For those who wonder how television became inundated with so many talent competitions, you might want to be reminded that Star Search in 1983 is where this began. The first winner of that competition was Sam Harris. He was 22 at the time. Flash forward to 2019. Harris is now 57. So when he takes to the stage at Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood this weekend for his new show, Stripped, it will be just Harris and pianist Todd Schroeder. No frills. No band. Just a singer and a musician. (Think MTV Unplugged which debuted 6 years after Star Search.)
Harris has accomplished a lot since Star Search. He was Tony-nominated for his role in the musical The Life. He’s written a book. He’s appeared in several other musicals and he continues to tour.
What will be interesting about this show is to see how stripped down it will be. As the montage above shows, Harris can certainly hit the rafters, but will that be the singer who appears this weekend, or will this quieter format be mirrored by the performance he gives? He’s a smart guy. Even thought it’s a big room, I’d count on a more intimate performance.