By Claire DeMarco
Matthew Morrison came to Pittsburgh to play, sing, and entertain!
Indeed, he did on Monday, May 20th.
Morrison is a multi-talented actor and singer, nominated for Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe awards (just to name several).
A few of his many television appearances include “The Good Wife,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Glee.”
With his pianist, Brad Ellis (both “Glee” alumni), Morrison regaled the audience with a multitude of vocals from an eclectic mix of songs. Included were “On the Street Where You Live” from “My Fair Lady”, “Rocket Man” by Elton John, “The Music of the Night” from “Phantom of the Opera”.
Note: Ellis has been Morrison’s music director for most of his shows world-wide.
Especially moving were Morrison’s renditions of “Send in the Clowns” from “A Little Night Music” and “Smile” written by Charlie Chaplin.
He accompanied some of his songs playing a ukulele.
Morrison had a genuine and immediate rapport with the audience, engaging them throughout his performance. They were so comfortable with his interaction that it was not unusual to hear a friendly shout out occasionally from a member of the audience, indicating their support.
His talk often centered on how he got started in the business, some of the projects he’s been involved in, plans for the future. His main topic centered on his wife, Renee Puente and their two children. Renee accompanied him to Pittsburgh and Morrison brought her on stage. Puente is a wonderful singer and the couple sang several songs together. It was delightful to watch them and marvel at their talent.
Morrison was called back to the stage for an encore and with the audience’s suggestion, he went through a litany of songs from “Hairspray.”
What a wonderful evening with a great talent!
-CED
“Matthew Morrison” is the last production of the Trust Cabaret Series for the 2023-2024 season. Check out the wonderful lineup for the 2024-2025 at Trustarts.org. For more information about other upcoming events, click here.
