Courtesy of Bryan Buttler Media Relations, LLC
Broadway and opera star Zachary James (South Pacific, Coram Boy, The Addams Family, Metropolitan Opera’s Akhnaten) brings his award-winning cabaret show ON BROADWAY to Des Moines Metro Opera’s streaming service. The program will be filmed at Philadelphia’s acclaimed Chris’ Jazz Club and will be available for online streaming from March 19 through March 31, 2021. The premiere performance, March 19 at 7:30PM CST, will conclude with an interactive and engaging online post-show Zoom reception with James.
The virtual program features James alongside Broadway pianist Charity Wicks in his award-winning one-man show, which earned James four awards from Broadway World. Including Vocalist of the Decade and Performer of the Decade. The concert combines personal stories from his time in the Tony Award-winning revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center, his portrayal of “Lurch” in the original cast of The Addams Family, as well as performances of the greatest hits from favorite Broadway musicals. On Broadway has played Hawaii, Alaska, New York, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Florida. This multi-camera film capture of the show will feature new songs and allow audiences worldwide to stream it from home.
James has appeared with The Metropolitan Opera (Akhnaten, Wozzeck), Teatro Real (the world premiere of Philip Glass’s The Perfect American), Minnesota Opera (the world premiere of Edward Tulane), Opera Philadelphia (the world premiere of Breaking The Waves, The Love For Three Oranges), English National Opera, Opera Queensland, Los Angeles Opera, Arizona Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Des Moines Metro Opera, Virginia Opera, Union Avenue Opera, Opera Roanoke, Shreveport Opera, Opera Ithaca, Sun Valley Opera, Central City Opera, Ash Lawn Opera, The Prototype Festival, The New York Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo and The Philadelphia Orchestra. James created the role of Lurch in the original Broadway cast of The Addams Family, played Hassinger in the Lincoln Center Theater Revival of South Pacific, and made his Broadway debut in the play, Coram Boy. Off-Broadway credits include Pasquale in The Most Happy Fella and Jo-Jo in Irma La Douce both with Encores. He has appeared on the sitcoms, 30 Rock and Murphy Brown. A frequent interpreter of new music, James premiered operas by Philip Glass, Missy Mazzoli, Kristin Hevner, Paola Prestini, Dana Wilson and Andy Teirstein and serves as an Ambassador to Opera America. James was named the Most Innovative Opera Singer of 2019 by Classical Post, Breakout Artist of the Year by Verismo Magazine and one of the top 30 most influential LGBTQIA artists by OperaWire. He returns to Des Moines Metro this summer to make a role debut as Jupiter in Rameau’s Platée.
Pianist and conductor Charity Wicks has worked extensively in both the classical and commercial music worlds notably with American Opera Projects, The Prototype Festival, Opera Santa Barbara, on the National Tour of Billy Elliot, and in the current Broadway production of West Side Story as well as the Broadway runs of Tootsie, Frozen, The Great Comet, Spring Awakening, Girl From The North Country, Wicked and Nice Work If You Can Get It. James and Wicks first collaborated on the world premiere of Andy Teirstein’s opera A Blessing On The Moon at Vancouver’s Chutzpah Festival and at NYC’s Le Poisson Rouge.
Founded in 1989, Chris’ Jazz Café is the longest continuously operating jazz club in the history of Philadelphia, attracting visitors from more than 160 countries and all 50 states. This go-to jazz destination has hosted some of the biggest names in jazz, both international and national superstars, including the legendary Count Basie Orchestra, Junior Mance, Pat Martino, Joey DeFrancesco, Kevin Eubanks and many others.
Tickets to Zachary James on Broadway are $25 per screen and can be reserved at https://desmoinesmetroopera.org.
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