Sam Harris: The Man, The Music, The Story

Taking a break from the stage as he gets ready to play 11 difference characters, Sam Harris takes a moment to allow me to get inside his world and get the story behind the story.

See Sam Live in “HAM: A Musical Memoir,” as it makes its world premiere at this year’s OUTFEST in Los Angeles on July 23^rd, with a national release in the fall. Based on Harris’ NY Times Best-Selling book Ham: Slices of Life, Sam teamed up with director Andrew Putschoegl to film the live performance, with the original New York production was helmed by Billy Porter.

In this dazzlingly raw, humorous, and dramatic performance, Harris belts out original songs and beloved ballads while playing 11 different roles to tell his own life story – from growing up gay in Oklahoma’s Bible Belt to his escape for Los Angeles, where his rendition of “Over the Rainbow” on “Star Search” led to fame, Broadway, television, platinum records, and Carnegie Hall. But after the highs and lows of a life in show business, Sam ultimately learns to ask: When is enough finally enough?

Critics unanimously declared their love for “Ham: A Musical Memoir” when it was originally performed in Los Angeles and New York. Sam is now available to share with you and your audience what he has planned in order to bring the filmed one-mam musical show to audiences around world.

Sam Harris’ diversified career has run the gamut from singer and songwriter to actor on Broadway, film and television to writer, director, producer and author. 

His now legendary appearances on the premiere season of STAR SEARCH gave him a national platform and his After pulling a weekly audience of more than 25 million viewers a week on STAR SEARCH in its premier season, Sam and his powerhouse pop, gospel and theater influenced vocals have never looked back. 

He is a multi-platinum recording artist with 9 studio CDs to his credit including SAM HARRIS and SAM-I-AM (both top 40 hits), STANDARD TIME and DIFFERENT STAGES (produced and conducted by the legendary Peter Matz, and which have been listed on numerous “Top 100 Records of All Time” lists.) 

Sam has toured extensively in concert and has played to sold-out audiences at major venues including New York’s Carnegie Hall, Los Angeles’ Universal Amphitheatre, London’s West End. He has performed with numerous symphonies including The Boston Pops and participated in Cyndi Lauper’s TRUE COLORS tour. Sam has appeared at The White House, on numerous television specials and live productions, and has been a guest artist on virtually every talk show from Leno to Fallon; his favorite in an historic time, when he performed a stirring “You’ll Never Walk Alone” on THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW in the week following September 11th. Sam is listed as one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s “100 greatest singers of all time.” 

On Broadway, Sam received a Tony, Outer Critic’s Circle and Drama Desk nominations for his work in Cy Coleman’s THE LIFE as well as a Drama League Award and Drama Desk nomination for his role in Tommy Tune’s GREASE and appeared on Broadway in Mel Brooks’, THE PRODUCERS. Sam has also starred in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, CABARET, JOSEPH…, HAIR, PIPPIN, THE JAZZ SINGER, THE FIRST WIVES CLUB and the smash hit, one man show SAM. 

As “Perry Pearl” on the CBS sitcom, THE CLASS, Sam’s chameleonic career took a new turn as a series regular, prompting popular columnist, Liz, Smith, to call him “the comedy break breakout character of the television season.” His many television credits include, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, CSI, MAJOR CRIMES and his own segment EXTRA called “Six Degrees of Sam.” Sam has also co-starred in the films IN THE WEEDS and ELENA UNDONE as well as several documentaries.

Behind the scenes, Sam co-wrote the TBS sit-com, DOWN TO EARTH, which ran for 4 years. He also co-produced the television special LOVE LETTER TO NEW YORK, supervised and directed segments of MICHAEL JACKSON’S 30TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY at Madison Square Garden, wrote music for the award winning film, LITTLE MAN, and co-wrote LIZA’S AT THE PALACE, which won the 2009 Tony Award. He also created and directed the concert event, NEW YORK’S FINEST – BROADWAY’S LEADING MEN.

The success of his memoir, “HAM: Slices of a Life” has evolved into the musical play, “HAM: A Musical Memoir” which played to resounding critical success in New York and Los Angeles. 

Sam is married to Danny Jacobsen and they are the proud fathers of Cooper Atticus Harris-Jacobsen.