BWW Blog: Cassandra Hsiao - An Interview With Matthew Morrison: 'There's always a little Mr. Schuester in me'

Matthew Morrison is the prime example of a Renaissance man. From getting his big break as Link Larkin in Hairspray to starring in the cultural revolution of Glee to his time as J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland, Morrison has showcased his ambition, passion and dedication as one of Broadway's leading men.

"Every time I go into a new Broadway show, I always start by running all my songs while running, literally," explained Morrison. "It's a good way to keep your stamina up and find out where the music sits in your body. It is very taxing-[in] Finding Neverland on Broadway... I never left the stage. You have to figure it out. You have to pace yourself. I think of it like a marathon. You have to find out when you peak and when you can take a little break."

Though it can be both physically and mentally rigorous, Morrison wouldn't give up performing for anything in the world.

"It feels like breathing. It feels like oxygen to me," said Morrison. "When I get up there, I become someone else. Like a light turns on, and it's just me and the audience. I love that dynamic."

Every role is an unforgettable journey with both the cast of actors and the cast of characters. Morrison played J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland, stepping into the mind of one of the most beloved authors in the world.

"I will never forget my Scottish accent," joked Morrison about what he learned from Barrie. "For him it's all about never growing up. Finding that inner child... and letting yourself go free-always staying in tune with that child... to check in with that child and say, let's play. It's all about play."

What better way to play than to work with kids? Recently, Morrison stopped by his high school alma mater, the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) to rehearse with students in preparation of OCSA's 30th Anniversary Season Premiere, which took place on Saturday, September 17 at Balboa Bay Resort. Morrison has been an avid supporter of the art school's development, donating to the programs and advocating for arts education.

OCSA's Montage performers, composed of approximately 40 of the school's most talented singers and dancers, had the exclusive opportunity of performing with Morrison. The alum was actually part of the earlier version of Montage, known as The Kids Next Door. He calls his high school years "the time that shaped who I am today."

The sentiment has not changed. Logan Soderling, a sophomore from the Integrated Arts conservatory at OCSA, agreed with Morrison about the passion and the commitment it takes to be in such a high-caliber environment.

"I feel like I've been at OCSA my entire life," said Soderling. "Honestly, it is my entire life. I have no social life outside of Montage and school in general."

No one knows this infectious passion of OCSA students better than their teachers. Raelyn Brachmann was part of the first Montage group, 15 years ago.

"I found that when I went to college, I was ahead of the game," said Brachmann on The Edge Montage gave her. "You have so many performance opportunities and you're exposed to so much more than a regular high school. It helped me get ahead in life."

Now she has returned to give back to the students as assistant to the Creative Director. Brachmann said some students were starstruck when he walked into OCSA's rehearsal rooms two days before the big event.

"Even though he's famous, he's so laid back and nice to everybody. He's very down to earth," said Makayla Gordon, a Commercial Music dancer-one of the two selected dancers to have a solo alongside Morrison on stage.

"It's nice to be serious in rehearsal but it's also nice to have fun and relax," said William Okajima, a dancer in the 9th grade. "We had to teach him some of our dance moves."

The set list, handpicked by Morrison, included medleys from Hairspray and Finding Neverland as well as classics such as "Singing in the Rain" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

"Dance wise we really have to be in sync with him," explained junior Raquel Glasser, the other selected dancer starring in "Singing in the Rain." "Our spacing has to be based on where he is all the time. That's what I had to learn-working with a professional-to go off what they're doing. His style is more old school."

Even though students only had one rehearsal with Morrison, the show went off without a hitch with sold out tickets and standing ovations throughout the night.

"Singing with him-he made it very comfortable for the two of us," explained McKenna Wells, a junior in Musical Theater. She sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with Morrison, the only student to duet alongside him. "It's as if we've known each other for years upon years. We sang the song twice through, and that was it. But that's all we needed... I just learned, don't worry about being perfect and don't worry about hitting all the right notes. Have fun with it. With him, it's always play with the song. Just keep finding new ways to arrange it and make it your own. It's about finding your aesthetic in music."

For Morrison, performing is equally as important as giving back.

"There's always a little Mr. Schuester in me," said Morrison, referring to his character on Glee. "My mentor is the head of the Orange County School of the Arts, Ralph Opacic... I based a lot of my character on Glee on him. This school has given me so much that I wanted to give back as much as I can. I always tell kids... that I was you... I was in these rooms and I was doing these classes and I was working hard and I got to be where I am because of my dedication and hard work."

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