Matthew Morrison Will Headline the Long Wharf Theatre Gala

Long Wharf Theatre will present Emmy, Tony and two-time Golden Globe nominated artist Matthew Morrison at its annual Gala on Monday, June 8 with KeyBank as the presenting sponsor. The former "Glee" star will perform a career retrospective of song and dance accompanied by his five piece band, taking the audience on a journey through twenty years of magic on stage and screen in the intimate setting of the C. Newton Schenck III Theatre's Claire Tow Stage.

This not to be missed event begins at 6 p.m. with a lively cocktail reception featuring the finest selection of gourmet foods as well as a silent auction of one-of-a-kind experiences and items, followed by Morrison's concert performance at 8 p.m. The evening's festivities conclude with a pop of bubbly and delicious dessert reception. This event raises important resources that support Long Wharf Theatre's many programs on stage, in the classroom and in partnership with the community.

Matthew Morrison is a versatile actor who is recognized for his work on-stage and on-screen. He has been nominated for Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.

Morrison studied musical theatre, vocal performance and dance at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He made his debut on Broadway in Footloose but his big break came when he was cast as heartthrob Link Larkin in the hit 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.

In 2010, Morrison became a true household name when he was cast as a series regular in FOX's musical comedy television series "Glee," where he starred as the director of the glee club, Mr. Schuester. The show was created by Ryan Murphy and received the Golden Globe award for "Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical" in 2010 and 2011. The series wrapped in 2015 after six successful seasons.

In 2012, Morrison starred in the Lionsgate film, "What to Expect When You're Expecting," which was based on the book of the same name, directed by Kirk Jones. The film also starred Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez and Dennis Quaid among others. Morrison played a famous dance show star who is faced with the unexpected demands of fatherhood. The film was released on May 18, 2012.

In June, 2013, Morrison released his latest studio album, "Where It All Began," which is a Broadway standards record that was produced by the legendary Phil Ramone. Prior to this album, Morrison released his debut, self-titled album through Mercury Records in 2011, which featured an A-list lineup of guest artists including Sting, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sir Elton John.

Morrison's most recent Broadway credit is starring as J.M Barrie in the musical Finding Neverland from March, 2015 through January, 2016. The Broadway production is an adaptation of the 2004 film written by David Magee. The story follows the relationship between Barrie and the Davies family, who became the author's inspiration for the creation of Peter Pan. 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.

In 2016, Morrison performed as a guest star on the CBS hit show "The Good Wife", where he played the role of U.S. Attorney, Conor Fox, through the series finale. Morrison performed as a guest star throughout Season 13 and 14 of ABC's show "Grey's Anatomy."

In early 2019, Morrison appeared as a Dance Captain on the Simon Cowell produced BBC One's dance competition series, "The Greatest Dancer." Morrison presented the series alongside former Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy and Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse. The trio made up the panel of Dance Captains in the BBC One show, which was hosted by Alesha Dixon and Jordan Banjo. The series featured a host of talent from across the world of dance as they gave the performances of their lives in the search for the UK's best dancer. The show was picked up for a second season, which premiered in January, 2020.

In the fall of 2019, Morrison teamed up once again with show creator and director Ryan Murphy for the ninth season of FX's "American Horror Story", titled AHS: 1984. Morrison played the role of camp activity director Trevor Kirchner. The show celebrated its 100th episode on October 23, 2019.

This past holiday season, Morrison co-hosted two holiday specials for ABC: "The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration" and "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade". The specials included performances by Sting, Lindsey Sterling, Shaggy, Pentatonix, and more.

Morrison has teamed up with Disney Music Group to release a carefully curated album of Disney classics, set for release in March, 2020. The album, whose songs were personally picked from Morrison's fondest Disney memories, will cover several eras of the classic films. The album is available for pre-order now. The first single, "Go The Distance" was released on January 10, along with its official music video.