I've written a few times about the Comedian Harmonists, a close harmony singing and comedy group that was hugely-popular in Germany from around 1927-1935, and had international fame, as well, making movies and even touring in the United States. Their popularity was remarkable most particularly for being mixed-religion, but that ended up being largely why the group had to split up. In 1975, however, a four-hour documentary on the group brought them attention again in Germany and a resurgence (even winning them the musical industry Echo Prize in 1998 from the Deutsche Phonoakademie). A very good German film, Comedian Harmonists, was produced in 1997. And a stage musical, Harmony, written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman was tried out in San Diego the same year -- which I saw and much enjoyed and wrote about here.
(The musical has gone through many trials over the intervening years, but it finally is being mounted again, first in Atlanta starting...well, now. It opens September 6. And then it will play in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson in March, with an eye on Broadway.)
Continuing our walking tour here in Berlin, I thought this would be a fine time to show you a little bit of that German movie on the Comedian Harmonists. Know that the singing is from a recording by the actual group itself.
(The musical has gone through many trials over the intervening years, but it finally is being mounted again, first in Atlanta starting...well, now. It opens September 6. And then it will play in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson in March, with an eye on Broadway.)
Continuing our walking tour here in Berlin, I thought this would be a fine time to show you a little bit of that German movie on the Comedian Harmonists. Know that the singing is from a recording by the actual group itself.
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