It was a dream 30 years in the making; but one not shared by all.  On January 17, it was announced that the musical “Harmony” will close after just 24 previews and only 96 performances.  The final performance is set for February 4.

The musical created by Bruce Sussman and award winning entertainer Barry Manilow was based on a true story of pre-Nazi Germany.  While fans of Manilow loved the production, the critics did not – nothing new when it comes to Barry Manilow who is loved by fans and in his words “behated” by the critics.

“Harmony” is the story of six entertainers who topped the charts of their time with their music and put on a vaudevillian styled show in the 1920’s.  Featuring six performers, Hitler forced the group to break up due to three members of the group being Jewish.

Prior to appearing on Broadway, the show had a number of incarnations including a run on Off-Broadway where it garnered nominations for Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Lucille Lortel Awards.  The show won an award for Best New Musical from the Off-Broadway Alliance.

Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman are long time musical partners who created the song “Copacabana” that was later turned into a film and musical.  Manilow is an Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner who has also earned nominations for an Oscar but has yet to win one.