Matthew Morrison Presents: SHOW UP

Location: Boston, MA

Date: July 13, 2026

On a Monday night, Matthew Morrison played a sold out show at City Winery in Boston. Boston is the second stop of his SHOW UP tour. This was my first Matthew Morrison show. I knew him as Mr. Will Schuester from Glee and I was ecstatic to see him perform live. And he definitely exceeded my expectations!

City Winery

The City Winery served as the perfect venue for Matthew’s show. The building had excellent acoustics so the audience could hear Matthew clearly. The stage is also the right size to fit the band while giving enough space for Matthew to move around. Also, the audience can enjoy dinner before the show.  Although, because the show was a full house, the audience had to sit tightly together. To point where I had to ask the people next to me to move so I can get out of my seat. 

I previously saw BBMAK, LFO and TC Carson at City Winery.

The Show

Accompanied by a full band, Matthew opened the show with “Pure Imagination” from “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory” at around 7:40 pm. 

Matthew’s non-stop setlist included a mixture of glee songs, pop songs, and broadway songs mainly from musicals Matthew starred in. Matthew carefully curated the setlist to narrate his journey in the entertainment industry from starring on Broadway to Glee and returning to Broadway.  The show was about an hour and 30 minutes with no intermission.

The setlist included: “Go The Distance (Hercules)”, “Unwritten”, “Piazza (The Light in the Piazza)”,  and “Where Is Love (Oliver!)”. He also sang a medley of songs from “Finding Neverland”. 

After being goaded by the audience, he also sang Sisqo’s “The Thong Song”. It was definitely the first time I heard that song sang in a jazzy version. Still, Matthew delivered a fun performance that motivated the audience to get up on their feet and dance.  

My favorite part was his performance of  “HairSpray” medley: “Good Morning Baltimore”, “Welcome to the 60s” and “You Can’t Stop The Beat”. The performance just raised the spirits of the audience as he danced around the stage and sang to the crowd with so much enthusiasm.

Other highlights for me included  the performances of the ballads including: “Smile (Charlie Chaplin cover)”, “Send In The Clouds (A Little Night Music)” and “Fix You (Cold Play cover)”.  He sang those songs with so much emotion as if inviting the audience to look deep into his soul. Very moving. 

Fittingly, Matthew closed the show with “Don’t Stop Believin” by Journey. The performance, without a doubt, ignited the nostalgia for Glee and brought the essence of Mr. Will Schuester. He invited the audience to get up and sing and dance along with him. And leaving the audience on a high note. 

The Verdict

I just want to say Matthew is ridiculously talented. Obviously I knew he is a great singer from watching him on Glee on TV and other various TV specials. Seeing him perform live in person is a whole other level.  I was really impressed by his energy as he danced around the stage. He is incredibly dynamic, engaging and really connects with the audience not only during songs but in between songs. Given his broadway and stage background, I love how he gets so animated with his facial expressions as he performs. Matthew is also an excellent story teller as he recalls his successes and moments where doors are shut in his face. I also liked how he utilized the lighting of the stage to change the moods and incorporate it into his show. I would definitely see him again.