HARMONY - it's own thread

[dcsharon]

Maybe we can use this to keep track of HARMONY updates.

https://pagesix.com/2019/08/19/broadway-stars-gather-for-reading-of-barry-manilows-new-play/

(DC) Sharon

[dcsharon]

Playbill

(with a nice photo of the original LaJolla cast)

http://www.playbill.com/article/barry-manilow-and-bruce-sussmans-harmony-will-play-off-broadways-national-yiddish-theatre-folksbiene

(DC) Sharon

[Carmen]

https://barrymanilow.com/archives/1908

According to the linked post from Barry’s website, the show was supposed to start rehearsals this month. Unfortunately, the Director/Choreographer recently had to have an (unexpected) appendectomy. He was treated successfully, but his unexpected illness/recovery time has pushed the production later &, unfortunately, the production now has to be scheduled next season because of other conflicting commitments. The show will now open in February, 2021 (a year later than expected).

According to the linked post from Barry’s website, the NEW First Preview Date is February 9, 2021; the NEW Opening Night is March 3, 2021; with a NEW Limited Engagement running through March 27, 2021.

[q***@gmail.com]

Post by Carmen
https://barrymanilow.com/archives/1908
According to the linked post from Barry’s website, the show was supposed to start rehearsals this month. Unfortunately, the Director/Choreographer recently had to have an (unexpected) appendectomy. He was treated successfully, but his unexpected illness/recovery time has pushed the production later &, unfortunately, the production now has to be scheduled next season because of other conflicting commitments. The show will now open in February, 2021 (a year later than expected).
According to the linked post from Barry’s website, the NEW First Preview Date is February 9, 2021; the NEW Opening Night is March 3, 2021; with a NEW Limited Engagement running through March 27, 2021.

--
Seems silly for the whole production to ride on the shoulders of one person.

[Carmen]

Post by q***@gmail.com
--
Seems silly for the whole production to ride on the shoulders of one person.

But it doesn’t. It rides on the shoulders of everybody involved in it, in some way. But yeah, the Director is the most important job on the totem pole (with Choreographer either 2nd or 3rd, following the music-related people, I think). His being sick UNEXPECTEDLY threw off not only his schedule, but the schedules of the theatre (which probably already had the next production after Harmony booked & that schedule can’t be altered now), & probably pretty much everybody involved with the show (including Barry & Bruce, probably, because I’m sure they’ll wanna sit in on rehearsals at least sometimes).

They had all blocked off their schedules for however long they’d need to be involved with the show, then presumably booked new work to follow after that—possibly starting the day after Harmony was to close. The people who have new, possibly immediately after Harmony, gigs can’t just say “Sorry, the Director of the show I was cast in before this had to have an unexpected appendectomy, including X weeks of post op recovery, before rehearsals even started, so I can’t do your show until I finish this show since I was cast in it first & it ran into an unexpected issue before rehearsals!” to the people involved with shows they’d booked after their original involvement dates with Harmony. They’d probably be laughed at.

So, yeah, it wasn’t just the post-Harmony schedule of the Director/Choreographer (the guy who got sick) which has things messed up now. It’s apparently the combined schedules of everybody else that are the problem now.

Plus, you have to remember, it’s now December 7th(ish). They were supposed to open in early February for Previews. That timeframe might now be the off-work post op recovery period the guy who got sick is looking at; especially depending on if he had a laparoscopic appendectomy or it was done via an older technique

[q***@gmail.com]

The Director/Choreographer does not have an assistant or "understudy"? My modest high school play had an assistant director, hand-picked by the director himself, to carry out the duties of the play in just such an event as this.

A near-Broadway production fails to staff this position?

Imagine all of the tickets and plans of the fans who were intent to be there next Feb/March, particularly if ticket sales are so far strong. Imagine the financial positions of investors who now must wait an additional year or likely more to realize their profit? Imagine the bad or sluggish press that may follow something like this?

I don't know much about NY productions, but this seems elementary to me.

I am more skeptical, Carmen, and I would not be surprised if it's a bumpy road to the first curtain opening--or worse. I do wish for the best, however, and my prayers go out to the Director.

[Brenda M]

Just my opinion, as always...

But it’s been my observation that when they start floating medical excuses, it’s really about money. Or the lack thereof.

Brenda

[Sheila]

The announcement was worded badly as it did not make it clear that all the performances had been moved to next year and people going thought the February ones might still be happening.
Some UK fans have booked flights and hotels they can’t change. And so it goes on...

Sheila

[marvin]

Post by Brenda M
Just my opinion, as always...
But it’s been my observation that when they start floating medical excuses, it’s really about money. Or the lack thereof.
Brenda

I think Carmen is right Brenda about the director being crucial to the production and I don't think the health of the director is just an excuse to delay the opening of the musical. It is possible that the financial backers of the musical do not want to have a change in the director, perhaps feeling that a new director will not work. I am aware in the film industry financial backers as well as actors will often only want to work with some directors as opposed to others and quite often the making of a film is delayed until the right director is avaliable. Thanks, Marvin

[Carmen]

Marvin—

I didn’t mean this specific director was important to producing Harmony (though maybe he is; I don’t know—but I do know, as you said, at least when it comes to things like movies, there are cases when actors will only work with certain directors... though I don’t think this is the case here, unless he’s well-versed in the subject matter of the play/the era it’s set in). I meant, in general, it’s hard to do a theatrical production without a director to guide it.

[Brenda M]

Delayed?

I am so shocked.

[s***@gmail.com]

My guess is that the delay is for multiple reasons, including that the director was out of commission for health reasons. May he have a full and speedy recovery.

When Barry announced in August 2019 that Harmony would play New York in early 2020, it sounded like the craziest, speediest timetable to create a new production of a musical that has not been staged since the Ahmanson in Los Angeles in 2014, now with a new cast and a new director, and the creative changes that a new director and the longtime writers would inevitably implement, as always happens on the way. Six months or so for all that? Crazy. No room for error, including illness or otherwise.

Do I also think it possible - also possible among the other reasons - that tickets weren't selling as well as hoped? Possible, with no intent to be mean here. I checked online recently and seats were plentiful every night but the first night, with a few available there, too.

[Brenda M]

I think Harmony’s window of opportunity closed a ling time ago.

But I love to be proven wrong. :-)

Brenda

P.S. Maybe the initial announcement was just to gauge $$$ interest, which would be a smart move. Stealing from Sheldon on TBBT, there’s no point in butchering a pig if nobody wants any bacon.

[h***@aol.com]

With the current anti-Semitic climate in NYC (and in Congress) right now, I wonder how UN-timely this might be.

Chris

[Brenda M]

Not only that, but with the world currently on edge over tensions in the Middle East (and the looming possibility of World War 3), does anyone really want to escape all that by reliving Nazi Germany?

[D]

Post by Brenda M
Not only that, but with the world currently on edge over tensions in the Middle East (and the looming possibility of World War 3), does anyone really want to escape all that by reliving Nazi Germany?

Yeah... somehow, even a rousing chorus of "Springtime for Hitler" just doesn't seem like a good idea at the moment.

[dcsharon]

I listned to XMSirius Disney Celebrates Broadway and a resounding theme was that people are going to things that are familiar -

2020-21 season is full of familiar themes ...

MJ - A musical about Michael Jackson
The Music Man
1776
Glengarry Glen Ross (all female production)
The Who's Tommy (Director Des McAnuff returns)
17 again - based on Zac Efron fantasy film
Archie (yep ... about the Archies)
Beaches (paging Bette Midler)
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Bodyguard (adapted from the movie)
Untitled Neil Diamond Musical (based on ... Neil Diamond's life)
Untitled Pat Benatar Musicfal (based on ... Pat Benatar and her husband's lives)
Bombshell (OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG ... based on SMASH!) CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS
Bull Durham - from the movie
Camp David (premiered at Arena Stage here in DC. Based on Jimmy Carter's Nobel Prize-winning efforts to bring leaders of Israel and Egypt together to sign a peace agreement)
Chasing Rainbows --based on the life of Judy Garland.
Damn Yankees - Ya gotta have heart ... miles and miles of heart.
Devil Wears Prada - Music by Elton John. Based on the 2003 novel/2006 movie
Diner - Based on movie. (Music by Sheryl Crow)
Dreamgirls - based on movie
The Flamingo Kid - based on 1984 Garry Marshall movie
Gypsy - Transfer of London production
Halftime - music by Marvin Hamlisch - based on 2008 documentary "Gotta Dance"
Josephine - based on the life of Josephine Baker
KPOP - Musical concert set inside the world of a KPOP record label
The Late Great Me - An Evening with Jay Lerner - a new musical based on the life of My Fair Lady lyricist Lerner.
Magic Mike - based on the movie
Once upon A One More Time - Britany Spears music - Jukebox musical weaving together the pop star's hits to tell a fictional story

Somehow I don't see a musical about the Comedian Harmonists making this cut. If it was a jukebox musical based on Barry's music (or 15 Minutes or Mayflower) .. that might actually fit into the niche that Broadway is marketing.

(DC) Sharon

[dcsharon]

Add 1 more to the list .. Mr. Sheffield, Mr. Sheffield...

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/08/theater/the-nanny-broadway-fran-drescher.html?fbclid=IwAR3OLwef2I_aWNdOjjdJxD85tKJ7_zyO9AwBKRYxK4dvWBJLa-NqFxkmfPA

(DC) Sharon

[marvin]

Thanks for compiling this list of potential upcoming Broadway musicals, Sharon. I think it is now and has always been difficult to know in advance which productions, including "Harmony", will find commercial success and which productions will not. Most investors in musical theatre know the immense risks of financing these productions and do it for their beliefs in the creativity and artistic merits, given the long odds of predicting any production to be a commercial success. Thanks and Happy New Year, Marvin

[dcsharon]

Post by h***@aol.com
With the current anti-Semitic climate in NYC (and in Congress) right now, I wonder how UN-timely this might be.
Chris

[m***@gmail.com]

Bummed to hear this. Just hope I can get my same seats.

-kristen