Theater Review: “Harmony” at the Ahmanson
L-r, Liberty Cogan, Lindsay Moore, Matt Bailey, Douglas Williams, Shayne Kennon, Chris Dwan, (kneeling in front) Will Taylor and Will Blum. Photo by Craig Schwartz I’d say it’s a given that any story set during the 1930s in Germany, especially if Jewish men or women are involved, is going to hover on the brink of catastrophe. That’s certainly the case with “Harmony,” a fairly new and retooled musical with music by Barry Manilow and lyrics, plus the book itself, by Bruce Sussman. Directed by Tony Speciale, it’s at the Ahmanson Theatre through April 13. Not many people in the U.S. would know this or be expected to, but from 1927 to 1933 there was a very popular all-male sextet called the Comedian Harmonists. They sang smooth, kind of jazzy doo-wop tunes and even made it over to the United States in 1933 to perform at Carnegie Hall. Manilow has referred to them as the Beatles of Germany, which seems surprising, but then ask yourself: How many pre-World War II European singing groups can I name? It’s natural to assume that the title of the show refers to the vocal expertise of its group members, but it’s also applicable to their ethnic makeup as well – half of them were Jewish and…
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