Black Tie Magazine Dr Judy Kuriansky HARMONY

HARMONY Barry Manilow Broadway musical:
MUST SEE NOW before it closes Feb 4

 Legendary music icon Barry Manilow has sold 85 million records, had 50 top-40 hits (“Mandy” “Copacabana” “I write the songs”), won Tony, Grammy, and Emmy awards, and performed around the world (breaking Elvis Presley’s record for the most shows (637) performed in Las Vegas). But, says Barry, his “most rewarding creative experience is the musical “Harmony” playing now on Broadway.

But get your tickets immediately because the last performance is February 4. 

You simply must see it! You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll be awed by the acting talent, the staging, the music and songs, and the tale relevant for today’s times.

The Comedian Harmonists troupe

(production photos by Julieta Cervantes, courtesy of DKC/O&M)

The all-male ensemble – preceding modern-day boy bands -- rose from singing in subway tunnels to famous theatres, performing folk songs to Dvořák with vaudevillian-like antics. They mimic an orchestra a capella, perform an operatic/Marx Brothers number serving high-class diners while wearing undershorts, and invite the audience to “Come to the Fatherland” while hanging from puppet strings in lederhosen to mock
the oppressive Fascists.

Veteran actor Chip Zien is Tony award-worthy for his role narrating the story to his younger self (called “Rabbi”) and the five group members (Erich, Harry, “Chopin,” Bobby and Lesh). Broadway star Julie Benko – New York Times Breakout Star as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl – plays Ruth, the Jewish Bolsehevik, rallying the working class to “Rise Up” against fascism.

Chip Zien as the elder Rabbi narrating the story

Chip Zien tells Dr. Judy how meaningful doing Harmony

the musical is to him

Julie Benko as Ruth

The other female star is Sierra Doggess, playing Mary who falls in love with the younger-self “Rabbi”. Both Mary and Ruth have out-of-their faith marriages. Ruth and the Harmonist pianist “Chopin” are wrenched apart, when she goes off to protest the Reich, but Mary and Rabbi survive and stay together until the real-life Rabbi dies at age 97. In a beautiful love ballad, “Rabbi” pledges to Mary that he will love her “Every Single Day” of his life.  And the two women do a heartfelt love duet of devotion to their partners: Where you go, I will go. Where you lie, so will I.
And I’ll stay till the day that we die.“

Julie Benko (Ruth) and Sierra Boggess (Mary)

Dr Judy with Sierra Boggess (Mary)

The Harmonists perform with Josephine Baker (Allison Semmes)

Allison’s mom told me -- when I met her lovely parents at the opening night party -- that they knew her daughter would grow up to be a star, since she had been singing since she was a tot, pushing around the vacuum cleaner!

On stage after the opening night performance, Tony-award winning Director and choreographer Warren Carlyle (The Music Man, Hello Dolly!) said -- just like Manilow -- that this show has been the highlight of his career. All the actors also told me how meaningful the show is to them. 

At the opening night afterparty with Broadway star Tovah Feldshuh, Harmony co-producer Jamie de Roy with Dr. Judy

Manilow, who wrote the original music and his collaborator for 50 years Bruce Sussman who wrote the book and lyrics. took 30 years to get to this point. He tells an amazing story that unbeknownst to him, he had been walking his dog every day in his hometown of Palm Springs, past the house of the real-life character of the Rabbi (Roman Cycowski), who eventually escaped Germany to live in California. 

I love the show so much, I saw it many times and treated many friends, students and UN Ambassadors to come. Everyone was moved, amazed, dazzled and inspired. “Excellent staging, music, orchestra, special effects, characterizations, stunning message” “It had just the right balance of sweetness to bring you out of the heart-wrenching truth and bearing witness.”

Dr. Judy’s guests for a performance

Dr. Judy, Ambassador Sidique Wai of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the United States (for whom I serve as policy advisor), Harmony actor Allison Semmes (who has roots in Sierra Leone!), my students David Perls and Emily McGill
at the popular post-show tavern the Glass House, after a show

On several nights, I took students from my class at Columbia University Teachers College on “Psychology and the United Nations” who loved it so much they came again. Many said that despite being young and from different backgrounds than shown in Harmony (Sweden/Japan, Costa Rica, China, South Korea, Kazakhstan, they could relate. I was proud they made connections to what they’re learning in my class, as one said, “Our Professor Judy Kuriansky is a role model for us about how to make a difference in the world, while respecting everyone and working towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of mental health and well-being and also about peace.” Another student summed it up nicely: “The title is so appropriately Harmony, for what we need in this world.”

At the stage door, the actors were always so happy to sign programs,
 take selfies and chat.

Messages from the show reflect powerful lessons I use as a psychologist. One is to ACT. In a scene at the group’s Carnegie Hall concert, Albert Einstein (played by Chip Zien) famously proclaims, 'The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.' Harmony writer Bruce Sussman says that line always evokes audience reaction. Also, choices define your life – as in Robert Frost’s poem, “The road not taken” -- and may cause regrets (like in Frank Sinatra song “My way”). At a critical turning point in their lives, the group decides to return from the U.S. to their native Germany when going “home” brings their downfall at the hands of the Nazis; lesson: it's wiser, not to keep hoping – fruitlessly – that “things will change”. Another of my favorites – that I use often as a psychologist -- is also uttered by Einstein: “In every difficulty there is an opportunity.”

And while the story addresses antisemitism (dramatically on the rise today) and can evoke the horror of the current Israel-Hamas war, ultimately, the message of the play is in the title: “Let there be harmony where there is discord.” “We have to denounce hate of all kinds towards all people
and learn to love.” .
.

A brilliant song, “Stars in the Night” ends the musical on an uplifting note as starlights descend on the cast on stage and the actors sing, “Look! Look how they tease, these stars in the night. The darker the night becomes, the brighter their light becomes.”

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