 12 films but fizzled out due to the Nazis’ rise to power before World War II. It was a tale Manilow wanted to tell once he found out about it in the 1990s from Sussman, who saw a documentary on the group.

    At that time he discovered one member of the Harmonists, "Rabbi" Josef Roman Cykowski, was still alive and living in the same Los Angeles suburb Manilow lived in. He tracked him down, met with him and got the full story. Rabbi, even at age 87, sung in the choir at Temple Isaiah in Palm Springs, Calif. He was the oldest cantor in America then, Manilow said. Rabbi died 11 years later at 98. His wife Mary died in 2004, also at 98. "Harmony" was launched in 1997 in the La Jolla Playhouse in Southern California.

    At the Alliance, Sussman and Manilow sat in the back of the theatre, four rows behind my wife Maggie and me, and were introduced by Artistic Director Susan V. Booth before the show. "These two men want to remain anonymous right now but we can’t let them because they’re icons," she said, drawing a standing ovation after the pair stood during the acknowledgement.

    The musical opens in New York’s Carnegie Hall in 1933, during the Great Depression. Led by Harry Frommerman (played by Tony Yazbeck), the Harmonists started performing together in Berlin in 1927, two years before the Great Depression started. Sept. 12, Harry placed an ad in the Berlin Observer seeking singers and a composer.

    The musical had plenty of comedy with the composer, Erwin "Chopin" Bootz (Will Taylor), who said he previously played in a whorehouse, and a surgeon, Erich Collin (Chris Dwan), who said he also sings because he "can’t stand the sight of blood." It also had plenty of harmony, as the group seemed to hit every octave possible and also was nearly flawless in its choreography.

    The group rehearsed at a subway station where trains no longer ran. In one scene Rabbi (Shayne Kennon) said to then-girlfriend Mary (Leigh Ann Larkin), "You’re beautiful, you’re brilliant and you listen to the lyrics."

    After one show, Maestro Richard Strauss, an influential promoter, meets the Comedian Harmonists backstage following one of their performances and offers them a job at the prestigious Barbarina Club in Berlin.

    While comedy was a constant in "Harmony," there were plenty of serious moments. In one scene, when Rabbi proposes to Mary, she said she didn’t think they could survive the Nazis’ attack on the Jews, which was growing. She will convert to Judaism if they get married. "God help us," she said when she accepts his proposal.

    At the end of "Every Single Day," a solo by Rabbi in which he ponders his present and future, he drew a resounding applause from the audience.

    Before the group’s first Barbarina Club performance, a worker said someone broke into the office and stole their tuxedos and the petty cash, so they had to wear the waiters’ uniforms instead and more comedy ensued.

    The performers then toured Europe and America, gaining popularity.

    Act 2 begins with the group returning to Berlin as international stars. But with the Nazis’ strength increasing, it struggled with the idea of splitting up, with the Jews going one way, likely out of the country, and the gentiles another.

    The group was originally exempt from the Nuremberg Laws, which, instituted in September 1935, placed strict limits on what Jews could and could not do. But just two months later, they were forced to comply with the laws and had their final performance, in Munich.

    Chopin and Rabbi were the last living members of the group. The musical ends with Rabbi, at age 87 in 1987, reminiscing on the old days. "Oh what I wouldn’t give for one more night with [the group]," he said.

    [Afterward,] Manilow and Sussman, Speciale, Booth and Stage Director Lora K. Powell joined the cast onstage. "What a great experience this has been," Manilow said, adding the Alliance is a gem for the city. "You people who are from here have to be proud."

    September 15, 2013 Broadway World"All Eyes on 'Harmony' in Atlanta: Richard Jay-Alexander Talks to Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman on the Eve of Opening Night" by Richard Jay-Alexander
    Any worthy partnership, in order to succeed, must be able to "endure." Whether it's a friendship, lovers, business associates or, in an even more complicated equation, authors of a musical. Especially a new musical. Many famous partnerships with plenty of ups & downs would include Rodgers & Hart, Rodgers & Hammerstein, George & Ira Gershwin, Boublil & Schonberg, Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice and too many others to mention. But what unifies all those that endured the turbulence, is their passion and desire to tell a story. And HARMONY, written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman fits that description to a T.

    They were the first sensational boy band: six talented young men who came together in 1920s Germany and took the world by storm with their signature blend of sophisticated close harmonies and uproarious stage antics. The Comedian Harmonists sold millions of records, starred in a dozen films and packed the houses of the most prestigious concert halls around the globe until the world they knew forever changed. Some of them were Jewish, some were not.

    Tonight, as the curtain rises at the (770 seat) ALLIANCE THEATRE, in Atlanta, this will be the center of the universe for Barry and Bruce. This musical is, and has been, their baby for a long time, and this is the moment that they've both been waiting for.

    In the cast are Shayne Kennon as the narrator Rabbi, and as The Comedian Harmonists are: Tony Yazbeck as Harry; Douglas Williams as Bobby; Chris Dwan as Erich; Will Taylor as Chopin; Will Blum as Lesh; Leigh Ann Larkin as Mary; and Hannah Corneau as Ruth.

    I reached out to Barry and Bruce the other day, because I wanted to find out how they were feeling about things and about the show...and just to wish them 'good luck'. I think I could actually "hear" their collective hearts beating, as I asked questions and they would sometimes finish each other's sentences.

    Both Manilow and Sussman have been on the scene during the rehearsal process and they have much praise for Director Tony Speciale, who has been known for new thinking and turning material on its ear. He also seems a 'perfect fit' as he directed another tale of injustice and persecution when he conceived and directed UNNATURAL ACTS: HARVARD'S SECRET COURT OF 1920, which was another story of persecution - in that case, homosexual.

    But, Barry and Bruce bring gravitas to this material and for HARMONY have re-worked or re-written here to accommodate the specifics of the cast, for their particular skills and story-telling abilities. Barry has also contributed new music and they are both very proud of the musicalization of a scene that takes place on a train.

    HARMONY offers plenty of laughs and the preview audiences comply, but they also pay homage and sit in total silence for the heartbreak of the story at the core of this powerful musical.

    In addition, both men were quick to add that, in a time where standing ovations no longer seem to mean so much, that when they witness the entire Atlanta audience getting up and cheering, even before the final curtain has hit the floor, that "chills" happen to each of them and the tears of joy flow freely. They have been "pinching" themselves, but keep both feet on the ground at all times. It was a beautiful thing to hear.

    The calls have already started coming in from potential Broadway producers, but, for right now, they are keeping focus. It would seem that any smart producer would be booking their flights now, to see it in Atlanta, before it takes a hiatus and continues on to the Ahmanson, in Los Angeles. It's not everyday that Barry Manilow writes a score for a musical. Barry has also been performing one of the musical's anthems, 'Every Single Day' in his concerts for quite some time. He sets up the story, and then performs the song to cheers from the audience. That song could be described as the perfect 'antithesis' of a character's regrets in the song, 'The Road You Didn't Take' from Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's FOLLIES.

    The authors are enormously proud of this piece and when they speak, it shows through in every word, reminding me of the recent PBS special, BROADWAY MUSICALS: A JEWISH LEGACY, which pretty much proved that if there were no Jews, there would be no Broadway. And, in this case, both authors show the pride and love of both their upbringing and their love of Broadway.

    The chat was spirited, fun, nervous, excited and, if you know either Barry Manilow or Bruce Sussman (or both) you want it to be a BIG HIT!

    I asked them, "What are you gonna wear on Sunday Night?" (I couldn't help myself).

    Barry answered, "Oh, I don't know ... Maybe a dress cut down to there!" How can you not love this man?

    I finally asked, "Is there anything you want to tell the BroadwayWorld.com readers, if they are planning to come see the show?" And they BOTH answered (in perfect harmony), "BRING KLEENEX!"

    BREAK LEGS, BOYS! What a great way to start (the Jewish) New Year!

    ALLIANCE THEATRE presents HARMONY - A NEW MUSICAL, with music by Barry Manilow and book & lyrics by Bruce Sussman, now playing through October 6, 2013.

    Drama Desk Award nominee Tony Speciale (Classic Stage Company: Unnatural Acts, A Midsummer Night's Dream) directs HARMONY and is supported by a talented creative team including Set & Costume Designer Tobin Ost (Jekyll & Hyde Revival, Newsies The Musical), Projection Designer Darrel Maloney (American Idiot), LX Designer Jeff Croiter (Jekyll & Hyde Revival, The Anarchist), winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Play for his work on Peter and the Starcatcher, Choreographer JoAnn M. Hunter (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever), Music Director Patrick Vaccariello (Annie Revival, Come Fly Away), Assistant Music Director John O'Neill, and Sound Designer John Shivers, winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Sound Design of a Musical for his work on the Tony Award winning musical Kinky Boots.

    The ensemble for HARMONY consists of eleven actors who must play over thirty roles including historical figures like Marlene Dietrich, Albert Einstein, and Richard Strauss - all of whom the Comedian Harmonists really knew. Members of the ensemble include Dave Schoonover, Patrick O'Neill, Greg Kamp, Charles Osborne, Bryan Thomas Hunt, Chad Lindsey, Brandon O'Dell, Lauren Elaine Taylor, Kim Sava, Lindsay Moore, and Liberty Cogen.

    Tickets start at $30 and are available at The Woodruff Arts Center Box Office in person or by calling 404-733-5000. Tickets are also available online at www.alliancetheatre.org/harmony.

    September 12, 2013 Broadway World"Barry Manilow & Team Talk New Musical HARMONY" by Pat Cerasaro
    Internationally adored pop star Barry Manilow joins with bookwriter and lyricist Bruce Sussman as well as director Tony Speciale to discuss the new musical HARMONY and share a look behind the scenes of the show, now playing an out of town tryout at the ALLIANCE THEATRE in Atlanta, Georgia.

    "A lot of people have never heard of them, and, as a musician, I thought it was really important to remind the public or to introduce the public to these talented men," Manilow reveals of his inspiration to musicalize this particular story. "And, as a Jew, I thought it was even more important to remind people of what happened," Manilow adds. "The most stunning part of this whole story is these six guys were the first vocal group to do what we all love today - and, they were tremendously popular," Manilow says.

    The official synopsis of HARMONY is as follows: "HARMONY tells the compelling story of the Comedian Harmonists. They were the first sensational boy band: six talented young men who came together in 1920s Germany and took the world by storm with their signature blend of sophisticated close harmonies and uproarious stage antics. The Comedian Harmonists sold millions of records, starred in a dozen films and packed the houses of the most prestigious concert halls around the globe until the world they knew forever changed. Their amazing story inspirEd Barry and Bruce to create a spectacular new musical with an original score that celebrates this extraordinary group of friends and ensures their quest for true harmony in the most discordant chapter of human history will never be forgotten."

    HARMONY opens September 6 at the ALLIANCE THEATRE in Atlanta. A second production at the Ahmanson Theatre in California is planned for March 2014, as well.

    September 12, 2013 Gwinnett Daily PostManilow's 'Harmony' comes to Atlanta
    Fanilows, if you can’t get enough of Barry Manilow, there is a musical for you. Now through Oct. 6, the Alliance Theatre presents Manilow’s and Bruce Sussman’s production, "Harmony: A New Musical."

    The story follows the Comedian Harmonists, six young men who came together in 1920s Germany to create the first boy band of sorts. Beside singing, the men were entertaining and funny for its crowds. They sold millions of records, starred in a dozen films and packed out venues. When the 1930s hit, things changed. The group was living in Germany and some of its members were Jewish, which forced Comedian Harmonists out of the spotlight.

    The show is not recommended for children under the age of 11. Tickets range from $30 to $72. For more information, visit alliancetheatre.org.

    September 11, 2013 Playbill.com"Barry Manilow's Harmony, With Tony Yazbeck, Will Blum and Leigh Ann Larkin, Plays Atlanta" by Matthew Blank
    Harmony – A New Musical, a co-production between Atlanta's Tony-winning Alliance Theatre and Center Theatre Group that features music by Barry Manilow and book and lyrics by Bruce Sussman, begins performances Sept. 6 at the Alliance. Directed by Drama Desk Award nominee Tony Speciale (Classic Stage Company's Unnatural Acts, A Midsummer Night’s Dream), performances continue through Oct. 6.

    "Harmony is about a group of young men who came together during a terrifying time in history to create something exquisite," said director Speciale in an earlier statement. "Their heartbreaking and untold story was the impetus for Barry and Bruce to write Harmony, and it's what compelled me to work on this important project. Together the authors have woven an intricate and epic piece of music theatre about memory, collaboration, hope, brotherhood, survival and redemption. Harmony is a Celebration of these six brilliant men and an inspiring reminder of the human capacity to make great art, even in our darkest hours."

    Shayne Kennon plays Roman "Rabbi" Cykowski, who was the only surviving member of The Comedian Harmonists when Manilow and Sussman began working on the project. He died in 1998. His memories, plus available historical information, provide the basis for the musical.

    Joining Kennon, whose character also acts as the narrator for the story, are Tony Yazbeck (Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Gypsy) as Harry, Douglas Williams as Bobby, Chris Dwan (Off-Broadway's The Old Boy, Peter & I) as Erich, Will Taylor (A Chorus Line) as Chopin, Will Blum (The Book of Mormon) as Lesh, Leigh Ann Larkin (A Little Night Music, Gypsy) as Mary and Hannah Corneau as Ruth.

    The ensemble for Harmony consists of 11 actors who play over 30 roles, including historical figures like Marlene Dietrich, Albert Einstein and Richard Strauss. They are Dave Schoonover, Patrick O’Neill, Greg Kamp, Charles Osborne, Bryan Thomas Hunt, Chad Lindsey, Brandon O’Dell, Lauren Elaine Taylor, Kim Sava, Lindsay Moore and Liberty Cogen.

    "We are both thrilled by the stunningly talented cast and design team who will be joining us for this production of Harmony," said creators Manilow and Sussman in a statement. "Given Tony Speciale's fresh and blazingly theatrical vision for the piece, we now have every reason to believe this will be the Harmony we've always hoped to see."

    Harmony, according to the Alliance, "tells the true story of The Comedian Harmonists, a close harmony ensemble of six young men in 1930s Germany, who took the world by storm until their religious composition – a mixture of Jews and Gentiles – put them on a collision course with history."

    Other members of the creative team include set and costume designer Tobin Ost, projection designer Darrel Maloney, LX designer Jeff Croiter, choreographer JoAnn M. Hunter, music director Patrick Vaccariello, assistant music director John O'Neill, orchestrator Doug Walter, sound designer John Shivers and copyist Howard Begun.

    For more information and tickets, visit call (404) 733-5000 or visit AllianceTheatre.org/Harmony.

    September 6, 2013 The GA Voice"Interview: Barry Manilow's 'Harmony': Pop legend speaks out on new musical at the Alliance Theatre" by Jim Farmer
    He writes the songs that make the whole world sing. And he’s the voice behind them as well: "Mandy," "Copacabana" and dozens more. Now Barry Manilow is collaborating with the Alliance Theatre for the company’s 2013-2014 season opener, "Harmony – A New Musical," taking the stage Sept. 6 through Oct. 6.

    "Harmony" is the true story of what could be the first boy band extraordinaire: The Comedian Harmonists, composed of six young men in Germany in the 1920s. They sold millions of records and starred in films. But three members were Jewish and as anti-Semitism grew, the group fell apart. Nazis eventually disbanded them.

    Manilow is surprised that the band is relatively obscure to today’s audiences. "They were huge in Europe, all over the place, but we didn’t know about them," he says. "They were the Manhattan Transfer (of their age). They knocked us out." He compares their humor to that of the Marx Brothers.

    The fine line in "Harmony" is creating a musical with a great score (almost 20 songs in all) but with a darker subject -- and not making it overly morose. Manilow is quick to point out that this isn’t a Holocaust musical. "It ends in 1935," he says.

    While Manilow is handling the music for the production, his longtime writing partner Bruce Sussman is responsible for the book and lyrics. The Atlanta gig is directed by Broadway veteran Tony Speciale.

    Manilow and Sussman were in town recently for rehearsals and are pleased with what they are seeing. "It is going great," Sussman says. "It’s been thrilling; it is going to be a spectacular show."

    Sussman read an article about the Comedian Harmonists and soon after saw the documentary about them. He knew he had a project. The musical was first produced back in 1997 at the La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, Calif.

    The upcoming Atlanta show is the first staging since, although there have been attempts to do it elsewhere. When Sussman and Manilow were looking around for a regional theater to re-stage it, people kept on mentioning the Alliance. They called and found a welcoming home. "Harmony" has been tightened since the 1997 production. The first act is much shorter, Sussman says. He refers to it as a new vision.

    Both men feel "Harmony" is especially relevant for LGBT audiences. "Who wouldn’t relate to six friends in trouble creating beautiful music in a terrible time?" Manilow says.

    Sussman believes "any group in the shadows or that have been in the shadows" can empathize with the characters. During the course of the musical is the rise of national socialism and the tracking down of gays and lesbians, he says.

    After the Atlanta engagement, the musical will travel to Los Angeles. Beyond that, where it goes is anyone’s guess, although Sussman and Manilow certainly would not be opposed to taking it elsewhere. For now, though, "our blinders are on; we’re only thinking of this production," says Sussman.

    Although they love the pop songs that made Manilow popular, the two realize that doing a stage musical takes a good five years to produce. Previously, the two worked on a stage version of "Copacabana" together, as well as a few films. The secret to a 41-year working relationship, both men feel, is knowing how to collaborate — knowing that it’s okay sometimes to make a fool out of yourself and try new things until it all clicks.

    MORE INFORMATION: "Harmony – A New Musical"; Sept. 6 – Oct. 6; Alliance Theatre; www.alliancetheatre.org

    September 6, 2013 Playbill.com"Barry Manilow's Harmony Musical, With Tony Yazbeck, Will Blum, Leigh Ann Larkin and More, Begins Sept. 6 at the Alliance" by Michael Gioia
    Harmony – A New Musical, a co-production between Atlanta's Tony-winning Alliance Theatre and Center Theatre Group that features music by Barry Manilow and book and lyrics by Bruce Sussman, begins performances Sept. 6 at the Alliance. Directed by Drama Desk Award nominee Tony Speciale (Classic Stage Company's Unnatural Acts, A Midsummer Night’s Dream), performances continue through Oct. 6.

    "Harmony is about a group of young men who came together during a terrifying time in history to create something exquisite," said director Speciale in an earlier statement. "Their heartbreaking and untold story was the impetus for Barry and Bruce to write Harmony, and it's what compelled me to work on this important project. Together the authors have woven an intricate and epic piece of music theatre about memory, collaboration, hope, brotherhood, survival and redemption. Harmony is a celebration of these six brilliant men and an inspiring reminder of the human capacity to make great art, even in our darkest hours."

    Shayne Kennon plays Roman "Rabbi" Cykowski, who was the only surviving member of The Comedian Harmonists when Manilow and Sussman began working on the project. He died in 1998. His memories, plus available historical information, provide the basis for the musical.

    Joining Kennon, whose character also acts as the narrator for the story, are Tony Yazbeck (Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Gypsy) as Harry, Douglas Williams as Bobby, Chris Dwan (Off-Broadway's The Old Boy, Peter & I) as Erich, Will Taylor (A Chorus Line) as Chopin, Will Blum (The Book of Mormon) as Lesh, Leigh Ann Larkin (A Little Night Music, Gypsy) as Mary and Hannah Corneau as Ruth.

    The ensemble for Harmony consists of 11 actors who play over 30 roles, including historical figures like Marlene Dietrich, Albert Einstein and Richard Strauss. They are Dave Schoonover, Patrick O’Neill, Greg Kamp, Charles Osborne, Bryan Thomas Hunt, Chad Lindsey, Brandon O’Dell, Lauren Elaine Taylor, Kim Sava, Lindsay Moore and Liberty Cogen. "We are both thrilled by the stunningly talented cast and design team who will be joining us for this production of Harmony," said creators Manilow and Sussman in a statement. "Given Tony Speciale's fresh and blazingly theatrical vision for the piece, we now have every reason to believe this will be the Harmony we've always hoped to see."

    Harmony, according to the Alliance, "tells the true story of The Comedian Harmonists, a close harmony ensemble of six young men in 1930s Germany, who took the world by storm until their religious composition – a mixture of Jews and Gentiles – put them on a collision course with history."

    Other members of the creative team include set and costume designer Tobin Ost, projection designer Darrel Maloney, LX designer Jeff Croiter, choreographer JoAnn M. Hunter, music director Patrick Vaccariello, assistant music director John O'Neill, orchestrator Doug Walter, sound designer John Shivers and copyist Howard Begun.

    For more information and tickets, visit call (404) 733-5000 or visit AllianceTheatre.org/Harmony.

    September 5, 2013 Vintage Vinyl NewsBarry Manilow to Receive Dream Foundation Founder's Humanitarian Award
    Barry Manilow has been selected to receive the 2013 Founder's Humanitarian Award from the Dream Foundation. The Dream Foundation is the first and largest national wish-granting organization dedicated to adults and their families facing life-threatening illness. Manilow has worked with the foundation a number of times in the past to grant "final dreams" of the organization's clients, including meetings, phone calls, concerts and memorabilia.

    According to the Foundation, "Mr. Manilow has inspired and helped millions through his music and gracious philanthropic gestures. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Manilow arranged that for every US dollar donated by his fans to the American Red Cross, he would personally and through the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope match the donation, tripling the original amount. In less than 48 hours, the fund donated $150,000. In 2011, Manilow visited Joplin, Missouri six months after a tornado swept through the city destroying one-third of it and donated $300,000 to its only high school to restore the musical program and instruments that were lost. These are just two examples of Mr. Manilow’s desire to help those in need."

    Dream Foundation Founder/President, Thomas Rollerson said "Without the years of support of advocates like Barry, we simply would have not the resources needed to touch the lives of the families we serve. Barry's philanthropic efforts with Dream Foundation and beyond are testament to his compassionate heart and desire to make a difference. He clearly leads by example, embodying a message of hope and determination to make a lasting impact in the lives of others."

    September 5, 2013 The Journalist"Barry Manilow to be honored as a Dream Foundation humanitarian" by Randy Gener
    Dream Foundation will honor Barry Manilow with a humanitarian award. The largest national wish-granting US organization dedicated to adults and their families facing life-threatening illness, Dream Foundation will hold their annual gala on October 26. It is a very posh event at which Manilow will be bestowed their 2013 Celebration of Dreams Gala Founder’s Humanitarian Award (the official name of the award).

    Manilow is being recognized for the inspiration of his music and his philanthropic gestures. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Manilow arranged that for every US dollar donated by his fans to the American Red Cross, he would personally and through the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope match the donation, tripling the original amount. In less than 48 hours, the fund donated $150,000.

    In 2011, Manilow visited Joplin, Missouri, six months after a tornado swept through the city destroying one-third of it and donated $300,000 to its only high school to restore the musical program and instruments that were lost.

    Dream Foundation has also benefited directly from Manilow’s largesse. Whether the dream constituted meeting him, receiving a phone call from him, attending a concert or getting autographed memorabilia, Manilow "was kind, helpful, and always eager to make memorable experiences for those in need," the Dream Foundation said in a prepared statement.

    Most recently, 88-year-old Imogene from Orland Park, Illinois, who was losing her battle with breast cancer desperately wanted to meet Manilow. He was her idol, and she said she wanted to be "near enough to hold his hand." Dream Foundation sent her, her daughter and her son-in-law to one of his Las Vegas shows, arranged VIP seating, as well as a special meet and greet backstage.

    "Without the years of support of advocates like Barry, we simply would have the resources needed to touch the lives of the families we serve," says Dream Foundation Founder/President, Thomas Rollerson. "Barry’s philanthropic efforts with Dream Foundation and beyond are testament to his compassionate heart and desire to make a difference. He clearly leads by example, embodying a message of hope and determination to make a lasting impact in the lives of others."

    Founded in 2004, Dream Foundation gala will take place on October 26, 2013 at the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, California. It generates nearly one-third of the foundation’s entire annual operating budget. The foundation says it anticipates serving more than 5,000 final dreams this year.

    September 5, 2013 All Voices"Barry Manilow to Receive Humanitarian Award" by Sherrill Fulghum
    Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award multi platinum selling musician Barry Manilow will be honoured with the Founder's Humanitarian Award from the Dream Foundation at their 12th annual Dream Gala on October 26 at the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, California. The Dream Foundation is the first wish granting organization; they are dedicated to serving adults and families facing life threatening illnesses. Manilow will also be performing at the annual Celebraton of Dreams Gala.

    Through his Manilow Fund for Health and Hope and his Manilow Music Project he has donated musical instruments to schools across the country. In each city of his recent tour, Manilow donated a grand piano to the city school district and encourged fans to donate used instruments for the schools. After recent natural disasters, Manilow has replaced thousands of musical instruments lost in hurricanes and tornados. Manilow has also particpated in the Dream Foundation's wishes by eagerly granting a number of wishes.

    Dream Foundation founder and President Thomas Rollerson said that Manilow's continued support made him an easy choice as this year's Humanitarian Award recipient. "Barry's philanthropic efforts with Dream Foundation and beyond are testament to his compassionate heart and desire to make a difference. He clearly leads by example, embodying a message of hope and determination to make a lasting impact in the lives of others." Founded in 1994, Dream Foundation serves over 2,500 dreams each year.

    Playing music since he was a small child, Barry Manilow has been a human jukebox, the go to guy for every wanna be Braodway star's audition, and the piano player for Bette Midler before he burst onto the music charts in 1974 with "Mandy". Since that time he has recorded over 40 albums, sold over 80 million albums, broke onto the Billboard charts over 50 times, played for a Princess, and entertained millions of music fans. Currently Manilow is ranke the number one Adult Contemprary artist of all time.

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    September 2013 Atlanta Magazine"Looks Like We Made It: After four decades, Barry Manilow's musical finally debuts at the Alliance Theatre" by Rachael Maddux
    Forty years ago, Barry Manilow had a dream. Not of selling 80 million records or writing some of the most ubiquitous pop melodies of the late twentieth century, though he did that in due time. No, he wanted to write for Broadway. So did Bruce Sussman, his songwriting partner since 1972. But "Copacabana" wasn’t going to pen itself, so their stage aspirations took a backseat.

    In the early nineties, though, they got the urge to scratch that old itch. And soon after, Sussman chanced upon a stunning true story: the Comedian Harmonists, a six-man performance ensemble that went from being the toast of Europe in the 1930s to raising the ire of the ascendant Nazi Party, which banned the Harmonists from public performance because of the group’s mix of Jewish and Gentile members.

    Sussman and Manilow were captivated by the almost-forgotten group, and the result is their musical Harmony, premiering at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre this month. The songs are all 1930s-style originals (music by Manilow, book and lyrics by Sussman), and the historical narrative is paired with themes contemplating memory.

    On paper, Harmony seemed like a sure success (moving story! supernova-sized pop talent!), but the road from inception to production was rocky.

    After a 1997 early staging in La Jolla, California, a subsequent 2003 Philadelphia production was weeks from opening when its producer fell short on cash, axing the run. While the rights were in limbo, Manilow, now seventy, sued the producer and landed in the hospital with stress-related heart problems. "Barry and I said, 'Well, this hurts too much,'" Sussman remembers. "We just decided we were going to let [the show] sit there, and when it was right, it would be right."

    Last year, it finally seemed right. "I decided that, before I croak, I just want to see it up one more time," Manilow says. "I called up Bruce and said, 'Why don’t we go back to where we were the happiest?' Which was a regional theater."

    The Alliance - which premiered Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida in 1998; launched John Mellencamp, Stephen King, and T Bone Burnett’s Ghost Brothers of Darkland County last summer; and boasts a regional Tony award, among many other accolades - seemed to be a natural fit. "I’m very proud of the Alliance Theatre’s role as a safe, supportive home for new work, in particular new American musicals, because it requires a kind of flexibility, a kind of protective and supportive environment that we’ve worked really hard to build," says Susan V. Booth, the Alliance’s artistic director. "What’s interesting about this production is - I mean, it’s not like Bruce Sussman and Barry Manilow don’t have pretty demanding day jobs. It would be so easy for them to put their hands up and say, 'Okay, we’ve got a great director, we’ve got a great theater, go do our show.' They’ve done the absolute opposite. They’ve leaned into this particular moment and said, 'We love this director. We think he’s crazy smart and gets our show, so let’s lean into it like it’s brand new and make sure it’s exactly right.' They didn’t have to do that."

    That director is Tony Speciale, a relative newcomer who worked with the writers to refine the show, holding production meetings in New York all spring before decamping to Atlanta in late July. "This piece is remarkable, and it reminds me of how many stories there are out there like this that none of us have heard of," Speciale says. "The Nazi Party was very effective at eradicating stories like this. And so it’s always miraculous when something like this survives, and no one knows about these people, and you get to be part of the process to shepherd their story to the stage."

    Because the show lay dormant for so long and will so differ from its one previous production, Harmony’s run at the Alliance - from September 6 to October 6, 2013 - is being hailed as its debut. In March, it moves out in Los Angeles. And after that? Sussman and Manilow are just trying to take it one curtain call at a time, but they may make it to Broadway yet.

    Atlanta Magazine: How did you find this story?

    Bruce Sussman: I was having my coffee over the New York Times, and there was a review of a documentary playing downtown, Eberhard Fechner’s epic documentary Comedian Harmonists at the Public. I went and watched four hours of German documentary-making with subtitles - not my usual cup of tea - and was totally overwhelmed. I went out into the street and there was a pay phone, and I called Barry in Los Angeles and I was blathering. He said, as he is wont to do, "I don’t know what you’re talking about, but go get it." A few months later I was in Germany doing the research.

    Barry Manilow: The Comedian Harmonists were the biggest group in Germany and around the world, doing what they did. They were a combination of the Marx Brothers and Manhattan Transfer - very sophisticated harmonies and very complicated singing. Bruce and I had never heard of them. And in the world of music, we know everybody. How could they be so hugely popular and we had never heard of them? Why we didn’t know who they were turned out to be the story.

    Bruce Sussman: Five of the six men were gone when we started working. The lead of our play - Roman Cycowski, nicknamed "Rabbi" because he was in rabbinical school when he joined the group - was alive, but we didn’t know where he was. And then, lo and behold, we found out that he was living in Palm Springs. Barry also lives in Palm Springs. As it turned out, he was living literally within spitting distance of Barry’s home. You would not be out of breath, taking this walk from where Barry was composing the score about this man’s life. Barry met him and presented him with an award from the Grammy academy. He died in 1998 at 97 years old. His wife, Mary, the female lead in our play, was six years his junior and lived seven years longer.

    Atlanta Magazine: The show is all original songs, but how much did you pull from the 1930s, sound-wise?

    Barry Manilow: When the Comedian Harmonists were banned from performing, everything was destroyed - but somehow about twenty songs did survive. I studied those before I put any notes down. It took me about a year before I did anything. I was soaking in this style of music before I felt confident enough to write the score that sounded like it was real and appropriate for the show. But I think both Bruce and I actually nailed it. When people hear the score, they don’t think that it would have come from Barry Manilow’s pen - in a complimentary way. It’s so far away from any record I’ve ever made, anything I’ve ever performed or written. I’m real proud of it. It was a real, deep learning experience for me.

    Atlanta Magazine: What made Tony Speciale the right director?

    Bruce Sussman: When we put word out that we were doing the show again, we got all these directors who were interested in meeting with us, including deeply resumed Tony Award–winning directors. Every single one of them could have done it, but there was something missing. And we wanted to kick it in the butt. We wanted to push it one level higher, something more blazingly theatrical than we had ever done before. Tony’s name came up. Friends sent over photos of a highly acclaimed A Midsummer Night’s Dream that he did last summer in New York. Barry and I had never seen anything like it. We met with him, and he blew our socks off. He came in with such a fresh imagination, and he brought up what he thought this piece could be by way of memory and how it could unfold visually. He left the room and Barry and I looked at each other and said, "That’s the one."

    Barry Manilow: His resume doesn’t compete with any of the other great directors that we met. But we believe that Tony is going to give us a version of Harmony that even Bruce and I couldn’t have imagined. There are some things he’s doing that are just crazy and brilliant. I think we chose right.

    Atlanta Magazine: What about the cast?

    Barry Manilow: The Comedian Harmonists were the Backstreet Boys of Germany. They were young, in their twenties. In the earlier productions, we hired wonderful actors and singers, but they were in their thirties. This time we’re going for young. The male leads sang sixteen bars of the finale during one of the callbacks, and the sound of young boys singing the score, as opposed to more matured voices, just knocked us out.

    Atlanta Magazine: And it makes it that much more poignant, knowing what happens to them.

    Bruce Sussman: That, too. A challenge of this show is that, as an audience, we know what happened - not specifically to the members of the group, but we know what happened in the world they were living in. It’s very hard to crawl back into a state of innocence where you don’t know what’s waiting ahead of you.

    Atlanta Magazine: After twenty years, with the show finally coming together, how are you feeling?

    Barry Manilow: We’re ignoring it right now. We’ve been down a pretty rough road, and we’re just doing our job. Once I see that curtain go up is when I’ll get excited.

    August 27, 2013 Tablet Magazine"Barry Manilow's New Musical 'Harmony' reimagines a famous Weimar-era song-and-dance troupe in major and minor keys" by Lonnie Firestone
    Barry Manilow and his lyricist partner Bruce Sussman have attempted various musicals over the years, including a story based on their hit song Copacabana. In the early 1990s, Sussman saw a documentary that riveted him, about a German singing group. The film portrayed how a Jewish actor in Berlin recruited five singers - two Jewish and three non-Jewish - to form a musical group that offered something unprecedented in live performance: complex six-part harmonies, vocal imitation of instruments, and physical comedy onstage. The Comedian Harmonists, as they were called, became a musical sensation in the late 1920s, but their rise to fame coincided with Hitler’s rise to power and restrictions against Jewish artists in Germany. The film immediately interested Sussman, a self-proclaimed "history buff," and he quickly located a copy to send to Manilow. The result of their subsequent collaboration is a new musical, Harmony, which opens on Sept. 6 at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.

    At a rehearsal space in New York’s Times Square where I met Manilow and Sussman, the cast of Harmony was at work, practicing the show’s opening number with the director, Tony Speciale. I was led to the lounge area where Manilow was standing, wearing sunglasses and smoking an electronic cigarette. His custom-made clothes, tan skin, and coiffed hair suggested that he was preparing to take stage rather than give an interview. But when he sat down with Sussman and me, his demeanor softened. When he first saw the movie, he said, he was blown away by the brilliance of the Harmonists and was shocked that he had never heard of these talented artists before.

    "I remember vividly when I sent you the first CD," Sussman said with a laugh to Manilow, "and you were in your car driving down Santa Monica Boulevard, and you flipped out and called me on your car phone." Both Manilow and Sussman were excited by the prospect of telling a story about the Harmonists, whose legacy outside of Germany had been largely forgotten. They found that there was a Comedian Harmonists’ archive in Berlin and began to use primary sources for their research. Manilow felt purposeful in "diving so far in. Because they were the first," he told me. "They were the architects of the kind of group singing that we love so much today."

    To compose the score, Manilow dived into the music of the era. "I immersed myself so deeply in the ’20s and the ’30s," he said. "My job was to write an authentic-sounding score that didn’t sound like a Barry Manilow record that paid tribute to the time and place. This was a style of music that I had never thought about let alone written. So, it was about a year before I even put a note down."

    Reflecting on the setting of their musical - Weimar Germany - Manilow said, "Maybe it was in the water because they were all at the top of their creativity." Sussman added, "This is the period of Kurt Weill and Einstein and all of these amazing people who ultimately fled, and here we have this group of Jews and gentiles facing that decision of what to do."

    While both Sussman and Manilow are Jewish, neither had much interest in doing a "Jewish musical," or a work about the Holocaust. "This is not a Holocaust musical. A lot of writers have gotten that wrong," Manilow asserted. For his part, the Jewish aspect of the story seemed less engaging than his fascination with 1930s music. As he put it, "We chose a project that spoke to us."

    Sussman took a slightly different view. "The Jewish stories tend to appeal to me the most," he said. "I was actually exploring another project that I thought wouldn’t have a Jew in it, and I researched and got to a critical point, and suddenly there’s a big old Jewish theme. And I said, ‘Well, I guess it’s just going to be there for me wherever I turn.’ " Sussman’s knowledge of Jewish cultural references was evident as we talked, and he admitted that the dialogue in Harmony is laced with Jewish humor. In one scene, Roman Cycowski, a cantor turned Harmonist member, says that he is looking forward to finally "singing in a major key," a line that Sussman says always gets a laugh. Jewish jokes generally do well with theater audiences, as anyone knows from seeing The Producers. But that humor felt specifically purposeful to Sussman for this musical because the Harmonists wove comedy so deftly into their performance.

    Cycowski, the last surviving member of the Comedian Harmonists (he died in 1998 at age 97), is the narrator of the musical, guiding the audience through his memory of how the singers first met, how they became stars, and how Germany became untenable for the group’s Jewish members. Manilow and Sussman hand-picked Speciale to helm the project because his directing style leans toward representational, poetic, and often dreamlike storytelling, an aesthetic that would serve this "memory play." For Speciale, the script to Harmony, "had all the elements that I love in theater. It was theatrical, it was expressionistic, there were flashbacks, it spanned 28 different locations over nine years, it had 40 different characters. It was so epic, yet it had a cast of only 19 people. Nineteen may sound big, but it’s not a lot when you think of musicals."

    Harmony’s epic nature was also reflected in the show’s development process. The theaters producing Harmony this year - the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta and Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles (which begins performances in March) - have billed the show as a "new musical." But Harmony was actually first produced in 1997 at La Jolla Playhouse in southern California. It was, at the time, a new venture for Manilow and Sussman, and they hardly thought of the work as complete. The production received promising reviews, however, which bolstered their intentions to bring it to Broadway. But the show dissolved before its intended Broadway opening in 2004 and culminated in a lawsuit where Manilow and Sussman fought to reclaim the rights from the show’s producers. It would be inaccurate to call this new production a world première, but this version is, in many ways, the first fully realized production of Harmony to be seen by audiences.

    "I’m very aware of the pressure that is on this piece because it’s been through so much," Speciale remarked. "So, I feel a great responsibility to shepherd this project, to allow the authors to see it for what it is, which I think is a masterpiece." While Broadway still waits, the main objective to Manilow, Sussman, and Speciale is to turn out stellar productions in Atlanta and Los Angeles and to thereby set Harmony back in the right key.

    Manilow and Sussman hope that Harmony has the potential to be a culturally specific show with universal ideas, a Jewish musical with broader resonance. "I hope the audience likes it because I like it and Bruce likes it," said Manilow as our conversation came to an end. "I hope they like it, but it won’t change my feeling for it. I just want to see it one more time."

    August 27, 2013 Jewish Business News"Barry Manilow’s newest musical 'Harmony' touches a poignant chord: Writing 'Harmony' become a very personal journey for both Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman" by Yoel Bermant
    Manilow has teamed up with Broadway lyricist Bruce Sussman on a musical project that has been based on a documentary[that] tells the story of a long forgotten close harmony group of singers known as the "Comedian Harmonists" who were popular in pre-war Germany before being disbanded by the Nazis.

    Manilow will be working in cooperation with Sussman, relating the story of the six-man German vocal group, the "Comedian Harmonists." The "Comedian Harmonists" of whom three members were Jewish, eventually broke up during the early nineteen thirties, as a result of unrelenting pressure from Nazi activists. During their seven-year career, the group succeeding in building a tremendous following thanks to their close harmony musical capabilities interlaced with humor. Eventually their reputation spread across all of mainland Europe, and even saw them making a number of successful tools to the United States, as well as appearing in no less than 21 films.

    Now Manilow and Sussman will be releasing a musical in their memory under the [title] "Harmony - A New Musical." Their production will be making its first curtain call in Atlanta, Georgia at the Alliance Theatre on September 6, after being in the works for more than a decade.

    According to Manilow and Sussman, "Harmony - A New Musical" has been crafted to suit a 2013 audience, although the music has been totally inspired by the unique close harmonies of the Comedian Harmonists. Manilow also hastened to point out that the storyline of Harmony "isn’t about the Holocaust," whilst it does contain strong references to "the approaching storm" felt by Jewish people in mainland Europe during the mid nineteen thirties.

    Harmony will be directed by Tony Speciale, known for his direction of a number of successful off-Broadway productions. The musical will feature a number of original numbers as well as some specially co-written for the production by Sussman and Manilow. The pair has enjoyed a number of successful writing collaborations in the past, with undoubtedly their best known being "Copacabana," the song for which Manilow is most widely associated.

    The cast members for Harmony have been hand-picked by Speciale to suit their ages the group was initially formed in the late 1920s. Cast members include such well-known stage stars as Will Blum, Chris Dwan, Shayne Kennon, Will Taylor, Douglas Williams, Tony Yazbeck, Leigh Ann Larkin and Hannah Corneau.

    As far as the members of the original Comedian Harmonists, Ari Leschnikoff, Erwin Bootz, Harry Frommermann, Erich A. Collin, Roman Cycowski and Robert Biberti were concerned, they never performed again together after disbanding, although all of them succeeded in surviving the war.

    Barry Manilow was born Barry Alan Pincus in the Williamsburg suburb of Brooklyn, New York. After his bar mitzvah, Barry adopted the surname Manilow (his mother’s maiden name.) After completing high school, Barry enrolled in the Juilliard performing arts school, while working at CBS to pay his expenses.

    In 1967, at the age of just twenty-five, Manilow was appointed the musical director for the WCBS-TV series Callback, later going on to join Ed Sullivan’s production company, as musical conductor and arranger, during which time he was successfully building a career as a writer of catchy jingles for both radio and television, a lucrative sideline which continued well into the nineteen seventies, even as Barry’s mainstream recording career was beginning to take off.

    In 1976, Manilow won two Clio Awards, the international advertising world’s version of the Grammy, for his work for on the Tab and Band-Aid marketing campaigns. For many years after he became an internationally successful recording artist, Manilow would play a selection of his favorite jingles during his live concerts.

    During the mid seventies, Barry Manilow’s career as a recording artist really began to take off with no less than five of his albums appearing in the best-seller charts simultaneously, a feat equalled only by Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Herb Alpert and Johnny Mathis. Between 1974 and 1983 Manilow ran up a total of three chart topping singles in the US, with a total of 25 that succeeded in making it into the 40. During his career to date, Barry Manilow has sold more than 80 million records worldwide and been awarded three consecutive American Music Awards for favorite pop/rock male artist, as well as producing and arranging albums for other artists, including Bette Midler and Dionne Warwick.

    After his career as a recording artist began to wind down, Manilow reverted to becoming a live performer, particularly in Las Vegas, where he featured as the headline act at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel for close to five years, performing hundreds of shows before moving to the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas in early 2010.

    August 21, 2013 Neighbor Newspapers"Alliance's 'Harmony' reveals group's untold story" by Megan Thornton
    The Comedian Harmonists might have gone down in history as more famous than the Beatles, but most people probably do not recognize their name.

    Pop music legend Barry Manilow and theater veteran Bruce Sussman are telling the real-life singing group’s story, and Atlanta audiences will be the first to see the production onstage in more than a decade. After the two men spent about 15 years trying to get "Harmony - A New Musical" back on stage, the show will begin performances Sept. 6 at the Alliance Theatre under the direction of Tony Speciale.

    Set in pre-World War II Germany, the musical centers on a group of six smooth-singing young men - both Jews and gentiles - who sold millions of records and starred in several films before the war tore it apart, with little history left behind.

    Manilow, who wrote the music while Sussman wrote the script and lyrics, said the idea for a stage adaptation first sparked years ago, after Sussman saw a documentary about the Comedian Harmonists and told Manilow about the group. "We thought, 'How did people not know this group?'" Manilow said. "As a musician, it was really important for me to tell the world about them. The Comedian Harmonists were bigger than the Beatles, bigger than the Backstreet Boys. They established the foundation and the architecture of the music that’s popular today. As a Jew, it was important to remind people what happened."

    Manilow is quick to note that "Harmony" is not "a Holocaust musical," and that it maintains the group’s notable sense of humor while still keeping true to history. "It takes place in the approaching storm," Sussman added.

    Sussman said Alliance Artistic Director Susan V. Booth made it known early on she was eager to bring the show to the theatre. Booth, who has been with the Alliance since 2001, said she had tracked the musical since its first outing in the ’90s, calling the storyline "just as gorgeous as it is heartbreaking. We’ve been producing musicals for nearly a decade and have developed an audience with a thoughtful appreciation for musicals about something resonant, and this was all of that," Booth said. "...It is joyful and funny, but it also takes place at a time in our world’s history that is beyond dissonant."

    "Harmony" will run through Oct. 6 and opening night is Sept. 15. A special performance will be presented Sept. 21 during the Season Opening Gala.

          

    If you go... What: "Harmony - A New Musical". When: Sept. 6 through Oct. 6. Where: Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St., Midtown. Cost: Tickets start at $30. Information: (404) 733-5000 or www.alliancetheatre.org/harmony

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