Sam Harris to Host WEST COAST ENSEMBLE Benefit on 3/23 at Colony Theatre

West Coast Ensemble Theatre, one of Los Angeles' longest running 99-seat theatre companies, celebrates its 27th year by hosting an evening of its "greatest hits" - songs and performances from musicals the Ensemble has presented over the past 5 to 10 seasons. The evening is an annual fundraising event for West Coast Ensemble, and will be held at the Colony Theatre in downtown Burbank. The evening will begin with a light reception, featuring a Vodka tasting courtesy of Modern Spirits Vodka. The performance will feature several of the Ensemble's talented singers and performers, presenting songs from their most popular productions including CABARET, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, A NEW BRAIN, FLOYD COLLINS and the upcoming 2009 production of the BIG! THE MUSICAL. The show will be hosted by celebrated actor, singer and Broadway performer Sam Harris on Monday evening, March 23rd at The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third Street, Burbank.

Sam Harris (Host) has been lauded by critics as one of the most powerful and versatile forces in entertainment. His numerous appearances on television and in concerts at Carnegie Hall have become legendary. Sam first splashed into the public eye when he became the first "Star Search" winner, going on to tour in concert throughout the world and release the million selling recordings Sam Harris and SAM-I-AM, as well as DIFFERENT STAGES, STANDARD TIME, REVIVAL, ON THIS NIGHT, ALWAYS and most recently, FREE. Sam has starred on Broadway in The Life, for which he received Tony, Outer Critic's Circle and Drama Desk nominations and the Drama League's Outstanding Performance Award, as well as in GREASE (Drama Desk nomination), Mel Brooks' THE PRODUCERS, and JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHINCOLOR DREAMCOAT.

Sam also starred in HAIR, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, CABARET, PIPPIN, THE JAZZ SINGER, the self-penned HARD COPY, DIFFERENT HATS, REVIVAL and his smash Los Angeles hit, SAM. He co-created/wrote the sit-com, DOWN TO EARTH for TNT, the musical, HURRY! HURRY! HOLLYWOOD!, and co-produced the television special LOVE LETTER TO NEW YORK. Sam has played in concert all over the world, at The White House, with The Boston Pops, on numerous television specials and on every major talk show, including the now historic Oprah Winfrey's MUSIC TO HEAL OUR HEARTS after 9/11. Sam co-starred on the CBS half hour comedy series, THE CLASS, is currently hosting a segment on the television show, EXTRA, called SIX DEGREES OF SAM, and is developing a talk show for FOX entitled SAMSHOW. He has recently become a YouTube phenom and his popular vlogs can be found at SamTube.com and SamHarris.com. In April of `08, Sam and his partner became the proud parents of Cooper Atticus Harris-Jacobsen.

WEST COAST ENSEMBLE began in 1981 with a company of 20 actors in a Hollywood storefront, and in 27 years has grown to company of over 100 actors, designers, directors, playwrights and technicians. In addition to its four-show MainStage season, the company presents a regular slate of smaller, member-produced mid-week productions, as well as workshops, development programs for new works and an increasing variety of classes for the ensemble members. The company has continued to advance its mission through critically hailed productions including Assassins (2008), Zanna, Don't! (2007), Floyd Collins (2005), Sunday In The Park With George (2003 Ovation Award Nominee for Best Musical), Merrily We Roll Along (L.A. Times Top 20 Production of 2000), House of Blue Leaves (1997 L.A. Weekly Award for Best Revival), Company (1997) and Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love (1995 - Entertainment Today Top 10 Production of the Decade). Additionally, the Ensemble has won several major awards including the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Margaret Harford Award for Outstanding and Ongoing Contribution to Theater, The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Charlie Award for Ongoing Contributions to Hollywood, four L.A. Drama Critics' Circle Awards, 10 NAACP Awards, countless L.A. Weekly, and BackStage West awards and the prestigious Jonathan Larson Foundation Award in support of original musical development.

A WCE BENEFIT EVENING hosted by Sam Harris will perform One Night only - Monday, March 23, 2009 beginning at 7:30 pm, at The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third Street in Burbank. Ticket prices are $55. For tickets, please call the West Coast Ensemble Box Office at 323-460-4443 or visit www.wcensemble.org.

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