Playing a rabbi, Chip Zien is the central character in ‘Harmony’
By ALAN SMASON, Exclusive to the CCJN
With the opening of “Harmony: A New Musical” on Wednesday night, April 13, a 25-year journey for composer Barry Manilow was finally completed. Manilow, the 78-year-old successful singer whose string of hits established him as a pop icon in the Seventies, worked with artistic partner Bruce Sussman for the past quarter century to present a musical about the largely unknown tale of the Comedian Harmonists, at one time the most popular close-harmony group on the European continent, but who fell under disfavor with the rise to power of the Nazis.
Of the six Comedian Harmonists, two were unabashed and unapologetic Jews. Their many films and entire recording library were destroyed during the Nazi era.
Chip Zien as the Rabbi in “Harmony.” (Photo by Julieta Cervantes)
Sussman wrote the book and lyrics for “Harmony” while he and Manilow worked closely with Tony Award winning director Warren Carlyle on the show. (Carlyle’s other major work on Broadway this season is Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man” starring Tony Award winners Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster.)
Sidelined by COVID, Manilow was unable to attend the official opening at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A LIving Memorial to the Holocaust, where it is scheduled to be performed through May 8. That seems to have been the worst item associated with the opening that has largely drawn positive reviews, especially for its singing.
One of the biggest changes to the work, which has been workshopped for years, but never given a Broadway or Off-Broadway opening, was Carlyle’s suggestion to flesh out one of the characters and have him comment on the actions of their past. For that central role, the three principal members of the creative team chose Broadway veteran Chip Zien.
Zien (his name rhymes with the Jewish synonym for Jerusalem), who Broadway audiences will recall for his work as the Baker in “Into the Woods,” as Mendel in “Falsettos” and, more recently, as Mr. Stopnick in the revival of “Caroline, or Change,” plays the Rabbi in “Harmony.” Danny Kornfeld portrays him as a younger man.
Chip Zien, at right, with the six male members who portray the Comedian Harmonists. (Photo by Julieta Cervantes)
The CCJN had an exclusive phone interview with Zien previous to the opening.
CCJN: We were naturally interested in how this whole process began and when you were brought into the project.
Chip Zien: You know what happened was the summer before we did “Caroline, or Change,” maybe July or August of 2021, they offered me this role, which was terrific. In September, before we started rehearsals for “Caroline, or Change,” they had a two-week workshop, which was just terrifying…just terrifying…because I was learning material at the speed of light.
CCJN: Terrifying because you are a bit older?
Zien: In the old days – I’m talking about the 1970s and 80s – they used to plunk the melody out for songs for a day and you’d very carefully record the melody and then you would go home and learn it. This doesn’t happen any more because all the kids, like the younger actors, are so well-trained, they learn the music at the speed of light. But, I’m old school. (He laughs)
CCJN: Right.
Zien: So we had this workshop where we were staging various numbers mainly so Warren (Carlyle) could get an idea whether his ideas could be accomplished and so we could get a preview of what we would face after we went into rehearsals after the first of the year.
CCJN: “Caroline” closed early in 2022, so you plunged right into this then?
Chip Zien in “Harmony.” (Photo by Julieta Cervantes)
Zien: Basically, I got this fortuitous phone call from my agent and they sent me the material. I thought: “Wow! This may be my last show ever, but it’s a great show. Who knows if I’ll live through it?” But, it’s a great gift and that’s how that came about.
CCJN: This is a role that would be difficult for a young man to do with as much focus as it has on your character. You’re taking this role on at, let’s say, at a special time of your life.
Zien: Exactly and, by the way, I don’t think I ever change my clothes as much as I do in this show at the speed of light. Evidently, when I am changing my clothes, I have lost the ability to understand verbal commands from the two or three dressers who are telling me “Sit down! Sit down” “Take your shirt off!” “Put your feet on the ground, so we can change your shoes.” What’s happening backstage is actually hilarious.
CCJN: Without giving anything away, there is a special moment where you have a particular change when you have your back to the audience, which must be hilarious to see you go through that.
Zien: That change they made some script changes so that we had time for that particular moment that you’re referring to. So, we have some time there. But it’s the next change – the change out of that particular change that’s really tricky. We really struggled in previews, but now we’ve finally got it down. Now we’ve got it down.
CCJN: It’s all about timing and timing is probably appropriate to talk about with regards to your taking on this huge role. Do you feel more pressure now that so much of the focus is on your character?
Zien: I do. (He pauses.) I feel a huge responsibility to the show. Yeah. I’m really feeling the pressure. I wish I were a better human being in terms of my ability to cope with pressure and anxiety. I do feel the pressure. I also feel about the piece – I like it so much – that I want to be as good as I can possibly be. I think I’ve always been that way, but there’s a message about this show, there’s subject matter that I really want to fulfill. I do feel an enormous responsibility to measure up to the material.
The younger cast members of “Harmony” with directed with incredible choreography by Warren Carlyle. (Photo by Julieta Cervantes)
CCJN: And how about your castmates?
Zien: I do have to say that the younger actors – the six (Comedian) Harmonists are astounding. The amount of material they have accomplished – you know, dancing and singing in six-part harmony – is just superhuman to me. I’m astounded by them. In our current theater, we share a giant dressing room together and that part has been absolutely hilarious and more fun than I’m supposed to have. Also, Sierra (Boggess) is a very close friend of mine. One of the great joys of being in a show is, basically, what happens backstage and the stuff that the audience is never part of.
Danny Kornfeld plays the Young Rabbi, extreme left, with Sierra Boggess as Mary, second from left. Blake Reman, second from right, is Chopin with Jessie Davidson as Ruth. (Photo by Juliet Cervantes)
CCJN: There’s actually a spot in “Harmony” after a ballad where the show basically has to stop for the audience’s approval and applause. You know it’s a Barry Manilow song. You can tell it’s a Barry Manilow song. The first time that you heard that song, did it send shocks through you to hear it?
Zien: One of the things I remember when I first got the script, I thought: “Oh, fun. Barry Manilow tunes. I love Barry Manilow and have, you know, for years. This is great. We’re going to sing some Barry Manilow tunes.” But this score is so frequently surprising and so complicated – so many of the numbers, I’m astounded by them – it’s a very complicated score. I have been joking, you know, making silly jokes: “One day, we’ll be probably be singing Chuppah-cabana.” But it’s a very intricate and complicated and gorgeous score. When you hear Sierra and Jessie (Davidson) sing that beautiful ballad in the second act and Danny’s solo in the first act, it’s beautiful stuff. I think people will be surprised by the complexity of the score and the style of the score.
CCJN: In reading about Barry and his musicality in the advance materials, we were struck by how much he brings to the score and how much he advances it musically throughout the rehearsal process.
Zien: He’s a great arranger, a great composer and a pianist, as we all knew. This is just endlessly surprising and just great.
CCJN: The show opens just before Passover and since you mentioned “Chuppah-cabana,” perhaps you can offer a suggestion to Barry for another song: “Waiting To Taste Chometz Again.”
Zien: (Laughing) There you go.
“Harmony: A New Musical” (2 hours and 30 minutes including a 15-minute intermission) is directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle with music by Barry Manilow and lyrics and book by Bruce Sussman. It plays now through May 8 in the Edmond J. Safra Auditorium at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, 36 Battery Place in New York City. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
