Barry Manilow ‘Heartbroken’ After Missing New Musical’s Debut Due To COVID-19 Diagnosis

Barry Manilow is devastated after testing positive for COVID-19 just hours before the debut of a new stage musical he co-wrote in New York.

On Wednesday, the 78-year-old singer-songwriter expressed his disappointment after learning that he was unable to appear at the opening night of his off-Broadway musical, “Harmony.”

“I am heartbroken to say that I have just tested positive for Covid-19 and won’t be able to attend tonight’s opening night performance of my new musical ‘Harmony,’” Manilow said in a statement issued to Deadline.

The Grammy-winning singer continued, “This just might be the cruelest thing that has ever happened to me: 25 years waiting for this show to premiere in New York and I can’t attend.”

“Harmony” was decades in the making. It premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse near San Diego in 1977 as a play. It was supposed to be followed by a 2003 Philadelphia production before officially launching as a musical on Broadway.

However, the project did not move forward as planned when producers fell short financially. A decade later, it was performed at the Alliance Theater Company in Atlanta. There were immediate plans to move it to New York after that, but that did not happen, as per Variety.

After multiple setbacks and delays, “Harmony” was given another shot. It was meant to launch in 2019 but got pushed back to 2020. When the pandemic started, producers had no choice but to delay it once again.

On March 23, the stage musical began previews at the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s Edmond J. Safra Hall Theatre at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. It was then decided that the musical would make its official opening night on April 13.

Even though Manilow won’t be able to attend its debut, he encouraged fans and the general public to go watch the show.

“Even in the face of this pandemic, we New Yorkers remain the toughest, staunchest people on the planet — so, put on a mask and go see a show,” he noted in his statement.

“Harmony,” which is set to run for seven weeks, follows six young men known as the Comedian Harmonists. The real-life artists gained popularity in 1920s Germany for their vocal abilities and undeniable stage presence. The group’s future became uncertain after they allowed Jewish people to join their act, according to People.