On Sunday, March 1, “Glee” star Matthew Morrison took the stage at the Bergen Performing Arts Center while on tour. This was his second-to-last show before heading back to his home state California to wrap up his tour and make his way back to the East Coast to bridge the gap between the cast change of Jonathan Groff to Jeremy Jordan in the hit show “Just In Time”, the Bobby Darin story.
Morrison’s show is an hour and a half spectacle recounting his career using songs from shows he has been a part of, telling stories of landing lead roles like “Link Larkin” in “Hairspray”. He also uses poetry as a way of storytelling, sharing his experience coming home to his girlfriend on 9/11 to find her cheating on him. Of course, Morrison brought out all the Gleeks in Bergen County and also performed a medley of “Glee” songs as an encore, like his hit cover of ” Thong Song”.
Some of my favorite moments from the concert were his opening where he opened with a cover of “Unwritten”, his cover of the song “Go The Distance” from “Hercules”, and when he covered “Smile” composed by Charlie Chaplin after comparing making the perfect pancake to continuing to try at your craft and sometimes it doesnt come out right so you just have to smile. He was also much more interactive with the audience than I had expected, even handing out his own water bottles to viewers. The one song I had hoped for was his rendition of “Dream On”, a “Glee” hit, which would have been epic. Overall the performance was a must-see for fans.
The message his show goes on to spread is to chase your dreams while being careful with what you ask for. Landing dream gigs is a special feeling, but then be wary of dealing with sudden fame as he faced.
As a Gleek myself, it’s safe to say Matthew Morrison is a real-life Will Schuester, and it was a pleasure seeing him take the stage.
