Philadelphia, PA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/05/2016 --Four of Broadway's biggest names will come to Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the second season of the "Broadway Up Close" series hosted by SiriusXM radio star Seth Rudetsky, the man The New York Times called the 'Mayor of Broadway.' The series is produced by Mark Cortale and first up is Matthew Morrison, who has been nominated for a Tony Award for "Light in the Piazza" and Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for his starring role in the hit TV series "Glee" for one show only on Saturday, December 17 at 8:00 PM. Other stars appearing in the series this season will be Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award nominated superstar Vanessa Williams on Jan. 21, followed by Alice Ripley, Tony Award winner for "Next to Normal" on May 6, and last but not least, living legend and a two-time Tony winner Chita Rivera on June 3. What differentiates this concert series from any other is the seamless mix of intimate behind-the-scenes stories from Broadway's biggest stars - prompted by the encyclopedic-minded Rudetsky's probing, funny, revealing questions - and their stellar singing of musical theatre repertoire. This annual concert series has become one of Philadelphia's most sought after music events. For tickets and information please visit www.KimmelCenter.org or call 215-893-1999.

Matthew Morrison has been nominated for a Tony Award for "Light in the Piazza" and Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for his starring role in the hit TV series "Glee." He most recently starred as "J.M Barrie" in the Harvey Weinstein musical "Finding Neverland." The Broadway production, an adaptation of the 2004 film, follows the relationship between Barrie and the Davies family, who became the author's inspiration for the creation of Peter Pan. Morrison received two Drama Desk nominations for his role, and won the category of Favorite Actor in a Musical in the Broadway.com Audience Awards. In 2015, he wrapped the final season of Fox's musical comedy series "Glee," where he starred as the director of the glee club, "Mr. Schuester." The show was created by Ryan Murphy and received the Golden Globe award "Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical" in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, Morrison starred in the Lionsgate film, "What to Expect When You're Expecting," which was based on the book of the same name, directed by Kirk Jones. The film also starred Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez and Dennis Quaid among others. Morrison played a famous dance show star who is faced with the unexpected demands of fatherhood. Also in 2012, he hosted and narrated the PBS special entitled "Oscar Hammerstein II - Out of My Dreams," which focused on the Broadway producer's life and career, and was also featured that year in a performance of Dustin Lance Black's play, '8' – a staged reenactment of the federal trial that overturned California's Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage. The performance raised money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights.

Morrison studied musical theater, vocal performance and dance at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and made his debut on Broadway in "Footloose." His big break, however, came when he was cast as heartthrob Link Larkin in the hit "Hairspray." He was later nominated for a Tony Award for his role in "The Light in the Piazza," and received a Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for "10 Million Miles." He also starred in the Tony-winning revival of "South Pacific" at Lincoln Center Theater in New York. Matthew Morrison was the first artist signed to Adam Levine's record label, 222 Records, where he released his Broadway standards album, "Where it All Began," in June 2013.

Seth Rudetsky, has hosted the Broadway Series at The Nourse for its three seasons, as well as in Provincetown for the six seasons since its inception, and nation-wide in many other major cities. He is the afternoon host on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's On Broadway as well as the host of Seth Speaks on SiriusXM Stars. As a pianist, he has played piano for over a dozen Broadway shows including Ragtime, Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera among many others. As a comic, Rudetsky was awarded "Funniest Gay Male in NY" at Stand-Up NY and is a three-time Emmy nominee as a writer for The Rosie O'Donnell Show. His newest book, The Rise and Fall of a Theater Geek was published by Random House and is available on Amazon.com. He co-wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed new musical "Disaster!" this past season on Broadway. "Disaster!" also premiered on London's West End at the Charing Cross Theatre on November 20th.

About The Broadway series
The Art House in Provincetown, MA, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Mark Cortale, is the original home to the internationally acclaimed Broadway @ The Art House series hosted by Seth Rudetsky. In its sixth season this past summer, the series presented Broadway superstars like Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Patti LuPone, Matthew Morrison, Cheyenne Jackson, Megan Hilty and Vanessa Williams. The Broadway @ series also premiered in 2013 in New Orleans, in Australia (Sydney & Melbourne) with Megan Mullally and in London's West End with Patti LuPone at the Leicester Square Theater. The series has travelled to Fort Lauderdale (The Broward Center), Philadelphia (The Kimmel Center), San Francisco (The Nourse Theatre) and this summer it had its inaugural season at the Martha's Vineyard Performing Arts Center. More information at markcortalepresents.com. When looking for what to do in December and into the new year, the Broadway Up Close concert series is considered one of the "must-do" events in Philadelphia.

For interview requests and additional high res photos please contact Tom Fervoy at tom@miweb.cr

Listing Information:
Kimmel Center & Mark Cortale Present

Matthew Morrison, star of TV's "Glee" and Broadway's "Finding Neverland"
Featuring Sirius XM's Seth Rudetsky as pianist & host
Produced by Mark Cortale
Saturday, December 17, at 8:00 PM

Perelman Theatre
300 S Broad St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
For tickets and information please visit
www.KimmelCenter.org
or call 215-893-1999.

Vanessa Williams, star of TV's "Ugly Betty" and Broadway's "Kiss of the Spider Woman"
Featuring Sirius XM's Seth Rudetsky as pianist & host
Produced by Mark Cortale
Saturday, January 21, at 8:00 PM

Perelman Theatre
300 S Broad St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
For tickets and information please visit
www.KimmelCenter.org
or call 215-893-1999.

Alice Ripley, Tony Award Winner for "Next to Normal"
Featuring Sirius XM's Seth Rudetsky as pianist & host
Produced by Mark Cortale
Saturday, May 6, at 8:00 PM

Perelman Theatre
300 S Broad St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
For tickets and information please visit
www.KimmelCenter.org
or call 215-893-1999.

Chita Rivera, legendary two time Tony Award Winner
Featuring Sirius XM's Seth Rudetsky as pianist & host
Produced by Mark Cortale
Saturday, June 3, at 8:00 PM

Merriam Theatre
250 S Broad St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
For tickets and information please visit
www.KimmelCenter.org
or call 215-893-1999.