Matthew Morrison, the Broadway heartthrob leading man returned to Broadway.  Well, kind of.  The Beacon Theatre is on Broadway, but it seems that Mr. Morrison has forsaken the musical theater genre for an all-out commitment to pop, rock and even a touch of hiphop in what was actually an intimate show that was over-produced, over-amplified and over-choreographed.  Yet, somehow, Morrison’s charm and incredible vocal and dance talent triumphed, completely convincing many in a diverse, sold-out house that his pop persona fit him like a glove.

His only nod to musical theater was a skittish rendition of “The Lady Is a Tramp,” before which he extolled the song’s arranger and the Sammy Davis Jr. version which inspired his, but never mentioned Rodgers and Hart.  Otherwise, the concert was a promotion for his self-titled debut album and included many songs from that CD.

The opening act was the songwriting team of Ian Axel and Chad Becker who explored adolescent angst in songs about break-ups and youthful yearnings.  The two were enthusiastic, but not fully formed performers.

Backed up by three hardworking singer/dancers and a five-piece band, Morrison displayed grace and prowess as he prowled the bi-level stage, amidst a barrage of constantly moving lights.  Between songs, several filmed sequences were shown, featuring his Glee co-star Jane Lynch, mostly making tongue-in-cheek fun of their show, the extraordinary hit TV series which has brought Morrison to worldwide fame.  He was also joined by “surprise” guest artist JC Chasez, of *NSYNC fame, who duetted with Morrison and then sang that group’s big hit, “This I Promise You.”  The concert repertoire paid homage to Elton John, Michael Jackson, The Beatles and boy groups—in which Morrison sang pre-Broadway—and veered from dreamy ballads (“Summer Rain”) to crooning love songs (“Still Got Tonight”) and ending with an audience rousing encore of “Let It Be” (McCartney) and a lovely, straightforward “Over the Rainbow.”

Joel Benjamin
Cabaret Scenes
August 1, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org