STUNNING PRODUCTION OF HARMONY OPENS 40TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON AT MUSIC THEATRE OF CONNECTICUT
By Kiersten Bjork (September 12, 2026)
If you didn’t have the chance to catch the incredible, yet sadly short-lived, Broadway production of Harmony, it’s your lucky day. Music Theatre of Connecticut (MTC) in Norwalk is currently producing a stunning production of Harmony–the Connecticut professional regional premiere of the show–a musical that tells the true story of the Comedian Harmonists. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will have you leaving the theater with more than a few things to think about.
Harmony features music by Barry Manilow and a book and lyrics by Bruce Sussman–but believe me, by no means is this “the Barry Manilow musical” like so many of the recent jukebox musicals that have made it to Broadway are–this is no Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, MJ: The Musical, or The Cher Show. Instead, Harmony follows the Comedian Harmonists, a six-man vocal group who made it big in 1920s Berlin with their iconic humor and tight harmonies. The production is told from the perspective of an older Rabbi (the nickname of one of the Harmonists, who was a former rabbi) as he looks back on the group’s rise to fame amidst personal and political struggles. As the Nazi party comes into power in Germany, the pressure builds, and the Harmonists are faced with increasingly complicated and difficult decisions in a world that’s rapidly beginning to spin out of control. With beautiful songs and catchy melodies, as well as a book that’s packed with humor, wit, and wonderful storytelling, it’s a truly powerful production that will remain with you long after the final curtain.
If you didn’t have the chance to catch the incredible, yet sadly short-lived, Broadway production of Harmony, it’s your lucky day. Music Theatre of Connecticut (MTC) in Norwalk is currently producing a stunning production of Harmony–the Connecticut professional regional premiere of the show–a musical that tells the true story of the Comedian Harmonists. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will have you leaving the theater with more than a few things to think about.
Harmony features music by Barry Manilow and a book and lyrics by Bruce Sussman–but believe me, by no means is this “the Barry Manilow musical” like so many of the recent jukebox musicals that have made it to Broadway are–this is no Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, MJ: The Musical, or The Cher Show. Instead, Harmony follows the Comedian Harmonists, a six-man vocal group who made it big in 1920s Berlin with their iconic humor and tight harmonies. The production is told from the perspective of an older Rabbi (the nickname of one of the Harmonists, who was a former rabbi) as he looks back on the group’s rise to fame amidst personal and political struggles. As the Nazi party comes into power in Germany, the pressure builds, and the Harmonists are faced with increasingly complicated and difficult decisions in a world that’s rapidly beginning to spin out of control. With beautiful songs and catchy melodies, as well as a book that’s packed with humor, wit, and wonderful storytelling, it’s a truly powerful production that will remain with you long after the final curtain.
The company of MTC’s Harmony (Alex Mongillo)
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The company of MTC’s Harmony (Alex Mongillo)
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I went into this production with high expectations. I had a chance to see the Broadway production twice, and was absolutely blown away by the show both times that I saw it–it became one of my favorite musicals as a result. Coming into the MTC production, I could only hope that this version would live up to the beautiful work done by the Broadway company. I am pleased to say, I was not disappointed. In fact, I was very pleasantly surprised by how the team at MTC took the production and fit it into their space, making it even more impactful.
Directed by Kevin Connors, and with music direction by Zachary Anderson and choreography by Chris McNiff, the production is a hit. The team has assembled a cast of extremely talented performers, particularly the six Harmonists, which are certainly not easy roles. Their vocals, character work, physicality, and more, were first rate.
The show is paced nicely, and the choreography makes excellent use of MTC’s rather small playing space. It’s vibrant–both a celebration and an honoring of the lives of these historical characters who lived through an incredibly tragic time, all the while bringing breathtaking music to the wider world around them.
One thing I did notice about this version was that there were several changes to the script since the Broadway iteration. I’m not sure when in the process these revisions were made, but some were more prominent than others–like the removal of Josephine Baker from the production altogether. Act II used to open with “We’re Goin’ Loco!”–you can give it a listen on the Broadway cast recording–but along with Baker this number has been entirely cut. There’s also a particularly powerful moment at the end of the wedding scene in the Broadway production that is no longer present. While the removal of the Act II opener didn’t have a massive effect on the overall show, in my opinion, I did miss the Broadway ending to the wedding–à la Fiddler on the Roof, the wedding is interrupted by violence in a way that steals your breath.
Directed by Kevin Connors, and with music direction by Zachary Anderson and choreography by Chris McNiff, the production is a hit. The team has assembled a cast of extremely talented performers, particularly the six Harmonists, which are certainly not easy roles. Their vocals, character work, physicality, and more, were first rate.
The show is paced nicely, and the choreography makes excellent use of MTC’s rather small playing space. It’s vibrant–both a celebration and an honoring of the lives of these historical characters who lived through an incredibly tragic time, all the while bringing breathtaking music to the wider world around them.
One thing I did notice about this version was that there were several changes to the script since the Broadway iteration. I’m not sure when in the process these revisions were made, but some were more prominent than others–like the removal of Josephine Baker from the production altogether. Act II used to open with “We’re Goin’ Loco!”–you can give it a listen on the Broadway cast recording–but along with Baker this number has been entirely cut. There’s also a particularly powerful moment at the end of the wedding scene in the Broadway production that is no longer present. While the removal of the Act II opener didn’t have a massive effect on the overall show, in my opinion, I did miss the Broadway ending to the wedding–à la Fiddler on the Roof, the wedding is interrupted by violence in a way that steals your breath.
Constantine Pappas and Jazmin Gorsline in MTC’s Harmony (Alex Mongillo)
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Constantine Pappas, Frank Mastrone, Jeff Raab and the company of MTC’s Harmony (Alex Mongillo)
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Frank Mastrone plays the older version of Rabbi, our narrator, and does an excellent job in the part. He is pensive and passionate, reflective yet lively. “Threnody” is an absolute gut-punch, and Mastrone delivers it with expert skill and a powerful voice. As the younger Rabbi, Constantine Pappas is delightful. Young Rabbi’s song “Every Single Day” is one of my favorites in the show and Constantine really brings out the best in the number. He plays quite well opposite Jazmin Gorsline as Mary. I enjoyed her performance throughout, though there were times where she was very quiet, and I had trouble hearing her–granted, this also could have been an amplification issue.
Lesh is one of the more physical roles in the show and Christian Libonati knocks it out of the park. His physicality and overall performance, especially on “Hungarian Rhapsody #20,” is both hilarious and impressive. I enjoyed the humor he brought to the role, particularly in Lesh’s adorable over-excited moments. As Bobby, Dominic Pagliaro delivers strength and poise, showing off a rich base tone. Jeff Raab does nice work as the group’s writer Harry, the musical genius that brings them all together in the first place. Cameron Edris plays sweet Erich, the doctor-turned-singer too squeamish to follow his family’s desired career path. “Your Son Is Becoming A Singer!” is a particularly tricky number, and Edris handles it with flair and class.
Michael Alonzo plays the charming Chopin, former whorehouse pianist, and Alonzo’s take on “In This World” is beautiful. He and Michelle Pauker play off each other quite well, Pauker in the role of Chopin‘s wife Ruth. Ruth is a Jew, and Chopin a Gentile, and as the story unfolds, these two embody the layers of their characters’ relationship with nuance and care. As Ruth, Pauker is an absolute firecracker, in the best way. She is fierce, she is passionate, and she gives one of my favorite performances of the night. Her voice is grounded yet stirring, driving home the messages that Ruth stands for. Her duet opposite Gorsline as Mary is incredibly heartfelt.
Rounding out the company are a strong ensemble who take on a variety of roles. Matt Mancuso is rather terrifying as the Standartenfuher, while Joseph Torello also brings a menacing air as the Obersturmfuher. Robert Peterpaul is an absolute riot as Fritz, Ezra, and more, delivering moments of comedic gold in the handful of lines he’s tasked with–but oh, does he make the best of it. Helen Clare and Quinlyn Kessler portray Rosa and Clara, as well as other ensemble characters, and demonstrate just how talented this company is across the board.
Lesh is one of the more physical roles in the show and Christian Libonati knocks it out of the park. His physicality and overall performance, especially on “Hungarian Rhapsody #20,” is both hilarious and impressive. I enjoyed the humor he brought to the role, particularly in Lesh’s adorable over-excited moments. As Bobby, Dominic Pagliaro delivers strength and poise, showing off a rich base tone. Jeff Raab does nice work as the group’s writer Harry, the musical genius that brings them all together in the first place. Cameron Edris plays sweet Erich, the doctor-turned-singer too squeamish to follow his family’s desired career path. “Your Son Is Becoming A Singer!” is a particularly tricky number, and Edris handles it with flair and class.
Michael Alonzo plays the charming Chopin, former whorehouse pianist, and Alonzo’s take on “In This World” is beautiful. He and Michelle Pauker play off each other quite well, Pauker in the role of Chopin‘s wife Ruth. Ruth is a Jew, and Chopin a Gentile, and as the story unfolds, these two embody the layers of their characters’ relationship with nuance and care. As Ruth, Pauker is an absolute firecracker, in the best way. She is fierce, she is passionate, and she gives one of my favorite performances of the night. Her voice is grounded yet stirring, driving home the messages that Ruth stands for. Her duet opposite Gorsline as Mary is incredibly heartfelt.
Rounding out the company are a strong ensemble who take on a variety of roles. Matt Mancuso is rather terrifying as the Standartenfuher, while Joseph Torello also brings a menacing air as the Obersturmfuher. Robert Peterpaul is an absolute riot as Fritz, Ezra, and more, delivering moments of comedic gold in the handful of lines he’s tasked with–but oh, does he make the best of it. Helen Clare and Quinlyn Kessler portray Rosa and Clara, as well as other ensemble characters, and demonstrate just how talented this company is across the board.
Michelle Pauker in MTC’s Harmony (Alex Mongillo)
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Michael Alonzo, Cameron Edris, and Constantine Pappas in MTC’s Harmony (Alex Mongillo)
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Scenic design by Sean Sanford is relatively simple, though serves the story well. The design utilize sliding upstage panels for projection surfaces, displaying signage and other relevant information, and actors set and strike tables, chairs, and other pieces of furniture as needed to fill out the space. However, due to the small theater they’re working in, not much else is needed, and anything else likely would have cluttered the space too much. Props master Lauren Weglian compliments the scenic work well, and I enjoyed the choices for “How Can I Serve You, Madame?,” one of my favorite numbers in the Broadway production.
Costume designer Diane Vanderkroef nicely places the characters within the time and world of the show with their garments. The Harmonists in their matching suits certainly look the part.
Jac-que Robinson’s lighting design builds upon the scenic elements and story, adding in additional emotional layers with light and color–everyone loves a star drop. However, there were quite a few moments where I thought it was interesting that much of the audience was lit up, and wondered why. There were also a few moments where I found bright LED moving lights zooming past my eyes and had to turn away from direct beams, but, these are sometimes the struggles of a more intimate performance space.
Sound designer Brian Salvia does strong work, though there were a handful of times I wished the balance could have been better. There were instances where I felt that we missed important lines or couldn’t hear certain vocalists over the band or over the full group singing.
Costume designer Diane Vanderkroef nicely places the characters within the time and world of the show with their garments. The Harmonists in their matching suits certainly look the part.
Jac-que Robinson’s lighting design builds upon the scenic elements and story, adding in additional emotional layers with light and color–everyone loves a star drop. However, there were quite a few moments where I thought it was interesting that much of the audience was lit up, and wondered why. There were also a few moments where I found bright LED moving lights zooming past my eyes and had to turn away from direct beams, but, these are sometimes the struggles of a more intimate performance space.
Sound designer Brian Salvia does strong work, though there were a handful of times I wished the balance could have been better. There were instances where I felt that we missed important lines or couldn’t hear certain vocalists over the band or over the full group singing.
Michael Alonzo (background), Christian Libonati, and Joseph Torello in MTC’s Harmony (Alex Mongillo)
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The company of MTC’s Harmony (Alex Mongillo)
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Whether you saw Harmony on Broadway or not, I highly recommend purchasing a ticket to see MTC’s production. Especially in today’s day and age, it is such a powerful story, and I truly hope everyone has a chance to experience it at least once. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to see a stunning show in an intimate space, right here in Connecticut.
Harmony plays September 11 - 27, 2026, at Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk, CT. Learn more and purchase tickets for upcoming performances at musictheatreofct.com/harmony or by calling the Box Office at (203) 454-3883.
Kiersten Bjork is a professional theatremaker, performer, and reviewer (Connecticut Critics Circle) from Branford, CT.
Harmony plays September 11 - 27, 2026, at Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk, CT. Learn more and purchase tickets for upcoming performances at musictheatreofct.com/harmony or by calling the Box Office at (203) 454-3883.
Kiersten Bjork is a professional theatremaker, performer, and reviewer (Connecticut Critics Circle) from Branford, CT.