The Kimmel Center’s “Broadway Up Close Series” — an evening featuring Broadway stars performing from their repertoire and telling behind-the-scenes stories — is bringing stage and TV star Matthew Morrison to the stage Dec. 17.
Morrison, an accomplished singer and actor, is best known for his Emmy-nominated role on the hit TV show “Glee,” which wrapped its final season last year. Morrison has also maintained a successful stage career, with starring roles in Broadway shows like “Hairspray” and “Finding Neverland.” He was also the first artist signed to Adam Levine’s record label, 222 Records, through which he released an album of Broadway standards, “Where It All Began,” in 2013.
Unlike the strictly regimented productions he normally stars in, Morrison said he doesn’t quite know what to expect when he takes the stage in Philly this weekend with Broadway Up Close host Seth Rudetsky.
“Usually I’m very prepared but in this forum, expect the unexpected,” Morrison said. “That’s the purpose of the show. It’s going to be free form and not planned out. It’s terrifying for me but challenging at the same time. This is why I like being on stage: You never know what’s going to happen.”
Morrison said that while he is most recognized for his work on television, he loves performing on stage in front of a theater audience.
“I always prefer performing live,” he said. “There is a sense of urgency. There’s a sense of, ‘The show must go on.’ There’s nothing like that or that rush. It’s like oxygen. I love breathing in the air of a live performance. That’s where I came from before ‘Glee.’ I am more dynamic on stage. I learned a lot from the show and now I’ve moved on.”
“Glee” was such a groundbreaking program that it launched many of its stars into heightened success outside of the show. The show also tackled issues of queer visibility, acceptance and bullying, and along the way gave musical theater a boost in mainstream popularity — paving the way for recent live-theater events that have pulled in big ratings for network television.
“It’s brought a lot of attention to Broadway and West End shows,” Morrison said about the impact of “Glee.” “That’s the great part about being an actor and being part of a show like ‘Glee’ because it had a message and made a difference in people’s lives. It changed a lot of people’s lives. I’ve talked to the people that have actually pulled that [live televised theater] stuff off. It’s amazing that they can do it all live.”
The shifting of the political landscape into more hostile rhetoric against the LGBT community could be a sign that the messages “Glee” was trying to promote could face opposition in the coming years. Morrison acknowledged that, while current affairs do seem bleak for inclusion, equality and acceptance, he hopes people will still fight for their rights.
“I feel like we’ve come so far that I don’t think we can go back,” he said. “We had to fight so hard to get where we are now. I think this is going to bring us together, even if it’s just our side. The fight is going to continue. I hope it’s not going to be as bad as I think it is.”
The Kimmel Center presents Broadway Up Close with Matthew Morrison 8 p.m. Dec. 17 at Perelman Theatre, 300 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 215-893-1999 or visit www.matthewmorrison.com.