Quick Facts
Biography
Zachary "Zach" James (born December 7, 1981) is an American actor and operatic bass. He is the founding director of the Metropolis Opera Project, a New York City based opera company.
Biography
Early life
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.
Career
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, and has also sung with Ash Lawn Opera (Madama Butterfly), Knoxville Opera (Little Women), Central City Opera, American Lyric Theater, English National Opera in London and Australia's Opera Queensland.
Regional theatre credits include the baritone soloist in Carmina Burana, Miles Gloriosus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Colline in La Bohème, Commendatore in Don Giovanni, 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. He starred as Lurch in the Broadway musical The Addams Family. In 2008, James made a cameo appearance as the character "Carl" in the 30 Rock episode "Gavin Volure".
Personal life
James currently resides in Ithaca, New York with his husband, Tucker Ty Davis, and their three pets Carl Magnus (cat), Artie, and Buckett (dogs).