By admin 
INTRODUCTION
The silence inside the Jewel Box Stage in Sandy, Utah, is currently a deceptive one, masking the rigorous preparation for a production that has spent decades in the crucible of creative development. On 05/25/2026, the atmospheric quiet will be shattered by the opening chords of Harmony, the magnum opus of Barry Manilow and his longtime collaborator Bruce Sussman. This regional premiere at the Hale Centre Theatre represents more than just a theatrical engagement; it is the fulfillment of a five-decade-long pursuit to immortalize the Comedian Harmonists, a German vocal group whose legacy was systematically erased by the tides of the mid-20th century. With the cast officially solidified as of December 2025, the production now moves into a phase of meticulous technical rehearsal, where the weight of historical truth meets the precision of the American musical.
THE DETAILED STORY
The journey of Harmony to the Mountain America Performing Arts Centre is a study in artistic perseverance. Following its highly anticipated Broadway run, the decision to bring the show to Utah’s premier arena-style theater highlights a strategic shift toward regional excellence. The “Jewel Box Stage” offers an architectural intimacy that the vast houses of Manhattan sometimes lack, allowing the nuanced performances of the newly minted cast to resonate with a specific, visceral clarity. This ensemble, curated through an exhaustive selection process that concluded just last month, faces the daunting task of replicating the complex six-part harmonies that made the original Comedian Harmonists a global sensation before their inevitable collision with the political realities of 1930s Berlin.
For Manilow, Harmony is the definitive counter-narrative to his “Showman” persona. While his solo tours—including the concurrent “Last Last UK Concerts”—rely on the electric charisma of a pop icon, Harmony demands a sophisticated restraint. The score is a masterclass in tonal shifts, moving from the exuberant, rhythmic optimism of “Harmony” to the haunting, elegiac strains of “Every Single Day.” The logistics of the Sandy production, running from 05/25/2026 through 08/01/2026, involve a multi-million dollar commitment to period-accurate costume design and a set that must function as both a vibrant cabaret and a somber historical archive.
This production also serves as a critical test of the “memory play” format. Told through the eyes of an elder “Rabbi,” the show grapples with the paradox of nostalgia: how does one celebrate a past that was ultimately destroyed? The Hale Centre Theatre, known for its technical prowess and loyal subscriber base, provides the perfect laboratory for this inquiry. As Manilow himself has noted, the survival of this story is a victory over the silence of history. By the time the curtain falls on the final August performance, the production will have answered a fundamental question about human nature: even when the singers are silenced, does the harmony remain inevitable?