Zachary "Zach" James (born December 7, 1981) is an American actor and
singer. He is best known for creating the role of Lurch in The Addams
Family on Broadway, Abraham Lincoln in the world premiere Philip Glass
opera, The Perfect American, Amenhotep III in the Olivier
Award-winning production of Akhnaten and for appearances on the
television shows, 30 Rock and Murphy Brown. Zachary was named the Most
Innovative Opera Singer of 2019 by The Classical Post, Breakout Opera
Artist of 2019 by Verismo Magazine and was identified as an industry
leader and invited to be an official ambassador for Opera America. He
has sung with some of the world's top opera companies and orchestras
including English National Opera, LA Opera, Teatro Real, The New York
Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia and NHK
Symphony Orchestra Tokyo and made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2019
in Akhnaten.James was born in Providence, Rhode Island and grew up in
Spring Hill, Florida. The son of a professional jazz guitarist, James
played percussion and served as drum major in his high school marching
band. Although his first goal was to become a band director, he had a
longing for musical theater. James, inspired by actor Nathan Lane,
majored in musical theatre at Ithaca College and later moved to New
York City.Zachary James created the role of Lurch in the Broadway
musical production of The Addams Family. James appeared in the
Original Broadway Cast of Coram Boy and also in the original cast of
the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of South Pacific. New York
credits include the role of Oberon in the world premiere of Kristin
Hevner's Il Sogno. As an operatic singer, he created the role of
Abraham Lincoln in Philip Glass' opera The Perfect American at the
Teatro Real in Madrid which was broadcast on Medici TV and created the
role of Terry in the world premiere of Breaking the Waves by Missy
Mazzoli for Opera Philadelphia. He created the speaking role of The
Scribe/Amenhotep III in Phelim McDermott's Laurence Olivier Award
winning 2016 production of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten at English
National Opera. He reprised the role in the production’s revivals at
the Los Angeles Opera, English National Opera in 2019 and the
Metropolitan Opera in November and December 2019. James played the
role of John Claggart in Billy Budd at Des Moines Metro Opera in 2017.
The production was broadcast on Iowa Public Television and won an Emmy
Award. He also performed with English National Opera, Los Angeles
Opera, The Philadelphia Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, The
New York Philharmonic, Des Moines Metro Opera, Arizona Opera, Virginia
Opera, Nashville Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Ash Lawn Opera, Knoxville
Opera, Central City Opera, Anchorage Opera, Opera Roanoke, Union
Avenue Opera, Opera Ithaca, Shreveport Opera, American Lyric Theater,
New York City Ballet and Australia's Opera Queensland.Regional theatre
credits include Miles Gloriosus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way
to the Forum and Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of
Fleet Street. James also appeared in his own one man opera, Imbecile
d' Amour, that played in New York in 2008, in Chicago in late 2009,
and again in New York in 2010 and 2011. In 2010 through the end of
2011 he starred as Lurch in the original cast of the Broadway musical
The Addams Family. In 2008, James made a cameo appearance as the
character "Carl" in the 30 Rock episode "Gavin Volure". In 2018 he
appeared on CBS as the Secret Serviceman to Mike Pence on the series
finale of Murphy Brown. His solo show, Zachary James on Broadway,
about his time working on Broadway and living in New York has been
seen in Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania.
singer. He is best known for creating the role of Lurch in The Addams
Family on Broadway, Abraham Lincoln in the world premiere Philip Glass
opera, The Perfect American, Amenhotep III in the Olivier
Award-winning production of Akhnaten and for appearances on the
television shows, 30 Rock and Murphy Brown. Zachary was named the Most
Innovative Opera Singer of 2019 by The Classical Post, Breakout Opera
Artist of 2019 by Verismo Magazine and was identified as an industry
leader and invited to be an official ambassador for Opera America. He
has sung with some of the world's top opera companies and orchestras
including English National Opera, LA Opera, Teatro Real, The New York
Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia and NHK
Symphony Orchestra Tokyo and made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2019
in Akhnaten.James was born in Providence, Rhode Island and grew up in
Spring Hill, Florida. The son of a professional jazz guitarist, James
played percussion and served as drum major in his high school marching
band. Although his first goal was to become a band director, he had a
longing for musical theater. James, inspired by actor Nathan Lane,
majored in musical theatre at Ithaca College and later moved to New
York City.Zachary James created the role of Lurch in the Broadway
musical production of The Addams Family. James appeared in the
Original Broadway Cast of Coram Boy and also in the original cast of
the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of South Pacific. New York
credits include the role of Oberon in the world premiere of Kristin
Hevner's Il Sogno. As an operatic singer, he created the role of
Abraham Lincoln in Philip Glass' opera The Perfect American at the
Teatro Real in Madrid which was broadcast on Medici TV and created the
role of Terry in the world premiere of Breaking the Waves by Missy
Mazzoli for Opera Philadelphia. He created the speaking role of The
Scribe/Amenhotep III in Phelim McDermott's Laurence Olivier Award
winning 2016 production of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten at English
National Opera. He reprised the role in the production’s revivals at
the Los Angeles Opera, English National Opera in 2019 and the
Metropolitan Opera in November and December 2019. James played the
role of John Claggart in Billy Budd at Des Moines Metro Opera in 2017.
The production was broadcast on Iowa Public Television and won an Emmy
Award. He also performed with English National Opera, Los Angeles
Opera, The Philadelphia Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, The
New York Philharmonic, Des Moines Metro Opera, Arizona Opera, Virginia
Opera, Nashville Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Ash Lawn Opera, Knoxville
Opera, Central City Opera, Anchorage Opera, Opera Roanoke, Union
Avenue Opera, Opera Ithaca, Shreveport Opera, American Lyric Theater,
New York City Ballet and Australia's Opera Queensland.Regional theatre
credits include Miles Gloriosus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way
to the Forum and Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of
Fleet Street. James also appeared in his own one man opera, Imbecile
d' Amour, that played in New York in 2008, in Chicago in late 2009,
and again in New York in 2010 and 2011. In 2010 through the end of
2011 he starred as Lurch in the original cast of the Broadway musical
The Addams Family. In 2008, James made a cameo appearance as the
character "Carl" in the 30 Rock episode "Gavin Volure". In 2018 he
appeared on CBS as the Secret Serviceman to Mike Pence on the series
finale of Murphy Brown. His solo show, Zachary James on Broadway,
about his time working on Broadway and living in New York has been
seen in Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.