Ryoko Yonekura Joins Audience Applause for Matthew Morrison’s Divine Response in Broadway’s Chicago

After the performance, a crowd gathered outside the theater. Amidst them, a blond handsome foreigner appeared, waving his hand and saying “Hi,” eliciting cheers of “Wow” from the crowd. His name is Matthew Morrison (45), the lead actor of the Broadway musical “Chicago,” which ran from April 25 to May 5 at the Tokyu Theatre Orb in Shibuya, Tokyo.

“Chicago is a mega-hit musical that surpassed the record of ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ the longest-running show on Broadway, to become the top-grossing musical in history. Matthew has built a career as a musical actor and gained popularity in Japan for his role as Will Schuester in the TV drama series ‘Glee’ from 2009 to 2015,” says a theater magazine editor.

Ryoko Yonekura (48), who made her Broadway debut in the same production and has appeared in it three times, also attended the opening night performance. Yonekura, dressed in black with a cap, left the venue in a company car with her manager.

“Yonekura had to withdraw from the scheduled Tokyo production of Chicago in 2022 due to her chronic back pain. For her, Matthew’s performance must have been a significant inspiration as she continues to struggle with back pain,” says the editor.

LiLiCo (53), who served as the ambassador for the Osaka production (April 18-21) before the Tokyo run, had high praise for Matthew, saying, 

“Like Hugh Jackman, there aren’t many people who can do TV (dramas), stage, and movies. He has good looks, singing ability, and aura; there’s nothing to criticize,” in an interview with Lmaga.jp on March 2.

After the first performance in Tokyo, Matthew exhibited his divine response, patiently greeting each fan waiting outside the dressing room, shaking hands, and taking photos with them.

Although it’s uncertain when he’ll visit Japan again, fans are already looking forward to his next visit.

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