Odds & Ends: Matthew Morrison Cuts Loose at Footloose Reunion, Eddie George's Encounter With Funny Or Die & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today.

Matty Fresh Cuts Loose
He may be a leading man now, but Matthew Morrison still knows how to cut loose like a real Broadway hoofer. The Broadway.com Audience Choice Award winner made a surprise appearance at the late performance of the joyful original cast reunion of Footloose at Feinstein’s/54 Below on January 12. After finishing one of his final shows in Finding Neverland (he leaves the tuner on January 24), Morrison headed uptown to watch his friends from the 1998 musical that marked his Main Stem debut in the chorus from the darkness of the club’s bar. But as Broadway phenom Orfeh tore up the place with a rousing “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” and two original ensemble members in the audience, Kristen Leigh Gorski and Serena Soffer, leapt to their feet to recreate some of the show’s energetic choreography, Morrison had to get in on the fun. The artist formerly known as Matty Fresh threw himself into the moves between Gorski and Soffer and showed the entire enthusiastic crowd that he’s still got it. Let’s hear it for the boy indeed!

Richard Libertini Dead at 82
Richard Libertini, a character actor of both stage and screen, died on January 7, aged 82, at his home in Venice, California. According to the New York Times, his former wife Melinda Dillon said the cause was cancer. Best known for his performance as the somewhat nutty General Garcia in the 1979 movie The In-Laws, he made his Broadway debut in Woody Allen’s 1966 comedy Don’t Drink the Water. Libertini’s additional Great White Way credits included Paul Sills’ Story Theatre, Metamorphoses, Bad Habits, Honeymoon Motel and Relatively Speaking. He is survived by his son with Dillon, Richard.

Seasons of Larson Cast Complete
Anton Stephans (The X Factor) and Noel Sullivan (Grease) are the final names to be announced for Seasons of Larson. The previously reported one-off concert celebrating the life and music of Rent composer Jonathan Larson will take place on January 25 at the West End’s Lyric Theatre.

Eddie George's Encounter With Funny Or Die
Eddie George, the current Prince of the Courtroom at Broadway's Ambassador Theatre, recently had a brush with Funny Or Die. The concept was that the NFL Legend and Heisman Trophy winner would turn up to an interview thinking that he was there to promote his role as Billy Flynn in Chicago, but instead gets ambushed by a football-hating intellectual community access show host. Check out the video below!


P.S. Tony nominee Chad Kimball (Memphis) will join the previously reported Billy Porter, Renee Elise Goldsberry and more for Broadway Inspirational Voices's fundraising event Inspirational Broadway on February 15 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill.