The cast of Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman's Harmony celebrated the first night of Hanukkah Thursday, December 7 with a post-matinee menorah lighting at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway. Check out this video of the celebration, plus photos in the gallery below.
Company member Zal Owen welcomed the crowd, lit the first candle on the menorah, and sang two blessings for the holiday. Julie Benko sang the third blessing, the "Shehecheyanu," after which the cast performed the classic Hanukkah song "Maoz Tzur."
The cast of Harmony
The cast of Harmony
The cast of Harmony
The cast of Harmony
Harmony opened on Broadway November 13, after beginning previews October 18. Tony winner Warren Carlyle serves as director and choreographer. Read the reviews here.
Owen, Sean Bell, Danny Kornfeld, Eric Peters, Blake Roman, and Steven Telsey lead the cast as Comedian Harmonists Harry, Bobby, Young Rabbi, Erich, Chopin, and Lesh, respectively, sharing the stage with Chip Zien as Rabbi, Sierra Boggess as Mary, Benko as Ruth, Allison Semmes as Josephine Baker, and Andrew O'Shanick as Standartenführer. The company also includes Zak Edwards, Dan Hoy, Bruce Landry, RhonniRose Mantilla, Daniel Z. Miller, Benjamin H. Moore, Matthew Mucha, Constantine Pappas, Kayleen Seidl, Kyla Stone, Bronwyn Tarboton, Kate Wesler, Stuart Zagnit, and Lee Zarrett.
The musical—featuring music by Manilow and lyrics and a book by Sussman—tells the true story of The Comedian Harmonists, a Berlin singing group made up of six young men. In the 1920s and 1930s they were widely successful, with sold-out shows, popular records, and blockbuster films. After 1935, they were never heard from again. Harmony is based in part on The Comedian Harmonist Archive, curated by the late Dr. Peter Czada.
Manilow also serves as music arranger, with orchestrations by Doug Walter, vocal arrangements by Manilow and John O'Neill, music coordination by Michael Aarons, and music direction by O'Neill. The production also features scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Linda Cho and Ricky Lurie, lighting design by Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer, sound design by Dan Moses Schreier, media design by batwin + robin productions, hair and wig design by Tom Watson, casting by Jamibeth Margolis, and production stage management by Scott Taylor Rollison. Juniper Street Productions is production manager, and RCI Theatricals' Beverly Edwards is general manager.
Ken Davenport, Sandi Moran, and Garry Kief lead the producing team.
Visit HarmonyANewMusical.com.
