Mr. Harris was born in Manhattan on July 2, 1927 and moved to Queens during his childhood. He graduated from Forest Hills High School and was drafted into the Army. After returning home from serving as part of the occupation forces under General MacArthur in Japan, he started his theatrical career as the assistant general manager on Finian's Rainbow, in 1948, working alongside his father, the general manager, Charles Harris.
During his 54-year Broadway career, Mr. Harris crossed paths with many artists, including the legendary Bob Fosse, producing Fosse's Chicago and the revival of Sweet Charity starring Debbie Allen. Sweet Charity brought him the first of his three Tony Awards for Best Reproduction of a Musical in 1986.
"He is a loss to the industry and to anyone who knew him," comments Dick Wolff, former president of Jujamcyn Theatres. "Joe Harris was one of the nicest, smartest, fairest theatrical personalities I met in my time. We had many good times and laughs together."
He was the company manager of the 1951 musical, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, starring Shirley Booth, and his first general manager credit was for the 1952 revival of Golden Boy, starring Lee J. Cobb and Jack Klugman.
Throughout the 1950's Mr. Harris was the general manager for numerous shows including the musicals Can-Can and Silk Stockings, both with music and lyrics by Cole Porter; Li'l Abner, directed and choreographed by Michael Kidd, with music by Gene de Paul and lyrics by Johnny Mercer; and The Most Happy Fella with book, music and lyrics by Frank Loesser.
Wait Until Dark, in 1966, signalled the beginning of a prosperous two-decade collaboration with Ira Bernstein. Shows under their management tutelage include: Pippin, The Apple Tree, 1776, The Norman Conquests trilogy, The Act, and Sophisticated Ladies.
In 1968, Mr. Bernstein and Mr. Harris began producing shows, their first venture being Golden Rainbow starring Eydie Gorme and Steve Lawrence, which ran for 383 performances. Other successful producing credits for Mr. Harris & Mr. Bernstein included Bob Fosse's Chicago, On the Twentieth Century, and The 1940's Radio Hour. On the Twentieth Century received a Tony nomination for Best Musical in 1978, and The 1940's Radio Hour was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical in 1980. In 1980, they also produced The Roast, directed by Carl Reiner, written by Jerry Belson and Garry Marshall, and starring Peter Boyle and Rob Reiner.
One of Mr. Harris's fondest roles was as a mentor to those coming up in the industry. Many current theatrical professionals received their start on his shows and remember him warmly. "Joe was very much a second father to me," says Frank P. Scardino, executive director of the Johnny Mercer Foundation and a theatrical producer/general manager. "In a significant way, he was instrumental in the direction and success of my career. We remained close for 40 years."
Mr. Harris would say that his finest and longest lasting collaboration during his time in the theatre was with Geraldine Delaney, a Broadway dancer, who was introduced to him while she was performing out of town in the original Guys and Dolls as a Hot Box Girl. They were married in December 1953, during a holiday break of Wonderful Town, in which she was appearing, and spent the next 39 years together, raising a family in Pomona, NY. Geraldine passed away in 1992.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Actors Fund of America, 729 Seventh
