HARMONY previews — Page 5

Saw it tonight via TDF (Row B, dead center mezzanine) and to sum it up in a word…OY!

I want to preface this by saying I don’t fault any of the performers here, who really put in 110%, specifically Chip Zien and the Harmonists (the latter I wish would be part of a collective Tony nomination).

The show itself was a hot holy mess. The opening number and reprises of “Harmony” in the beginning felt like it went on for about 20 minutes and the rest of the songs ended up being utterly forgettable (though some were tuneful). The book and direction were the worst sins of all in that it there seemed to be absolutely no congruence as to what the tone of this show is supposed to be - throwing memory play, musical comedy, historical drama, and topicality into a blender and then pouring it down the audience’s throat by a fire hose. There were too many B and C plots for any real character development to occur (think New York, New York).

There we’re also quite a few sound issues with mics cutting in and out, and Chip had a few costume goofs, including one where he accidentally flipped his wig (as another character) off, and one where his Strauss mustache would stick on and the cast broke laughing.

For a show that’s been gestating and in development nearly as long as I’ve been alive, I expected a LOT better in terms of quality. And also the entire rear Mezz was pretty much empty which is never a good sign.

Updated On: 10/28/23 at 06:13 AM

Saw this last night. Stellar vocal performances from everyone. Cliche of course, but yeah, the titular Harmonies are fantastic. Sierra and Julie ain’t nothing to bark at either. And Chip Zien is all over that stage. It has some powerful and effective moments in Act 2, especially the puppet show number which thematically is the most interesting idea in the whole show. The female duet was also great. Act 1 also had a great song for young Rabbi. The rest…

Act 1 is full of “jokes” but the audience never laughed. I had no idea what the point was, particularly cared about any of the characters, or even knew where it was headed (well, other than “Nazi’s!&rdquo. I do not understand the choice to having Chip Zien play so many small characters other than just giving him more stuff to do, because thematically there was no thruline to them. While Act 2 was better because it’s emotional stakes were higher, the big climax is essentially

There are more interesting themes here that were hinted at but then were not explored. Wish we went down one of those avenues instead of what we ended up with.

The highs are high and I think there are some really powerful and interesting moments in Act 2. But the lows are low and you have to sit thru drivel to get there. The most powerful moments didn’t even have a satisfying payoff.

BETTY22 said: "***And don't get me started on how important this show is right now with all the horrors in this world. Truly a magical night of theater - and the audience was on FIRE.

"

1) I just read “DON’T GET ME STARTED!” in Billy Crystal’s Buddy Young voice.

2) As for the audience, the four people to my left and the two on my right all left at intermission, never to return. From the mezzanine, the audience response appeared polite at best

Updated On: 10/28/23 at 08:40 AM

thanks for addressing one of the major problems with the show (it was in your spoiler). This whole subplot was not in the show back in Atlanta, in a production that was much more streamlined and much more powerful. The Older Rabbi character was not in it at all, so it was not a memory play in any real sense. You were immersed in the story as it was happening, and there was no artificial raising the stakes (the stakes were high enough!).

Anyway, I do like the show very much and hope it succeeds. Some of the score is better than just "tuneful", it packs a wallop. The final number is a stunner. Audience I saw it with-- second preview-- seemed to love it. The cast is hugely talented and the group performance numbers are very strong (the "puppet number" that is being referenced a lot is fantastic).

From the mezzanine, the chaotic tape markings on the stage floor for placements of set pieces - in loud neon lime, or orange, or blue, and maybe other colors - makes for a hideous look.

I hope the production changes the tape colors to a more subtle color palette.

Updated On: 11/3/23 at 10:24 PM

After seeing this tonight, I’m still wondering what made these six guys so famous. The show does a poor job of showcasing the Harmonists’ (the original group) talents leading to he height of their popularity. The six actors were terrific, but I was expecting to see some vignettes or snippets of their famous performances.

During intermission, an older gentleman in front of me turned to his companion and said, “I thought this was gonna be like Jersey Boys.”
I bet that’s what the marketing folks were going for with the key art.

Updated On: 11/4/23 at 12:21 AM

muscle23ftl said: "I just came back from the show and had a great time and thought the show was absolutely thrilling and a must see. It took me back to the 1930's, very emotional. It was wonderful! Go see it, ignore the critics on this site. Remember to take opinions with a grain of salt, because opinions are like a$sholes, everyone has one."



And YOUR opinion is more valuable than the opinions of those of us who did not like the show why???

JSquared2 said: "And YOUR opinion is more valuable than the opinions of those of us who did not like the show why???"

He didn’t say that.

The house looked sold out on Monday night. So I think numbers are going up.

I paid for my tickets, so that's all I can tell you. It was worth every penny.

Jarethan said: "muscle23ftl said: "The house looked sold out on Monday night. So I think numbers are going up."

If you were in the orchestra, you go upstairs at intermission?? When I saw PV, the orchestra was full and the mezzanine was about 40% occupied."

PV? Puerto Vallarta? What the h*** do you mean by that?