We all have lives of destiny, of hopes, of dreams to be realized. Or do we? How, in the course of life’s vicissitudes, do we feel solid that we’re on course, that we’re making the right decisions, that we’re fully realizing the gifts we were born with — and that we’re not deluding ourselves?
There are moments, God moments, when we find that perfect balance — the center of the universe in which all things feel possible, and we know with absolute certainty who we are and the direction we’re going. These moments are real beyond real, expansive beyond measure, indescribable, soul-filling.
Matthew Frederick Harris has experienced these moments throughout his life that have shaped him and his life. He can currently be seen playing Quincy Jones and Tito Jackson in MJ, The Musical on Broadway. Getting there has been a journey comprised of doubt, confusion, highs and lows. But throughout it all, his faith in his relationship with God has remained steadfast, rocky at times, but integral to every aspect of his life.
One defining God moment, a crossroads, occurred when Matthew was in high school in the musical Legally Blonde. Alone on stage, singing a solo, he was suddenly in what felt like a moment where time stood still. “I remember this moment to this day, because it was such a God moment for me. I really felt like God put in my heart that my being on stage, performing, this is what I’m supposed to be doing. This is what I was gifted to do.”
Up to that point, Matthew considered his singing and being involved in theater productions more like a hobby. Not realizing it, he was performing in other ways: the high school band, the jazz band, jazz choir, and marching band. At church, he was playing the piano (self-taught), singing in the church choir, and he was also a worship leader. Performing was in his blood.
As one of seven children, all of Matthew’s siblings played sports, but that was never quite his thing. While his parents weren’t super familiar with the performing arts world, like any loving parents, they hoped for stability and a secure future for their son. His father, a doctor, imagined Matthew might follow a similar path. But academics and athletics didn’t ignite his passion the way the arts eventually would.
At an early age, his mom encouraged his singing, recognizing that he had a gift. These were planted seeds that led Matthew to discover that this gift was more than a hobby but a dream he would get to see realized one day as he followed the journey. That dream began to align when he got accepted into Baldwin Wallace University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts, a top-five collegiate musical theatre program, which has seen many of its graduates starring in Broadway productions and receiving accolades.
Now 29 years old, married to his wife Dajah, with two children, Samuel and Ava and a third about to appear on the scene, Matthew’s narrative has included performing in reginal theatres across the states and appearing at the Public Theater and on Broadway in the Tony award-winning Girl from the North Country, his first Broadway show. A week after Girl from the North Country opened, COVID arrived, and Broadway went dark for 2 years.
Time for another God moment.
Now out of a paycheck, a family to take care of, and living in expensive New York City, Matthew needed to pivot, but to what? At the time, he was attending C3NYC, a Christian non-denominational contemporary church that was thriving with 5 locations. Next thing he knew, he’d become the first full-time worship director there, where he worked for 4 years.
“In 2020, I literally got to bring all my creativity into this role. I’d never done anything like it. It was such a cool moment that stretched me. They wanted people to be creative and do things to the highest level, and they provided everything needed for that to happen. One of those fond memories includes doing a big Christmas production with film and all kinds of things. I was able to hire 15 to 20 Broadway musicians to come be a part of the production, people who’d not been working. I was able to bridge the gap between the two worlds I’ve come to love so deeply: ministry and the arts. God was so kind in allowing me to be a part of that.”
For Matthew, the church position gave him the ability to keep his creative juices flowing and a creative outlet for doing things he’d never done before. He took a team that had dwindled due to COVID and built it from the ground up. Surprisingly, it showed him that perhaps he’d like to direct one day and produce music. It didn’t go unnoticed with Matthew just how extraordinarily things had come together, that God was giving him another avenue to expand upon his gifts, to discover more about himself and his potential, and to deepen his relationship with God.
“I’ve always believed that my calling goes beyond just the arts or my personal dreams. If God gives me influence, then I have to ask, What does He want me to do with it? Over time, I realized that my greatest identity isn’t found in what I do, but in who I am: a child of God. That truth has grounded me, especially in an industry full of rejection, striving, and constant pressure to achieve. Knowing who I am in Him shapes how I live, lead, and love — and that changes everything.”
Matthew encourages aspiring performers not to spend their whole lives simply chasing dreams, reminding them they are more than their ambitions. “If God allows me to have the things I have,” he says, “then how can I use them to help others see who they truly are — beyond the arts — as multi-dimensional people? Be honest. Be authentic. Don’t just chase your dreams — invest in all that you are. God is there to help you every step of the way.”
Today, Matthew is paving the way for the next generation through his own studio, Harris Collective Studios, where he trains, equips, and pours his craft into young artists — from actors and singers to worship leaders. His heart is in inspiring them to grow not just in their craft, but in confidence, purpose, and faith — helping them step fully into all they were created to be.
