Perfect Harmony (2008 - 2010)

The Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row 
Bleecker Street Theatre 
Stoneham Theatre 
The Clurman Theatre at Theatre Row 

• Selected for Smith & Krause:
• Best Male Monologues 2009
• Best Female Monologues 2009
• Best Scenes 2009

Perfect Harmony has “an abundance of heart. This likable music-filled comedy, by Andrew Grosso and the Essentials, features rival high-school a-cappella groups, the Acafellas and the Ladies in Red, who, in the course of preparing for nationals, train, freak out, stop speaking, and overcome their differences—and that’s just within the teams themselves. Written and performed with an acute understanding of the anxieties and quirks of young achievers, the show derives much of its charm from the strange, horrible magic of the a-cappella genre: the exacting deployment of pitch, harmony, and musical arrangement joined with irony, pop culture, and earnestness. The singing and acting are strong, and the song choices hilarious.”
- The New Yorker

“See this silly musical with glee! Chock full of quirky characters, absurd plot developments, and energetic vocals that soar. It’s hard to resist a show in which a boy exhorts his partners, “All right, dudes, sing it from your nuts!” before launching into a spirited rendition of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”
- The New York Post,

“Perfect Harmony has perfect pitch! What makes Perfect Harmony borderline brilliant is the combination of a seriously funny script and an ensemble of seriously polished actors.” - The Boston Herald,

“A lighthearted, sweet musical comedy features a talented cast of ten who enact their characters with freshness and enthusiasm and deliver snappy and often very funny dialogue in between engaging musical numbers. The singing and harmonizations are pleasing, Perfect Harmony is a fond satire of teenage social misfits and a perfectly entertaining, melodious little musical. - The Associated Press,

“Perfectly sweet. The cast is outstanding. Perfect Harmony is pure joy. It would be easy to envision this production having a Broadway address in the very near future.”
-Jason S. Grossman, NYTheatre.com

“Unbearably funny. Riotous. Never fails to delight.”
-Matthew Murray, Talking Broadway

“Talented singers, a delightful combination of silly and sophisticated humor, endearing characters, and many opportunities to find yourself laughing out loud. For an evening of wide-range entertainment, this one hits just the right note.!”
-Laurie Lawson. Electronic Link Journey

“Nearly indescribable hilarity. Perfect Harmony’s extraordinary cast and impeccable script combine for a performance whose non-stop comedy must be seen to be believed.”
-Sara Hottman. Show Business Weekly

“The vocal harmonies are undeniably impressive, and the consistently funny troupe of actors creates a true ensemble piece. It’s topical and silly and you’ll have a great evening.”
- Mary Block. The L Magazine

“So perfectly, gorgeously wicked. Amazing cast. We will be seeing Perfect Harmony for a long time to come!”
- Eugene Paul. TheatreScene.Net

“The Essentials takes a high school a cappella championship and turns it into winning comedy and drama. Perfect Harmony is young, exuberant, over-the-top, and at times, unexpectedly moving.”
- Paulanne Simmons. Curtain Up

“I loved it. It’s laugh out-loud funny.”
- Retta Blaney. Life on the Sacred Stage

“Dynamic character relationships and hilarious comedic acting make Perfect Harmony something to sing about. Perfect Harmony is a fun show that brings new dynamics to a overdone concept in today’s entertainment scene. In the last two years I have seen a handful of shows about glee clubs and show choirs in addition to being a bit of a “Gleek” myself. While Perfect Harmony’s concept isn’t anything new, the fresh comedic energy and the smart twists are certainly unique. Perfect Harmony will leave you chuckling and humming its tunes for days.
- Theatre is Easy

“Any Glee fans? Well this musical is right up your alley! The clever script keeps the audience giggling and with the toe-tapping songs, leaves us with that feel-good warmth by the end! - The Examiner


“Thoroughly entertaining. This show is a guilty pleasure. The writing is full of tiny, quick verbal surprises and original moments, and the cast is uniformly high energy.it. It’s laugh out-loud funny.”
- Suzanne Lynch, offoffonline.com

“This play nailed the earth shattering impact that (the a cappella) scene can have on a awkward teen looking for something to believe in. Thumbs up.”
- David Bell, ShowShowdown

“The performances are funny without being trivial; these actors can not only do comedy, but they sing and do precisely choreographed movements while singing and acting, all to the level of perfection the scene calls for. Snaps to them and everyone involved.”
- Jeremiah Tash. Edge New York City