For starters, there’s their shared mean streak, fueled by isolation and loneliness.
But Morrison most specifically took inspiration from the Clown Prince of Crime’s fancy footwork.
“I didn’t want the Grinch to be a good dancer,” he tells EW.
Credit: David Cotter/NBC; Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros.
I really felt like that was how the Grinch would dance.
Never fear, this is still a family-friendly musical.
Morrison is playing the infamous holiday hater inDr.
Seuss' The Grinch Musical, which will air Dec. 9 at 8 p.m.
The musical version ofThe Grinchwas previously seen on Broadway in 2006 and 2007.
It features a book and lyrics by Tim Mason with music by Mel Marvin.
What took so long, and why was now the time at last?
MATTHEW MORRISON:Well, I basically did a live television musical for six years.
But this one really resonated with me.
Honestly, the story of the Grinch is so relatable.
You’ve generally played pretty nice, decent guys: Link, Lt. Cable, J.M.
Was it difficult to play the king of mean himself?
I love playing dirty and dastardly.
That’s so much fun for me.
Most people know me fromGlee, and so this is a joy for me to do.
But also this part in particular is one of those parts where anything goes.
Thankfully it was this one, because I took some big swings.
This makeup is also probably the most intense we’ve ever seen you in.
I had to put the whole outfit on maybe five times.
But it took three and a half hours to put on and an hour to take off.
The shooting schedule, which was over two days, was very ambitious.
It felt very alive.
You’re the Grinch, you’re green.
I now have so much respect for any woman who has ever played Elphaba [inWicked].
Having to go through that every night, oh my gosh!
You have this big belly too, and in reality you’re a svelte guy.
What was it like navigating the bulk of the costume when you’re dancing?
It was challenging throwing the extra weight around.
But it was still pretty heavy.
If I was ever to lose weight on a project, this was the one.
You mentioned how the present moment helped informed your version of the Grinch.
There’s so many mental health issues that are going on at the moment.
Because that’s the hardest thing we’re all going through right now.
I used a lot of the collective sorrow that we are all feeling globally.
I used a lot of that energy that I feel every morning when I wake up.
How did you find your take on it?
That was a challenge for me because I have to sing in the show too.
I didn’t want to go too harsh because that really affects your voice, talking like that constantly.
But at the same time, I knew we were going to have two days to shoot this thing.
I just saved up all my growliness and discomfort for those two days and left it on the table.
It was fun; I did feel a little sore afterwards.
You went over to London to film this.
Can you tell us more about that element and what it entailed?
NBC is airing this, but it was a bunch of London producers that put the whole thing together.
The idea of doing live theater in the age of COVID-19 is strange.
What has that experience been like?
The rehearsal process was unlike anything I’ve had to do.
We all had to wear masks for the whole month, and we all had to maintain six feet.
Just all these little things that we had to do during the rehearsal process.
NBC was so great in making this feel really safe, even though it felt awkward.
I wanted to rip that mask off so many times.
Especially as I was doing some of the dance numbers I had to do.
What is a holiday tradition or something around this time of year that turns you into a Grinch?
I’m a pretty positive person.
Honestly, I think social media is the biggest Grinch in a lot of our lives.
It’s just a space where people just can be negative and hide behind their screens and snark.
That’s the biggest Grinch in all of our lives right now.
Oh my God that’s right, I totally didn’t even put that together!
There’s a possibility.
There’s the songs we all know.
But also there’s some great gems in this score.
Lastly, you’re part of the Broadway community.
Honestly, that’s the main reason I took this job.
I feel like the theater community needs this, to sit back and enjoy something that does feel live-ish.
The design of the set is very almost two-dimensional.
It’s all black and white.
It’s a really recreation of the original Dr. Seuss books.
They really kept it theatrical, which I thought was so important.
It felt very theatrical, and I love that it kept that integrity.
