Glee's Matthew Morrison to Join NKOTB Tour

​In a move surprising to no one, Matthew Morrison, the  actor who plays eternally optimistic teacher Will Shuester on Fox's Glee, is taking a new direction and joining '80s boy band New Kids On the Block for their summer tour.  It makes perfect sense. In addition to his acting credits, Morrison is currently promoting a self-titled solo album. And like the New Kids' decision to reunite, the release seems like an opportunistic move on Morrison's part to cash in on an ephemeral trend.  Why the curmudgonliness, you ask? Go check out Morrison's website, which is not so much a portal into a gentle artist's spirit, but rather a desperate smash-and-grab operation geared toward liberating fans from their money by offering limited-edition copies of his album--"a true fan's keepsake."

You'll pardon the cynicism, but I'm always a bit leery of bands who tell me to buy things "while supplies last."

I wish I could say at the very least Morrison was selling a solid product, but the songs tread deep into American Idol territory.  Dig "Still Got Tonight," which finds Morisson invoking Chris Martin's unthreatening falsetto howl while singing about such lyrically groundbreaking concepts as stars colliding. No doubt, Morisson's addition to the summer bill will boost sales from rabid Glee fans, but the fact that he's postponing some solo dates to do the show makes one wonder if he's struggling to fill seats. Hopefully, he won't be too discouraged, and after some dates with the New Kids, he'll still be hanging tough.