Everyone Needs A Little Harmony Robert J. Elisberg

[shado...@gmail.com]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-j-elisberg/eberyone-needs-a-little-h_b_2758748.html
Very intersting blog entry on Harmony
by Robert J. Elisberg. Who knows maybe
something Harmony is in the air.
Linda

[Suzan]

> Very intersting blog entry on Harmony
> by Robert J. Elisberg.

I really enjoyed this. I also agreed with his views on Harmony. I probably would get killed on any other board for suggesting Harmony was anything but perfect, but the La Jolla production WAS much weaker in the second act--the Josephine Baker number dragged, for example, and the importance of the extended scene on the train with Hitler didn't come through dramatically.
I also agree that the problems could be /would be fixed, and that this is a production that deserves a chance to be seen and evolve. I've never doubted "how meaningful the number is to the performer singing it" and I'm still hopeful that Barry and Bruce will soon see Harmony have the chance to grow up and succeed.

[marvin]

Your memory of seeing "Harmony" must be good Suzan to recall a scene in act two- especially because we are talking about a musical that hasn't been staged in over ten years. Hopefully, whatever artistic problems the musical had back then will be resolved. Marvin

[Suzan]

On Tuesday, February 26, 2013 3:58:38 PM UTC-6, marvin wrote:
> Your memory of seeing "Harmony" must be good Suzan to recall a scene in act two- especially because we are talking about a musical that hasn't been staged in over ten years. Hopefully, whatever artistic problems the musical had back then will be resolved. Marvin

I lived in San Diego and saw it a number of times, as did many of my friends, so it isn't as difficult to remember as you might imagine. We used to discuss it when we'd meet at Denny's after the shows. I remember it pretty well, actually.

In fact, most of my favorite parts did not make the "Scores" CD....songs like "How can I serve you Madam" which always made us laugh so hard it hurt! The Scores CD contains a number of depressing ballads, but the musical isn't like that; after all, they were the COMEDIAN Harmonists! There were a number of upbeat and often humorous songs, such as "Your son is becoming a Singer" (gasp! no! not that!) and "Come to the Fatherland" which involved the Harmonists acting as marionettes, with their strings being pulled by the Nazis.

Even during the time it played in La Jolla, there were changes. The first night during the song called (I think) "we go bananas", some of the costumes were covered with little yellow pom pom balls. They were gone by the next performance. The show was tightened up as well; the first night ran close to three hours!

I'm sure Barry and Bruce realized it needed work in some sections or they wouldn't have held so many workshops over the years. The basic structure is very solid. It just needed a little tweaking here and there to be in top form. In fact, one of the things I'm looking forward to is seeing how it has changed and evolved.

[denise....@gmail.com]

Thanks for your explanation, Suzan. I have to be honest, although I love the tracks on Scores, it does give the impression of a rather sombre show, and I had wondered how popular it would be, and wondered where the COMEDY element was! Now it makes more sense.

[Brenda M]

My one worry about Harmony has always been this : is it relevant enough for today's audience? Will anybody care about this story?

And if the answer is no, then the follow up question has to be, "is the music good enough to transcend that 'no'?

I don't know. I can't know. As a fan I'm simply not objective enough to answer that.

Brenda

[marvin]

On Wednesday, February 27, 2013 5:23:20 AM UTC-5, Brenda M wrote:
> My one worry about Harmony has always been this : is it relevant enough for today's audience? Will anybody care about this story?

Marvin: A story of overcoming bigotry and hatred never gets old or irrelevant- if that is what Harmony is about in the context of The Comedian Harmonists being in Nazi Germany during The Holocaust. I always felt that had this musical been a story about well-known American singers who overcame bigotry, the musical would have already been on Broadway. Few Americans ever heard of The Comedian Harmonists or their music, and, to me, that is the biggest problem facing the musical.

And if the answer is no, then the follow up question has to be, "is the music good enough to transcend that 'no'?
>
>
>
> I don't know. I can't know. As a fan I'm simply not objective enough to answer that.
>
>
>
> Brenda

Marvin: I am not objective either because I want Barry to succeed, but I do know if music can move a story well in a musical, and Barry and Bruce's songs for Harmony are well done in creating dramatic melodies that tell the story of The Comedian Harmonists. "Every Single Day", "Where You Go" and "Stars In The Night" are all deeply emotional for the characters, so the music and lyrics are as strong to me as anything written by Sondheim or Webber.

[marvin]

>
>
>
> I lived in San Diego and saw it a number of times, as did many of my friends, so it isn't as difficult to remember as you might imagine. We used to discuss it when we'd meet at Denny's after the shows. I remember it pretty well, actually.
>
>
>
> In fact, most of my favorite parts did not make the "Scores" CD....songs like "How can I serve you Madam" which always made us laugh so hard it hurt! The Scores CD contains a number of depressing ballads, but the musical isn't like that; after all, they were the COMEDIAN Harmonists! There were a number of upbeat and often humorous songs, such as "Your son is becoming a Singer" (gasp! no! not that!) and "Come to the Fatherland" which involved the Harmonists acting as marionettes, with their strings being pulled by the Nazis.
>
>
>
> Even during the time it played in La Jolla, there were changes. The first night during the song called (I think) "we go bananas", some of the costumes were covered with little yellow pom pom balls. They were gone by the next performance. The show was tightened up as well; the first night ran close to three hours!
>
>
>
> I'm sure Barry and Bruce realized it needed work in some sections or they wouldn't have held so many workshops over the years. The basic structure is very solid. It just needed a little tweaking here and there to be in top form. In fact, one of the things I'm looking forward to is seeing how it has changed and evolved.

Marvin: Thank you Suzan for posting this and emphasizing that the audience will also be able to laugh when watching "Harmony". I was not aware of the funny moments in the musical, as so much of what I read and learned from Barry on the musical was about the dark side and tragedy in the lives of The Comedian Harmonists. If I ever write on "Harmony" again (hopefully), I will inform readers of some of the comic moments.

[KJM]

Suzan thank you so much for posting your memories of Harmony back then. I got very excited reading Robert's piece, I was totally engrossed in what he had to say. I am not well read in musical terms, but I absolutely adore musicals, and of course that is heightened for Harmony, because its Barry's baby so to speak.

I too was a tad concerned that it would be a depressing musical, I obviously was wrong to think that way, from what you have said, it sounds a balanced production.

I am so looking forward to more news on Harmony as time progresses.

[shado...@gmail.com]

I have a friend from LA who saw Harmony twice. Janet got articles from
the San Diego, Orange County and LA papers. She made me copies of all
of the articles and reviews which I still have. Plus she made a copy
of parts of the playbill. Then in 1998 I went down to San Diego on a
acation. Janet came down and the next day she drove to the La Jolla
Playhouse. We got to go inside the theatre. Janet poined out where
Barry stood one of the two nights she was there. Janet loved the musical
and I know she knew it needed some tweeking.
Linda

[Brenda M]

You're right ... Universal themes never get old.

But many shows with worthy, universal themes still fail, Marvin.

Will theater fans ... Who flock to shows like "Mamma Mia" ... care enough to pay big bucks to see a musical about a relatively little known group that suffered persecution during an era pre-dating when most of these fans were alive?

Will Barry's name be enough to generate long-term interest in it?

I'm not trying to be a buzz-kill .... And I really do want to see it.

But truthfully, I wouldn't go out of my way to see it if it didn't belong to Barry. I don't care enough about the theme to pass up other shows I could see instead. Hopefully, the general public will feel differently.

I just think it's not a bad idea to keep our expectations modest for its success. The less we hope for, the more thrilled/ happier we'll be if we get more.

Brenda

[dcsharon]

On Feb 26, 8:14 pm, Suzan <suzan.obe...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I lived in San Diego and saw it a number of times, as did many of my friends, so it isn't as difficult to remember as you might imagine.  We used to discuss it when we'd meet at Denny's after the shows. I remember it pretty well, actually.

Actually, I remember going to TGIFridays in UTC ... but maybe we did
go to Denny's. Most of the cast went to TGIFridays so we'd see them
there.

>
 The show was tightened up as well; the first night ran close to three
hours!

And, Suzan's right - there were lighthearted moments. The first act
(although long) had many enjoyable numbers. Act II's highlight, of
course, was the duet between the characters "Mary" and "Ruth" (my
favorite) "Where you go" and the finale of "Stars in the Night'.

One of my concerns was that you didn't leave "humming a tune" after
the first few shows. After a couple shows, they changed it so the
Harmony reprise was playing as you exited the theatre.

(DC) Sharon

[Suzan]

> Actually, I remember going to TGIFridays in UTC ...

LOL You're probably right; I'm sure we went to a number of restaurants in the area!

> And, Suzan's right - there were lighthearted moments. The first act
> (although long) had many enjoyable numbers. Act II's highlight, of
> course, was the duet between the characters "Mary" and "Ruth" (my
> favorite) "Where you go" and the finale of "Stars in the Night'.

Actually that's part of the problem....it's uneven. The first half is mostly funny and light-hearted, showing how the Harmonists were brought together, introduces the two love stories, displays their early years with Marlena Dietrich, shows how the Harmonists became famous, etc.

The second act has a few fun moments too, but it is primarily about the down-fall of the group due to Nazi interference. The war is getting worse, eventually the group is disbanded, one of the couples separates, etc. I recognize that any musical involving Jews in Nazi Germany during the late thirties and early forties is not going to be cheerful throughout. However, as the show progresses, you have learned to care about the characters, and it's difficult to watch as historical events tear them apart. There's no Harmony anymore. There's no "happy ending".

Sharon's also correct that some of the most emotional music is in the second act. The duet between the two female leads, "Where you Go", really was the showstopper, far more than Stars in the Night, which ends the show. When they discuss how one of the characters scratched out a note (smuggled from a concentration camp) saying "Surely God is dead...yet, how is it that the stars still shine?" ....well, by that time, most of the audience is sobbing. While the finale does try to suggest Hope for the future, the intensity of the previous scenes left me drained.

[dcsharon]

On Feb 28, 9:58 am, Suzan <suzan.obe...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Sharon's also correct that some of the most emotional music is in the second act.  The duet between the two female leads, "Where you Go", really was the showstopper, far more than Stars in the Night, which ends the show.  When they discuss how one of the characters scratched out a note (smuggled from a concentration camp) saying "Surely God is dead...yet, how is it that the stars still shine?" ....well, by that time, most of the audience is sobbing.  While the finale does try to suggest Hope for the future, the intensity of the previous scenes left me drained.

Actually, the other thing about "Where you go" is that Barry put it on
the Scores CD as a solo ... so although the longing of the song is
there (in the character or Mary following Rabbi) the more haunting
lyric is that of Ruth telling the character Chopin that since they are
separated, she will haunt him in his dreams until their dying day.

A beautiful piece -- but I have always had a hard time separating the
memory of the 2 lyrics when it's only sung by one person.

(DC) Sharon

[marvin]

Thank you for putting so much detail on "Harmony" in this post Suzan. The musical had to be first rate to move you and so many in the audience to tears. It means the actors and the story were very emotional and had much substance.
I don't think you need to have a musical with a traditional happy ending to do, as we saw in "Cabaret". Although "Sound Of Music" was very upbeat, the story did not underplay the reality of Nazi Germany. Marvin

[Brenda M]

And this all points to another reason why this might be a lousy time for Harmony to come out ....

Life -- for a lot of people -- sucks right now. Most of these folks aren't going to want to vacation in NYC and choose something dark and based on a depressing slice of history. Frankly, I think a lot of folks are going to go the opposite way and look for escapist entertainment. Nobody wants to "escape" to Nazi Germany.

One more qualm ... The title.

A lot of civilians are going to see the word "Harmony" next to "Barry Manilow" and think, hooray, Barry's going to sing ...or that his hits are going to be in the show. That's if they don't bother to find out what the show's about. If they DO bother, I think a lot of them will lack sufficient interest to motivate a ticket purchase.

I'm just afraid this show doesn't have broad enough appeal for today's audiences. I could see an intelligent, artsy crowd
appreciating it off-Broadway... But I'm not thinking that would satisfy Barry's ambitions for his favorite child.

Brenda

P.S. I WANT TO BE WRONG.

P.S.S. I know other fans who share similar doubts, but are afraid to voice them where Barry could possibly see them. I think we all know what Harmony means to him.

[dcsharon]

On Feb 28, 2:33 pm, Brenda M <bmesku...@aol.com> wrote:
> Brenda
>
> P.S.  I WANT TO BE WRONG.

I think we all want to see this succeed -- but I'm not sure I would
have rushed to buy tickets when it played in La Jolla if Barry's name
wasn't attached to it. It certainly isn't a topic that I would have
any interest in and I work down the street from the Holocaust Museum
(I know .. .it's terrible. I never go to the museums unless friends
are in town).

(DC) Sharon

[marvin]

>
>
>
> I'm just afraid this show doesn't have broad enough appeal for today's audiences. I could see an intelligent, artsy crowd
>
> appreciating it off-Broadway... But I'm not thinking that would satisfy Barry's ambitions for his favorite child. Brenda

I think "Harmony" would definitely succeed in regional theater, but not sure about Broadway, but you never know. Even if Barry's name were not attached to "Harmony", I would be interested. I also have seen wonderful non-musical plays centered on The Holocaust, such as "Diary Of Anne Frank", "A Shayna Maidel" "The Quarrel" and the films "The Pianist" and "Schindler's List". Next week, I am reviewing the play "Wiesenthal" about the famed Nazi hunter and survivor.
I also believe that, although theater is not only supported by Jewish people, that every Jew would resonate with a play set in The Holocaust. It was one of the reasons years ago when Barry announced his plans for "Harmony", that I had sixteen editors of Jewish publications asking me to write a story on the proposed musical. So I think that- even with a bad economy for some people- there is an audience for Harmony, whether it is huge enough for a Broadway run remains to be seen, but I hope so. Marvin

[Brenda M]

Marvin,

Given your obvious interest in it, why didn't you ever go to La Jolla to see it?

Brenda

[vmc...@aol.com]

Les Mis isn't exactly a laugh a minute. There wssn't a dry eye in the house when I saw it. Having said that, I would hate to see Harmony get to Broadway, just to have the critics trash it. That would break Barry's heart and ours for him.

IreneH

[marvin]

Hi Brenda,
La Jolla in California is located far away from where I live in Miami,Florida, otherwise I would have been there. Regards, Marvin

[marvin]

>
>
>
> Les Mis isn't exactly a laugh a minute. There wssn't a dry eye in the house when I saw it. Having said that, I would hate to see Harmony get to Broadway, just to have the critics trash it. That would break Barry's heart and ours for him.
>
>
>
> IreneH

Hi Irene,
The critics praised Harmony when it was originally staged and it is doubtful that if the musical lives up to expectations that it will be thrashed by critics on Broadway, if Harmony goes there. The issues over the years about Harmony was about getting investors interested and not about the artistic efforts of the musical. Marvin

[bookworm]

Marvin, I don't know whether you know it or not but Garry said at his Q&A at one of the Conventions (either 2005 or 2006) that 'he' raised all the last of the funds needed to get Harmony up and running. He received a round of applause for it.

I believe it was said later by Barry (maybe in an interview) that with this economy taking a dump and causing so much turmoil for everyone, it just hasn't been a good time to release it. It took time for them to get the rights back too after that fiasco with the producer. There are a lot of factors that have been involved with Harmony, not just the financial end of it. Hopefully, all has been finally ironed out and the production will get the green light to go ahead.

As far as not attending Harmony in CA because you live too far away....is that the real reason? The Convention in FT. Lauderdale was right in your backyard and you didn't pay to attend that either yet you were there everyday roaming around looking for a story from anyone who would give you one according to the attendees. Did you ever get what you were looking for, for FREE? JW

[Brenda M]

True, but Les Mis is familiar to audiences. The story has been around in some form or another since the novel was published in 1862.

Most folks are going to decide if they want to see Harmony largely based on how it's described/marketed to the public, and then how positively it's reviewed.

Brenda

[Brenda M]

Marvin,

"Doubtful" that the critics would trash it? Seriously?

We have no idea whether Broadway critics will embrace this version of Harmony or not. Those reviews you're referring to are based on the show's try-outs in California EONS ago. There are too many variables to predict what the critics will say about it. I hope they like it. But Barry is savvy enough to know that he could get butchered in the reviews.

It's hard getting a show to succeed on Broadway.

That's what makes it so great when it does.

Fingers crossed for him .... However it turns out, it takes a lot of heart and guts for him to even try, especially after all the setbacks he's had to face.

Brenda

[marvin]

You are right Brenda, it is hard to know what the theater writers on Broadway would write about "Harmony" . But my thinking is as follows..Barry, Bruce and other artistic people that make up the creative people behind "Harmony" have a good idea by now what makes a musical work and what does not. I like to think that once the musical gets the green light to go on Broadway (if it does), that it will be a worthy enough production to merit positive reviews from the critics on Broadway. If the critics don't praise "Harmony", then it means that the musical needs more tweaking. Marvin

[Brenda M]

Marvin,

Whether critics trash a show or not may or may not have anything to do with whether it's any good.

A critic might hate the show because he just broke up with his girlfriend ...
Or ate a bad burrito for dinner ...
Or thinks Barry Manilow is a schlocky 70s pop music hit monger who has no place on Broadway ...
Or is Clive Davis and thinks Barry's out of his league if he's not arranging songs or hopping around to Copacabana.

Again ... Who knows?

Brenda

[marvin]

Hi Brenda,
I like to think that the writers that are paid to write on the highest standard for theater- Broadway- would be above the petty stuff that we see with bloggers (I don't mean you) and gossip columnists. Or maybe I revere writers from New York Times and New Yorker too much. In any case, I doubt (or hopefully doubt) that the theater writers in New York, who are well paid and revered in the industry, aspire to a high standard of reviewing shows. Marvin

[Brenda M]

Believe whatever you want, Marvin.

Brenda

P.S. By the way, planes do fly between Miami and San Diego. And, as a writer, you could have written off the expense on your taxes.

I'm not judging your choices, but just wish you'd be honest. You didn't go to that show because nobody offered to comp your expenses. And you don't go to a Manilow concert if your ticket isn't free. Right?

And that's okay ...

I don't care if you're cheap ...

But geez, be big enough to admit it!

Brenda

[marvin]

On Friday, March 1, 2013 1:21:47 PM UTC-5, Brenda M wrote:
> Believe whatever you want, Marvin.
>
>
>
> Brenda
>
>

>
>
>

> I'm not judging your choices, but just wish you'd be honest. You didn't go to that show because nobody offered to comp your expenses. And you don't go to a Manilow concert if your ticket isn't free. Right? Brenda

Marvin: I would not expect my editor or the La Jolla Playhouse to pay for my flight expenses to California. It was just too expensive and time consuming for me to consider flying there, and any savings in my taxes would not have been worked for me.
I have paid to see Barry in concert when I didn't write about him, as was the case a few years ago when I paid to see his concert in Miami. But when I write about him, the concert promoter usually leaves me two tickets for the show, as that is the standard practice for writers and one of the perks of writing on the cultural arts.

Brenda

[dcsharon]

On Mar 1, 12:15 pm, Brenda M <bmesku...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> Most folks are going to decide if they want to see Harmony largely based on how it's described/marketed to the public, and then how positively it's reviewed.
>
> Brenda

True. There's been lots of things (plays, movies, shows) that got
critical reviews and it took all I could do not to walk out of the
theatre.

"Company" by Sondheim was one of them ... 3 hours (plus) in an almost
empty theatre. I HATED it, but it got rave reviews.

Watching grass grow, or a root canal might have been more fun.

(DC) Sharon

[Brenda M]

My apologies, Marvin.

I was merely going off of what you've often said to me ... That you generally don't attend shows, conventions, etc. unless the tickets are comped. I wasn't aware your finances didn't permit such purchases, and I didn't mean to be insensitive to that.

But .... Marvin .... Does it ever occur to you that when you're posting on a fan forum ( like here, for instance) there are a lot of folks here who want to go to shows but can't afford it? And can't get comps?

Why not just let others assume you pay your way into the shows you review? You don 't need to go out of your way to say otherwise. And your silence will spare someone else's feelings.

Just a suggestion.

Brenda

[marvin]

Thanks for your reply Brenda and no need to apologize and I will take your advice.
We are personal friends and much of what we discuss in our phone conversations or emails was not meant for the fan forum. I appreciate you understanding things from my viewpoint. Marvin

[Suzan]

0> .... there are a lot of folks here who want to go to shows but can't afford it? And can't get comps?

I have been fortunate to be able to afford many of Barry's shows over the years. However, the past year or so, several of the theaters and arenas have offered very inexpensive tickets for Barry's concerts. The fan club recently announced that tickets start at $7.99 in Richmond and $9.49 in Pittsburgh. That's less than I paid for my first Manilow concert ticket(33 years ago!).

Of course that's the seats in the rafters, but *most* people could afford $7.99 for a full concert of music--that's less than the cost of a ticket for many movie theaters!

[bookworm]

Granted, Suzan, but IF people from out of those towns/cities want to attend, they also have to consider airfare/travel expenses, hotel room, food and any other expenses that may come about. Even at those ticket prices, it's still very expensive if you don't live right there. And there are some who always have to travel no matter where he is because he never goes to where they live.

Such is life but a lot people just can't afford to do that and there's no shame in admitting it because so many are in the same boat. This economy tumble really messed up a lot of people (no work, no paycheck) and it may get worse again before it gets better if these elected officials don't get up off their butts and get to working for the people who put them in office in the first place. They promise the moon and then give us a bucket full of crap! When will it make an end? Forget the politics and get down to business! Our country is in a lot of trouble. JW

[Brenda M]

Very true.

The trouble is, money-wise, there's usually additional expenses such as gas, parking and the oxygen tank for that nosebleed seat (just kidding - although when I sat in the nosebleed section in Pittsburgh a couple years back, I sure could have used some Dramamine.) Those seats can be a tough climb for the middle-aged, elderly, obese and otherwise infirm (and you know I just described at least three-quarters of Manilow's fan base!).

Also, many fans aren't lucky enough to live in a city or country that Barry actually visits, so add in the expense of travel/hotel for them! (I'll bet our Dakota Jackie is still waiting for him to play the Corn Palace!)

Brenda

[Suzan]

> Also, many fans aren't lucky enough to live in a city or country that Barry actually visits, so add in the expense of travel/hotel for them! (I'll bet our Dakota Jackie is still waiting for him to play the Corn Palace!)

She'll probably be waiting awhile longer. :(

[Suzan]

> Granted, Suzan, but IF people from out of those towns/cities want to attend, they also have to consider airfare/travel expenses, hotel room, food and any other expenses that may come about. Even at those ticket prices, it's still very expensive if you don't live right there. And there are some who always have to travel no matter where he is because he never goes to where they live.

All true, but getting comp seats wouldn't have made that much difference.

[dcsharon]

On Mar 1, 6:02 pm, Suzan <suzan.obe...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> All true, but getting comp seats wouldn't have made that much difference.

But if you only had to pay for gas, hotel vs. gas, hotel and a concert
ticket -- it might make a difference.

I, for one, don't choose to sit in the nosebleed sections. The photo
Maria posted the other night from the balcony at the St. James made me
dizzy just looking at it -- so I won't do the rafter seats.

What bothers me the most is ... even though the tickets Marvin
obtained (or CD's or DVD's) were comped, there was always a caveat of
what Barry could or should do better or differently. As a consumer,
we have the right to say that. As a guest, I find it rude -- even if
it is your profession. If you are writing a review and it's your job
that's different. But even if it wasn't for a review purpose, it
never seemed that the shows are "good enough" and something (in his
opinion) always needs to be changed. Even if it was a show he didn't
attend in person (case in point, the Manilow Hilton DVD). Marvin had
comments on that show that weren't positive, but he didn't attend it.
He only judged it by what was on the DVD not knowing what was cut
out.

We all have opinions on what should be changed in the shows -- that
I'm sure of. But we're not professional reviewers and we're not
getting paid to attend the shows. For the most part, we have all
purchased our tickets and have a right to suggest a change.

(DC) Sharon

[Suzan]

>> Marvin, I don't know whether you know it or not but Garry said at his Q&A at one of the Conventions (either 2005 or 2006) that 'he' raised all the last of the funds needed to get Harmony up and running. He received a round of applause for it.

Does anyone know if all the funding is definitely in place for Harmony THIS round? I can't imagine that Barry would even dare mention it publically at the St. James if everything wasn't resolved financially, but...

[bookworm]

On Saturday, March 2, 2013 10:17:21 AM UTC-7, Suzan wrote:
> >> Marvin, I don't know whether you know it or not but Garry said at his Q&A at one of the Conventions (either 2005 or 2006) that 'he' raised all the last of the funds needed to get Harmony up and running. He received a round of applause for it.
>
>
>
> Does anyone know if all the funding is definitely in place for Harmony THIS round? I can't imagine that Barry would even dare mention it publically at the St. James if everything wasn't resolved financially, but...

I just hope the funds in place have been checked, checked and rechecked this time and it's a definite so there are no more surprises. I'm sure they are more savvy now and are not taking any chances this time.

I seriously doubt Barry would mention anything about Harmony being released maybe in September if the funds weren't there. They wouldn't be able to move on with it. It's been a long time coming and my fingers are crossed that this time it WILL happen. Who knows what's going on behind the scenes? Has the cast been picked? Are they starting to rehearse soon? September isn't that far off and the time goes fast. Is it definitely starting in Atlanta? So many questions still unanswered. JW

[Brenda M]

I thought Barry recently said in some interview that the finding was finally in place.

If I'm wrong, I'm sure Mr. Kief will correct me.

Brenda

[Suzan]

> And this all points to another reason why this might be a lousy time for Harmony to come out ....

Actually, I've been thinking maybe it's finally a good time for it to come out.

About a year or so after the La Jolla production, another show about the Comedian Harmonists DID go to Broadway. "Band in Berlin" played at the Helen Hayes theater for about a month, closing "after poor reviews and audience disinterest".

Band in Berlin was based on the same group, but the productions couldn't be more different. It wasn't a two act original musical; instead, it was a "docu-musicial" that included songs made popular by the original Harmonists (such as Tea for Two and Barber of Seville), sung by a musical sextet called "Hudson Shad". The show included video screens showing newsreel footage, slides of "degenerate art" (art banned by the Nazis), home movies, narration, interviews and even shadow puppets.

Had Barry's show gone to Broadway in the late 90's, I think both patrons and investors might have been frightened off by the failure of the Band in Berlin production. However, enough time has passed now that Harmony would be allowed to be judged on its own merits.

Also, I think that the shortage of original musicals might work in Harmony's favor. It would stand out from the "Legally Blondes" and other productions taken from Hollywood.

At least, I hope so.