A native of Oakdale, Minnesota, Andrew Putschoegl has spent the last couple of decades developing and creating a diverse array of projects across many different mediums. From short films to commercials, webisodes and feature films, the Chapman University-grad has seemingly done it all. Putschoegl‘s most recent mission was to bring Sam Harris’s acclaimed stage musical HAM : A Musical Memoir to life, capturing the show for an upcoming film that will play theaters and arrive On Demand over the winter.
HAM: A Musical Memoir. The first question folks will ask us, ‘what does HAM’ mean? Let’s answer that for them!
Sure! It’s pretty simple, really. Sam [Harris] is a ham. Always has been. He’s loved the spotlight since he was a little kid, so it’s a fitting title for his life story.
Sounds like Sam Harris has had quite an interesting life. Was that part of the interest for you in taking this project on?
Absolutely. And he’s willing to show the audience an unvarnished look at that life. That’s really what drew me in – that he’s lived this incredible life and had all of these experiences, but we get to know more about where he came from and what’s underneath the surface. And even with all of the extraordinary things he’s done, there is so much about who he is that is relatable. I think that’s key.
Did Sam approach you to film the show?
He did. I had actually filmed a version of the show back in 2014 just for posterity as he was doing it on stage here in L.A. We became friends and worked on a number of projects together after that, so when this opportunity came up, I was thrilled to say yes.
When did you shoot it? were the audience aware that they were going to possibly be in a film down-the-road?
We filmed in July of 2018 at The Pasadena Playhouse here in California. The audience all knew we were filming it – you couldn’t miss the cameras!
Is the film we’ll see in theaters and on BroadwayHD exactly the same as the stage play? or is it more condensed?
What you see is the full play – we didn’t cut anything.
Did Sam have any specific instructions for you on how he wanted this captured?
Definitely. He told me not to make him look fat. The truth is that Sam is incredibly collaborative, and he gave me space to capture the film in the way that felt right to me. We’ve worked together enough before that I think I have a good sense of what he likes, and we have a lot of trust and mutual respect for each other.
You’ve directed documentaries before but you’re also a talented feature director – – are you planning to direct something with a narrative feature again soon?
I have a number of feature and tv projects that are developing – would love to do some more narrative work!
Could you see yourself directing a biopic on Sam Harris sometime?
I feel like I already did – with song and dance even!
The big question is, who would play Sam in such a film? Surely only Sam can be Sam!
Or Patti LuPone…