It’s another holiday edition of Take Aim. Today’s opponent? Matthew Morrison aka Mr. Schuester of Glee, who has quite a successful solo career as a singer. He released his holiday collection A Classic Christmas [iTunes link] via Adam Levine‘s label and we invited him to Take Aim about all things Christmas!
What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Growing up as an only child, our family traditions were very minimal. As I entered adulthood, I rarely had the opportunity to spend the holidays at home with my family due to my show schedule. I was fortunate enough to have been cast in some great productions whose schedules often clashed with the holiday. However, I was able to pick up some traditions from my friends along the way. What I’m looking forward to most is creating my own family traditions over the years ahead.
Least favorite Christmas song and why? What holiday song needs to GO away?
I’m not sure there is a bad Christmas song. But if I have to choose one it would be ‘Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.’ I never really got into that tune.
Best Christmas gift you’ve ever received?
One Christmas morning when I was young, I remember walking into my living room and being dwarfed by a six-foot blow up T-rex dinosaur. It was bigger than the tree and I was in awe of the size alone. To be honest, I’m not sure I even played with the gift once, but I vividly remember that morning. What kid doesn’t like big presents?
PICK ONE song on your holiday record and share a recording story. Something intimate that you haven’t told anyone else (or at least a bunch of writers or journalists) and that puts us in the moment with you. Let’s get intimate, shall we?
Every song on this EP was chosen for a reason. One song in particular that is very special to me is the ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas/Mele Kalikimaka’ mashup. I wanted to include one island-themed holiday song on the EP because Hawaii has a special place in my heart. My fiancé is from Hawaii and I wanted a recording to be able to share with our family in the years ahead.
What’s on your holiday wish list this year?
This Christmas, I feel very fortunate to be in such a good place in my life. With that being said, I personally don’t have a wish list. Every year, I try to do my part in giving back to those who may not be able to sit and have a good meal or open gifts. Sometimes people get lost in the idea of consumerism around the holidays and dismiss the importance of good-will.
Favorite Christmas dessert?
Pies of all kinds!
Favorite holiday beverage?
Depends on the occasion, but I love a nice hot chocolate by the fire.
Will you check out Matthew Morrison’s holiday release?
I think Christmas means family. Everyone spends so much of the year invested in their own thing and is so busy. But Christmas is a time when all the jobs can stop, and you can enjoy spending time with your family and friends and eat some great food.
For me it also means a lot of laughter. I enjoy raising a glass, sharing stories about the year and having a great time.
My fiancée has never experienced a New York City Christmas before. So we’re going to go ice skating in Central Park and see the Rockefeller Christmas tree and have it grand. Should be very romantic.
It’s the one part of the year when there’s some free time. And it’s not just about youI look forward to it every year. It’s the one part of the year when there’s some free time. And it’s not just about you. You have to think about what kind of presents you want to give your loved ones, and be a bit more selfless, enjoy the gift of giving.
Each song on my Christmas record has a different memory for me. I can still think of songs that were playing at my house as a child. I remember Bing Crosby’s I’ll Be Home For Christmas was playing in the background when I walked into my family room and saw the best gift I had ever laid eyes upon: a giant dinosaur!
It was a blow-up thing, an inflatable tyrannosaurus rex. I was dwarfed by this thing, it was just so massive. But I don’t actually have any memories of playing with it. Because how do you play with a six-foot inflatable dinosaur? So a lot of the songs on my EP, they’re songs that have great memories for me, of growing up.
This is my first time recording Christmas songs, though I’ve definitely sung them all throughout my life. The hardest part of it was having to record the songs in March! We hung Christmas lights in the studio, to get that Christmas feeling. It proved that it’s never too early or too late to get in the holiday spirit.
Not many original Christmas songs are made anymore. I think it says a lot about the power of tradition at Christmas. The last original song that comes to my mind is All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey. That broke through, and now you hear it all the time more than the traditional songs.
I think that there will be a wave of new Christmas songs, but these ones have stood the test of time for a reason. I can’t wait to sing these songs to my kids – when I eventually have them. There’s something so dear and precious about these songs.
I also have serious things on my mind around this time of yearI also have serious things on my mind around this time of year. Last year I helped out at a soup kitchen, and took part in a gift-giving event for homeless people. I brought a bunch of stuff along, as did others.
But I try to do that all year round. My fiancée and I, we go through our clothes a couple of times a year, and give them to different churches and homeless shelters. My thoughts always turn to people living on the streets when it’s so cold – they need these clothes way more than the rest of us with roofs over our heads.
I think there should be a price limit on gifts given. It’s not about the great gift, and this needs to be taught to people from a young age. Kids these days expect a lot from Christmas. And I remember being so excited by that stupid inflatable dinosaur! It probably cost five dollars.
I think we need to rein it in… but then, this is the time of the year when retailers make the majority of their money for the year, so… I dunno. I just wish the business side would get out of it a bit, and it was more about the tradition and the family than the size of the gifts.
I can’t go too much into what I’m going to get for my fiancée because she’s sitting right next to me just now… but I actually don’t feel pressured to give her a big gift, because we have such a great love, and that’s the gift that she gives me and I can give her.
I dunno… honey, are you getting me an expensive gift this year? No? Okay, I don’t have to get her an expensive gift this year. Maybe an inflatable dinosaur.
A Classic Christmas by Matthew Morrison is out now
It’s been an emotional year for fans of the pop music-TV show mashup “Glee.”
First came news that Cory Monteith, who played simple-minded jock-turned-glee-club-leader Finn Hudson, died as a result of a drug overdose. Then came confirmation from creator Ryan Murphy that next season, the sixth, would also be the final one for the show that delighted its cult fan base early on but has slipped in recent seasons, in many critics’ opinions.
For Matthew Morrison, who’s played swoon-worthy teacher Will Shuester since the series’ inception, it was tough to return to the set this season. But it was necessary, too.
“When we first started filming this year it was definitely morose and just kind of scary going back to work. We didn’t know what to expect and how it would be. But I think it’s something that we all needed, we needed to be back at work and be with each other,” he says.
A tribute episode to Monteith’s character was a key element in the cast’s healing.
“The tribute episode was incredibly emotional and hard but it really, you know, it was very therapeutic for me and I think for all of us,” Morrison said.
But speaking during a rare break from filming in mid-November, Morrison said things were getting back to normal. That’s good, because he can’t afford to slow down for long.
He films “Glee” 10 months out of the year, spends weekends on the road performing and has his sights on a return to Broadway. Oh, and he’s planning a wedding with his fiancée, model Renee Puente.
This Saturday his schedule includes a star turn at The Grand for the venue’s annual bash, the Grand Gala. The concert isn’t the only treat for gala goers. The epic after-party at the Hotel du Pont will feature live music, open bars, dancing and gourmet goodies in six rooms.
For his portion of the big event, Morrison will be singing with a stellar group of musicians: About 50 members of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra
The group will be dipping into the standards, Broadway favorites and pop hits Morrison favors.
“I’m kind of one of those people who feels like they were born in the wrong era; I feel like I was meant to be in the ’50s and ’60s,” he said. “I love that style, I love the sound of a full orchestra behind you, like I’m going to be doing in Delaware with the big symphony orchestra behind me.”
The self-proclaimed song-and-dance man released an album packed with Broadway hits and standards – “Singin’ in the Rain,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing” and “Luck Be a Lady” all made the cut – in June, and just last month he put out a six-track EP of holiday favorites.
When asked why release a Christmas album now, he deadpans, “Because it’s almost Christmas.”
But with a chuckle he answers seriously the holiday CD was a fluke. It came out of sessions for “Where it All Began,” the album he released in June. The team and producer Phil Ramone were having such a good time recording the standards last March that they decided to dip into old holiday favorites as well.
“We strung a bunch of Christmas lights in the studio and really got into the spirit,” he says.
The six-song EP was released Nov. 19, with songs including “Jingle Bell Rock,” and a mashup of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas/Mele Kalikimaka.” The latter might have been a nod to his future wife’s Hawaiian background. She might, after all, do a traditional hula dance at their wedding. That detail is a rare one; the performer is fairly tight-lipped about his personal life.
He also likes to keep his potential projects quiet. He has a dream stage revival, but he’s not going to jinx it by talking about it. He’s talked to directors and producers and might like to do something original instead of a revival, but there’s nothing he’s going on the record with just yet.
One thing’s for sure, though. The Tony Award-nominated Morrison will be making a return to Broadway.
“I think in the grand scope of everything that I have done, it’s brought me to the realization that live performance is where my heart is, so I’m kind of itching to get back on stage to do another Broadway show,” he says.
Movies-turned-Broadway-shows are now the norm (see: “The Lion King,” “Legally Blonde,” “Kinky Boots”), so a stage adaptation of “Glee” is not a far-fetched idea. Morrison wouldn’t likely be the star, though.
“I’ve lived this show for, you know, it will be six years when we’re done. As great as the show is and as amazing a platform it has been for me and my career, I’m ready to step into someone else’s shoes,” he says.
On Saturday he’ll be stepping out with the DSO. Singing with a group of that magnitude feels like you’re “a general leading an army,” he says.
This particular army of musicians already has a leader, music director David Amado, who says the group is equally excited about the show.
“We don’t get to do the popular songbook much, and that’s great for us,” Amado said.
When asked if it allows the group to “let their hair down,” he said they do that all the time.
“I like to think we let our hair down even when nobody thinks we let our hair down. The world of classical music has this stereotype of being really buttoned up, but it’s not.”
It’s a good thing the group knows how to let loose, because one of Morrison’s idols is Gene Kelly. So he plans to “work up a nice sweat” during the performance.
Another idol is Paul Newman, and not just for his acting chops. Morrison admires his philanthropic legacy.
Although his gig as a choir teacher is just for TV, Morrison wants to make sure kids have access to music education. His goal is to open a few performing arts high schools – modeled after his alma mater, New York’s Tisch School of the Arts – in California within the next 5 years. From there, the schools could go national.
He’s the teacher who sets hearts aflutter in Glee, but away from starring as the swoon-ey Will Schuester, Matthew Morrison is spreading Christmas cheer with his latest album A Classic Christmas.When he joined us in the studio to record a track of his latest musical offering,we asked him for a special little early Christmas gift as we put your Christmas-themed questions to Matthew.And just like Santa Claus he delivered, answering as many of your questions as he possibly could before disappearing into the night, presumably to spread further Christmas cheer across our little island…
Matthew Morrison is spreading holiday cheer. The Emmy, Tony, and Golden Globe-nominated performer and “Glee” star has officially released his new holiday EP, “A Classic Christmas,” available now. From original crooners to holiday classics, Matthew hits every note on this six-song album.
He gave WhoSay an early holiday present: a Q&A about fond Christmas memories and the lasting impression “Glee” has left on him. Give it a read, and buy the album today!
WhoSay: What is your fondest Christmas/holiday memory? Matthew Morrison: One Christmas, in particular, I remember walking into the family room and hearing “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” on the stereo and being dwarfed by a huge blow-up dinosaur as one of my gifts. The size alone of this present amazed me, as it challenged the tree as the focal point of the room. I don’t remember playing with it after Christmas morning (how can you play with a 6 ft. T-Rex?), but I do remember how in awe I was to see it. It may seem funny, but I can go back right to that moment whenever I hear that song.
WhoSay: You’ve been on “Glee” since the beginning. What makes you a fan of the show? Matthew: If it’s one thing that I am proud of the show for, it would be the positive impact it’s had on so many people. The wide range of social topics that have been touched on throughout the seasons are REAL topics that REAL people go through every day. Yes, music is a main part of the show. But I think it’s the issues and experiences the characters go through that translate so well with our audience. I get messages every day from viewers telling me how an episode or a character has helped them overcome a problem they were facing, or in some extreme circumstances, saved their lives. If our show has that kind of an impact on our audience, I’d say it has been a huge success.
WhoSay: Any secrets to avoiding stressful relatives during the holidays? Matthew: I don’t know a family who doesn’t witness a bit of stress around the holidays. That’s just family! The only way to avoid the possibility of stressful relatives would be not to visit. But that takes away from the best part of the holidays—getting together with your loved ones. However, one way to keep the stress at bay is to offer a lot of food. Happy stomachs = happy people.
WhoSay: What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
Matthew: I’ve had my share of great gifts, but some of the most memorable gifts I receive are from my fans. It’s remarkable how talented they are. From paintings to snow globes, you name it. Here’s an example of just how creative they are (see below). Thanks again, Kiyoko!
WhoSay: Can you show us a picture of your ugliest holiday sweater? Seriously, put it on.
Matthew: Do Christmas sweater vests count ?
Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony-award nominated actor Matthew Morrisonhas released a wonderful new Christmas album, entitled A Classic Christmas, which works to capture the magic and wonder of the holiday season. The EP isavailable now from 222 Records (Adam Levine’s new record label) and features classic songs, including “This Christmas,” “O Holy Night,” and “Let it Snow.” Morrison’s rich crooner’s voice — perfectly suited for these cherished classics — might be just the thing you need to get amped up for the holiday season.
Morrison will be performing on November 29th and 30th with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Fans can also catch a special performance by Matthew on PBS on November 30th.
We had the chance to ask Matthew Morrison a few questions about his album and, just for you, we managed to sneak in a quick question about his work on Glee!
Is there any Christmas song on this EP that harbors particularly strongmemories, either from your childhood or adult life, that ultimately made you think, I just have to include this in the project?
I’ve had the privilege of meeting and performing for President Obama and the First Lady a few times. In 2010, as part of the Christmas In Washington telecast, I performed “O Holy Night.” It was an honor to be part of that show, and because of that experience, I decided to put it on the EP. It’s definitely a memory I will cherish.
Being that there are always a multitude of Holiday-related records released around this time of year, what’s one unique thing you hope listeners take away from A Classic Christmas?
Like my most recent album, Where It All Began, I wanted to bring out great arrangements of these classic songs that I hope will create new memories for my listeners. With the guidance from my friend and producer, Phil Ramone, we carefully selected accompanying choirs and players to perform on the EP. On this EP, to make it a bit more unique, there’s a fun mash up of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “Mele Kalikimaka” that will make you want to Hula!
Glee is one of our favorite show’s on television, as we think it does a great job commenting on the challenges young adults are presented with in contemporary society. You’re such a vibrant onscreen mentor/role-model and do a great job relating to each character’s story. Channeling the powers of Mr. Will Schuester, what’s one piece of advice you might give to adults struggling to relate to teens today?
Despite our busy schedules and lifestyles, there is always time for positive guidance and support. It’s important to make the time to provide a hand and/or an ear to the teens in your lives, whether it be in your household or in your community. We all want to see our children succeed, but not every teen has that support system to overcome the obstacles that may prevent them from reaching their goals. My one piece of advice for adults would be to make the time to encourage, support, and reward the teens in your community. Even if it’s not your child, every kid deserves a support system, especially if they are not getting it from their own home.
Matthew Morrison doesn’t have a lot of vivid Christmas memories, but the ones he does have involve a lot of food — and a huge inflatable dinosaur.
“I came into our family room, and ‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas’ was playing, and there was this huge dinosaur that dwarfed the Christmas tree,” Morrison told SheKnows of his most memorable Christmas. “I was so impressed and in awe of this dinosaur.”
Apparently, it wasn’t that memorable, because he didn’t end up playing with it. Don’t assume that Glee‘s Mr. Schue isn’t into the holiday season, though. Morrison is set to release A Classic Christmas, which comes out on Nov. 19 and is an album that he hopes will help families create some memories of their own.
“It kind of came as a surprise to all of us,” Morrison told SheKnows of why he decided to do an album of holiday standards. “We were in the studio doing my last album Where It All Began in March, and we were having so much fun with it that we said, ‘Let’s do some Christmas songs.'”
March might seem a little early for Christmas music, but Morrison said they made it festive.
“We decorated the studio with Christmas lights and made it very festive and got in the holiday spirit, proving that it’s never too early or too late to get into the Christmas spirit,” he continued. “The whole album was done with a 60-piece orchestra. These are a lot of the songs that spoke to me and that I sang as a kid when I went caroling. I wanted that classic feel — Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and stuff like that.”
The album might be called “classic,” but it has a bit of a modern flair.
“As modern as you can do with violins and saxophones,” Morrison said.
Need proof? His favorite song on the album includes a little ukulele.
“It has to be ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas,’ which leads into ‘Mele Kalikimaka,'” Morrison said of his favorite song on the album.
Making the album isn’t the only way Morrison is getting into the Christmas spirit a little early. He also dished a little on the Glee holiday episode.
“We’re actually shooting it right now,” he said. “It’s a great feeling on set. We actually do Secret Santa on set while we’re filming the episode.”ù
Morrison wouldn’t budge on whom he got in the Secret Santa exchange, but he was willing to dish on his holiday plans with fiancée Renee Puente: Christmas in New York City!
“My fiancée has never experienced a New York City Christmas,” he said, adding that he can’t wait to see the city through her eyes. “So we’ll go see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, go ice skating in Central Park and see the windows on Fifth Avenue.”
He wouldn’t reveal what else he’s planning to get her, though.
“I honestly haven’t thought about it. I will get her a great present, but I haven’t thought about exactly what it’s going to be yet,” he said.
As for what he wants?
“Peace and happiness throughout the world,” he joked, doing his best impression of a beauty pageant contestant. “I feel very blessed that I have a very comfortable life. The thing I want for Christmas is to give back. It’s always important.”
Matthew Morrison’s A Classic Christmas will be available on Nov. 19.
If you love holiday music, get set for the biggest treat of the year: Classic Christmas, a six-track EP from Tony-nominated Glee star Matthew Morrison, is set for release on November 19. Backed by the 60-piece orchestra that accompanied his recent album of standards, Where It All Began, Classic Christmas features gorgeous, jazzy arrangements that make you want to “hang all the mistletoe,” as Morrison sings in “This Christmas.” In a chat with Broadway.com Morrison, who will appear in concert at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony on November 29 and 30, explained why he chose each song on the EP and expressed his homesickness for Broadway.
How did you decide on the concept for Classic Christmas?
I grew up listening to Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby Christmas records, so that was my inspiration. Whenever I hear certain Christmas songs, it brings me back to my childhood, and I hope this album will help people create their own holiday memories.
Give us an overview of each song and why you picked it, starting with “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “This Christmas.”
I remember doing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” in high school in a song-and-dance group called the Kids Next Door. It sticks out in my memory from when I went caroling as a kid. I was hesitant at first about “This Christmas” because the original [by Donny Hathaway] is so good, but I wanted to include something a little more modern, so it slipped through the cracks of my ’50s and ‘60s-era songs. I love it.
What about the religious classic “O Holy Night”?
I got to sing that for President Obama three years ago at Christmas in Washington with a huge children’s choir, and I was stuck by how beautiful it is. I compare it to singing the national anthem. You have to go low and you have to go really high, so you had better pick the right key. [Click below to see Morrison’s 2010 live performance.]
You take the camp out of “Jingle Bell Rock” and channel the Rat Pack in “Let It Snow.”
“Jingle Bell Rock” is a little campy, but when you’ve got a 60-piece orchestra, you can breathe a bit of new life into it! And “Let It Snow” is an iconic, timeless song that I’ve always wanted to sing.
Last but not least is a combination of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Mele Kalikimaka.”
I have a big affinity for Hawaii—I sang backup for Don Ho when I was younger and my fiancée [Renee Puente] is from Hawaii—so I love “Mele Kalikimaka.” It’s also a chance to show off my ukulele skills! I came up with the idea of leading into it with “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
Where will you and Renee be for Christmas this year?
We’re going to do a New York City Christmas. She’s never experienced that. I can’t wait to show her the tree in Rockefeller Center, go skating in Central Park—all the things I enjoyed while living there for 13 years.
<br Any plans to come back to Broadway?
I have some plans that I can’t talk about yet. I’ve been talking to producers and directors about a couple of different shows, and possibly even a new show. I’m dying to get back on stage. After this whole experience of doing film and television and recordings, I’ve realized that my heart is on stage. That’s where I feel most alive. I love that spiritual connection between an audience and an actor; it’s home for me, and I am excited to come back.
When might this happen?
I thought I would be out of Glee a little sooner, but some things happened so I can’t leave. I would say the end of 2015.
That’s a long time from now.
I’m telling you! You think I want to wait that long? But I’m very grateful for everything that has come my way [because of Glee]. I’m going to Italy next week, and I’ve [performed] around the world. Just walking down the street and hearing someone say, ‘Oh, Matthew Morrison!’ I think, ‘Whoa—and they even did it an accent.
