By Ron Fassler . . .
A cabaret show that’s the perfect way to start the New Year off with optimism and heart.
On his website, singer/actor Matthew Morrison describes his well-polished and entertaining one-man show as “a car wash for your soul.” And he means it. Finishing a seven-night engagement at 54 Below last evening, the star of 121 episodes of television’s Glee (2009-2015) does more than just revisit his hit Broadway credits (seven and counting). We do get the expected highlights from his roles in the original casts of Hairspray, Light in the Piazza, and Finding Neverland, but Morrison makes sure that each song he delivers is performed in a specific context that says something about his life journey; beginning as an idealist with an urge to act and sing, finding early success and dealing with it, and lately as the father to two young children. Though the evening teeters on the brink of “cabaret therapy,” Morrison takes pains to not tip things into self-indulgence. He is sure to include the audience each step of the way, clearly invested in what he describes as “not being onstage just to perform, but to spark something within you.” In that, he achieves.
Though no one is credited, this is a well-directed act that runs 80 minutes and is tightly scripted and staged. And if Morrison did it all himself then color me impressed. Many practitioners of the art of cabaret may not feel as obliged as Morrison to put on such a precision-oriented show. But starting from the top, even the entrance of the musicians is cued and timed with meticulousness with stage business that includes slight of hand (helpful as the opening number is Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse’s “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) and progresses to using every inch of the tiny 54 Below stage. Used to performing this specific show in much larger venues, it’s impressive to still give the audience that experience. Backed by a strong 4-person band, led by musical director Sonny Paladino, there is beautiful work from guitarist Beth Callen, bass player Winston Roye, and especially Broadway veteran Clint de Canon on drums, who goes back with Morrison to having been in the pit of Hairspray, for which de Canon wrote the drum parts. “Unwritten,” the third song in the set by Natasha Bedingfield, Danielle Brisbois, and Wayne Rodrigues, especially showed off De Canon’s skills as well as on the “Finding Neverland Medley.” Paladino, who has known Morrison since he was enrolled (briefly) at NYU, supplies the subtle and lovely piano accompaniment.
Morrison has a pleasant instrument. It’s not the kind of voice that blows you away, which is fine considering his specialty is a more of the quiet kind of singing. His delightful CDs include songs in this show that range eclectically from Sondheim (“Send in the Clowns”) to Alan Menken (“Go the Distance”), to Chris Martin (“Fix You”). Throw in some Lionel Bart (“Where is Love?”) and Charles Chaplin “Smile”), and you get the idea of the versatility on hand.
For those who saw him play Link Larkin in Hairspray, recreating that magic with a medley from the great Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman score felt rousing. Morrison even tells the story of being a replacement plucked out of the ensemble when the actor cast as Link took a film role. Playing it for the first time, he recalled “I sweated so much my hairspray melted and actually burned my eyebrows.” And his memorable performance as Fabrizio in “Light in the Piazza” was thrillingly brought back to life with his rendition of “Il Mondo Era Vuoto,” Adam Guettel’s beautiful ballad from his Tony Award-winning score.
For an encore, Morrison brought out his ukulele and intertwined two Disney classics, “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” and “The Bare Necessities.” It was gentle and kind, ending on the same note in which the show began. Attempting something extremely polished and spontaneous is a hard combination to pull off, so it’s highly commendable to accomplish that goal. And to offer life lessons without sounding too preachy or treacly is another high wire act that Morrison seems comfortable balancing. With the precarious nature of our unsettled times and what’s heading our way in 2026, this was a perfect way to start the New Year off with optimism and heart.
For further information on where Matthew Morrison will be performing next, please click here. And for 54 Below’s upcoming calendar, click here.
Photos by Ron Fassler.
