By Melissa Griegel…
Photos by Melissa Griegel Photography
Matthew Morrison (Hairspray, The Light in the Piazza, South Pacific), made his debut on Broadway in Footloose and then went on to star in several Broadway shows, but he is best-known for his long-running role as Will Schuester (“Mr. Schu”) on the TV series Glee. There were clearly many “Gleeks” in the audience, evidenced by a few shoutouts of “Mr Schuuu!” from the audience, and one fan giving him a shirt adorned with photos of him from his time in Glee. His “teaching credentials” paid off as he schooled us in what makes up an engaging and perfectly orchestrated cabaret show.
His strong cabaret “Rhythms & Revelations” which ran from December 27th through January 8th at 54 Below, was so well-constructed that it was evident that Morrison has a strong theater background. After starring as heartthrob Link Larkin in Hairspray, Morrison was later nominated for a Tony Award® for his role in The Light in the Piazza, and received a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for 10 Million Miles. He also starred in the Tony® winning revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center Theater in New York and as J.M. Barrie in the musical Finding Neverland. Morrison received two Drama Desk nominations for his role, and won the category of Favorite Actor in a Musical in the Broadway.com Audience Awards.
A triple-threat, Morrison showed off his singing, acting, and dancing skills during his highly-personal show. He danced his way around the small stage with his show being so well-choreographed throughout, that every hand flick of his hand, every microphone twirl, and even every lighting clue was perfectly timed. I was impressed with beautiful, clear singing voice, his integration of storytelling into the set list, his openness about his journey in life, and his desire to bring some light, hope, and encouragement to the patrons at 54 Below.
Introducing his goal for the evening, Morrison said, “Step into a world where music and dance become more than just entertainment—they become a journey into the heart of what makes us human. Welcome to Rhythms & Revelations— a car wash for your soul. In this show, I’m not just here to perform; I’m here to spark something within you. I want you to leave with a sense of inquiry, curiosity, and wonder about your own life. Many concerts entertain, but I invite you to take a closer look inside. To see the beating heart of music and dance, not just as art forms but as reflections of our deepest selves. This show comes from my heart—it’s a piece of my soul laid bare. I’m stepping outside of all the characters I’ve played, shedding every mask, and diving deep into my authenticity and vulnerability. In Rhythms & Revelations, I’m fully alive, and I want you to feel that aliveness too. Join me on this journey, and let’s explore the depths within us all.”
While that all sounds like lofty goals for an hour and 15 minute show, Morrison delivered on all of it. Morrison took us on a journey, asking us to recall what it was like to recall making a wish on a birthday candle, and pondered why we are told to keep our wish secret. “For one perfect moment, you are young enough to believe anything is possible,” he said and continued with “magic, if it exists, doesn’t live in silence. I want you all to jump with me. Think of a wish, a quiet dream, a hope. Picture it. Don’t keep your wish a secret; tell the person next to you one wish you have.” It was an interesting shared moment when the lights came on and you could hear the chatter all around the room as people engaged with each other and shared a dream.
Many of the songs in the beginning of the set spoke to a sense of wonderment, joy, and hope, such as “Pure Imagination”, “Go the Distance”, “Smile”, and “This is the Moment”. He did a little mime leading into Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile” as he picked up the ukulele for a beautiful rendition of the song, holding out the very last note for a very long beat.
Morrison talked about his career with the highs and lows, and moments ranging from pride to self-doubt and being hyper-critical of himself. He said along the way he asked himself a different question, “What if I stopped ‘performing’—not the singing, not the dancing; I love those; I need those, but the act of trying to be what I think people want. That’s what this is about, stripping it all back, showing up. At the end of the day, isn’t that what we are all searching for, where we can stand in front of the world without apology, without the facade and say: this is who I am.”
As a nod to his Broadway career, he included a Hairspray medley and a Finding Neverland medley, “Il Mondo Era Vuoto” in Italian from The Light in the Piazza, and a full up-beat dancing version of “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray. He brought some humor into his lead-in of Hairspray songs by giving his hair a big spray from an oversized aerosol can. The audience clapped along and tapped their feet to the familiar songs and were invited to join in at one point in the show when he did a little Glee trivia and asked the whole audience to join the Glee club with him and repeat back the lyrics during Coldplay’s song “Fix You”.
During a somber moment in the show, Morrison talked about being on a subway car headed to the World Trade Center on that fateful day in September 2001. “I can still hear the screams,” he told us. It was a life-changing moment for the 21-year-old. Knowing how to build a show to a crescendo, tug at the heartstrings, and then infuse joy and optimism into the audience, Morrison ended the show with upbeat tunes, including his encore of a “Zip-a Dee-Doo-Dah”/”The Bare Necessities” mash-up. Morrison was expertly backed by renowned Music Director and pianist Sonny Paladino, guitarist Beth Callen, Bassist Winston Roye, and percussionist Clint de Ganon.
