Matthew Morrison in Finding Neverland

[CukorLover]

Posted: 2/27/14 at 5:54pm

Welcome back to Broadway, Mr. Shue!



http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/27/matthew-morrison-to-star-in-weinsteins-finding-neverland/?hpw&rref=theater
Updated On: 2/27/14 at 05:54 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/27/14 at 6:24pm

Matthew Morrison was 18th on my list of actors I wanted to do this show.

I was hoping for Raul Esparza

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 2/27/14 at 6:25pm

This is fantastic news, he was amazing on Broadway. Updated On: 2/27/14 at 06:25 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/27/14 at 6:37pm

I'm looking forward to this ... as long as it isn't one heartfelt ballad after another. I hope they bring out the humor and childlike quality of Barrie and this story. The plot itself is heavy-duty enough without a tar-pit of searing mush belted to the rafters, one after the other.

I have high hopes they know that and will find the magic in the sadness, instead of the other way around.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/27/14 at 6:43pm

"I hope they bring out the humor and childlike quality of Barrie and this story."

It would be nice, but Morrison can't play that. I expect with Morrison playing it, Barrie will be very stiff and veddy British.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 2/27/14 at 6:53pm

I lost interest in this when Weinstein dumped the original writing team.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/27/14 at 7:16pm

No doubt I'll end up seeing this but the economics of this makes me CRAZY. Taxpayers support the development of the piece at a non-profit theater and if it's commercially viable, Harvey Weinstein and Mrs. and Mr. Diane Paulus (among others I am sure) ride the thing to Broadway and reap the financial rewards.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/27/14 at 7:40pm

Well historically speaking he couldn't physically be more wrong to portray the diminutive JM Barrie-but he's probably a good fit for the intended demograph audience of the musical so that a plus.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 2/27/14 at 8:36pm

Gary Barlow is a good songwriter so I'm not too worry about the music and lyrics, I'm guessing if this goes to London after the tryout then I'm guessing Matthew Morrison isn't going to feature much in the final season of Glee.

[wonkit]

Posted: 2/27/14 at 11:02pm

I think Esparza would have been a good choice. Barrie was a highly complex personality, and there should be a range of ambiguity about his actions. As much as I appreciate Morrison's talents, complex characterization doesn't seem to be his strong point.

[pli1018]

Posted: 2/27/14 at 11:51pm

3000 times more excited that Laura Michelle Kelly is still participating. She deserves to be a much more in-demand performer.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 12:49am

I am not looking forward to this casting, I just find him so self-indulgent in the NPH vein.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 6:11am

I realize they need someone recognizable to a wider audience, and Morrison fits the bill, but I think Daniel Evans from the last Sunday in the Park revival is a closer fit for the role as an actual person.

[madbrian]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 8:34am

If we could go back in time, how wonderful would Michael Jeter have been in this?

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 9:20am

Yes!

[wonkit]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 11:26am

Absolutely a Jeter fan for this part. He is missed.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 11:37am

Morrison is eh. The real news to me is Laura Michelle Kelly! I always wished she had originated Mary in New York!

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 11:42am

^ Kelly should definitely have originated Poppins on Broadway - she would have gotten a Tony nod for sure if she had...

Is she based over in the USA full time now?

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 11:53am

Best. Daniel Evans would have been perfection. Though I'm surprised now that Julian Overden is a bit of a star now from this season's "Downton Abbey" that he isn't reprising the role he created in Leicester. He also has the stature of Barrie.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 12:20pm

The issue may simply be American Actors Equity. It makes sense. Part of their purpose is to protect and keep jobs for American actors in the union.

Concessions and swaps are worked out all the time with British Equity, but I'm guessing there was a deal in advance with Mary Poppins that an American actress would originate the role on Broadway.

That could easily be the case here with Finding Neverland, which would prevent Daniel Evans or Julien Ovenden from originating the Broadway role, especially if they've already made a concessions with Kelly this time. Maybe one of the two leads had to be American, etc. And maybe Kelly now has dual citizenship allowing her to join American Equity.

Who knows?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 12:33pm

Obligatory post reminding everybody that most Mama Roses look nothing like the real-life Mama Rose something something

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 12:35pm

Ovendon got great press from what I remember. I don't remember what the opinion was on the score, but I don't think it was all that negative... or was it? Was there any issue getting him over t do Death Takes a Holiday? Of course that was Off-Broadway (and I know he ended up missing most of the performances.)

As for Gary Barlow. I like some of his pop songs a lot (OK, most of them are from Take That which likes to credit the entire band, so I have no idea how big his contribution is) but I can't think of a single one that seems, lyrically, to show signs of being able to write dramatic musical theatre. If anything he's very good at rather ambiguous (and sometimes band) lyrics that work fine in pop music but would kill a project like this. And I'm curious which songs from Frankel/Korrie's score they are keeping.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 12:46pm

Obligatory post reminding everybody that most Mama Roses look nothing like the real-life Mama Rose something something

And Johnny Depp looked nothing like him in the film, and he got an Oscar nomination for his performance. I agree it's secondary. But it's important to capture the essence of the role as written, not necessarily as they were in real life.

J.M. Barrie is definitely playful and childlike in the writing while still maintaining a sense of "Edwardian dignity" about him. So I hope Morrison can pull that off.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 1:02pm

Hollywood almost always makes people on film WAY more attractive then their real life counterparts.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/28/14 at 1:38pm

If anyone is worried about how much he resembles the real person, I'd worry more about how fictionalized it is (how *very* fictionalized it is.) As it stands, neither issue bothers me. Though Morrison would not have been one of my first choices... Does this mean when Glee focuses on New York or whatever the **** they're doing next year, he won't be on?