New York (AP) 鈥� More than 30 years after the musical 鈥淗armony鈥� was written, it finally prepares to make its Broadway debut. The show was almost lost to history 鈥� like its subject.
The historical show written by and Bruce Sussman tells the true story of the forgotten German performing group The Comedian Harmonists. Many regard the six-man group as one of the first boy bands, as they recorded a string of popular albums and played sold-out venues around the globe.
But at the height of their popularity, the Nazi party took control of Germany, and they were denounced for being degenerates. Three of the group鈥檚 members were Jewish, and possessing their music was considered a crime.
Relegated to obscurity and word of mouth, Sussman learned of the group through a German-language documentary. After seeing it, he recalls running to a phone booth in lower Manhattan to call his writing partner about what he just saw.
鈥淚 had never heard of them. And I thought, (Manilow) knows every song ever written. He knows every group that ever was,鈥� Sussman told the Associated Press in a recent interview after a rehearsal for the show.
Manilow was also unaware.
鈥淭hen we realized that鈥檚 the story,鈥� Sussman said.
But that was half the battle, as information on the group was hard to come by. 鈥淭he Nazis tried to annihilate them, and they did. You couldn鈥檛 find any records. You couldn鈥檛 look at any of their movies,鈥� Manilow said.
Though they made approximately a dozen films and released numerous recordings, most were confiscated by authorities and destroyed.
鈥淚t was illegal to own or play or sell the records, so people hid their 78s under their mattresses. And after the war, they began to emerge,鈥� Sussman said.
While playing concert dates in Germany, Manilow visited a Tower Records store in Berlin to check out a major display.
鈥淭here was a whole wall of Comedian Harmonists. It was like the Beatles. They were the Beatles. They were the Backstreet Boys. They were the first boy band. That鈥檚 how big they were,鈥� Manilow said.
While the show was written in the 1990s, Manilow states the long road to Broadway 鈥� including stops off-Broadway in New York City and La Jolla Playhouse in California 鈥� had little to do with finishing the show and more about finding the right person to bring it to the big stage.
鈥淏asically, it was 鈥楬armony鈥� even in 1997 at the La Jolla Playhouse. Great reviews. Everybody loved it. And it wasn鈥檛 about the show, it was about the producers just couldn鈥檛 keep going. They couldn鈥檛 take it to New York,鈥� Manilow said.
Then Tony-Award winning theatrical producer Ken Davenport stepped in. 鈥淗e delivered all the way,鈥� Sussman said. Previews begin Oct. 18 at the Barrymore Theatre.
The musical stars Sierra Boggess, Chip Zien and Julie Benko. The six Comedian Harmonists are Sean Bell, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen, Eric Peters, Blake Roman and Steven Telsey. The director is Warren Carlyle.
Manilow and Sussman are hoping that audiences learn about the legacy of The Comedian Harmonists, and how their brand of entertainment paved the way for the acts that followed.
Manilow and Sussman have worked together for decades with Manilow writing the music and Sussman dealing with lyrics, including the iconic hits 鈥淚 Made it Through the Rain,鈥� 鈥淐opacabana (At the Copa),鈥� and 鈥淗ey Mambo.鈥�
John Carucci, The Associated Press
