Theater News

Glee's Matthew Morrison Expected to Star in Workshop of New Musical Finding Neverland

The actor may also appear in a subsequent production at the American Repertory Theater.

Matthew Morrison is expected to play J.M. Barrie in a workshop of the new musical Finding Neverland this coming March.
Matthew Morrison is expected to play J.M. Barrie in a workshop of the new musical Finding Neverland this coming March.
(© David Gordon)

Glee star Matthew Morrison is expected to return to his theatrical roots next month, appearing in a workshop of the new musical Finding Neverland, The New York Times reports. The Times also notes that Morrison is in negotiations to star in the show's U.S. premiere at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts this summer.

Finding Neverland is based on the 2004 film of the same title, which explored the relationship between author J.M. Barrie and Sylvia Davies, a woman whose family helped inspire Barrie's classic Peter Pan stories. Diane Paulus will helm the workshop and A.R.T. production, which features songs by Gary Barlow and a script by James Graham.

The musical had its world premiere at the Curve Theatre in Leicester, London, with a score by Scott Frankel and Michael Korie and a book by Allan Knee, who wrote the film's screenplay. After mixed reviews, an expected West End transfer was nixed, and the creative team, which also included director Rob Ashford, was overhauled.

Morrison was last seen on the New York stage in South Pacific, and he received a 2008 Tony Award nomination for his performance in The Light in the Piazza. He earned an Emmy nomination in 2010 for his work as Will Schuester on Glee.