Sutton Foster Cancels Desert Gala, Matthew Morrison Fills Her Shoes

RANCHO MIRAGE, CA — Sutton Foster's performance scheduled for Wednesday at 8 p.m. at The Show - Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage is canceled, a spokesperson for the venue says.

The Desert Symphony announced that Foster was unable to perform at the Desert Symphony Gala on Wednesday due to illness, but the show must go on.

"We are thrilled to announce that Matthew Morrison will step in for a spectacular evening of music! Don’t miss this four-time Tony, Grammy, and Emmy nominee, and beloved star of stage and screen, live in concert with The Desert Symphony. An unforgettable night awaits! Get your tickets at the link below!https://desertsymphony.org/gala/

Morrison has a long and storied career on the stage. He is a "versatile actor who is recognized for his work on stage and on screen." According to IMDB, he has been nominated for Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe Awards.

His most recent Broadway credit is starring as "J.M Barrie" in the musical "Finding Neverland" through January 2016. Morrison received two Drama Desk nominations for his role, and won the category of Favorite Actor in a Musical in the Broadway Audience Awards.

Sutton Foster is slated for Houston and New York City concerts in the coming months. According to a joint announcement with Playbill, she has recently been attached to the in-development production of "Coal Miner's Daughter," the Loretta Lynn story.

Foster's budding relationship with Hugh Jackman is not believed to be a factor in the cancelation. However, the pair's relationship has been at the forefront in 2025. A complete review of their whirlwind year, from their first official date in 2024, their romance was called "one of the most iconic theatrical couples" by US Weekly. In January, the pair "hard launched" their relationship on People Magazine, who shared photos of them recently enjoying a dinner date, two days after the actor attended one of Foster's final performances of Once Upon a Mattress.

According to IMDB, Sutton Lenore Foster is known for her work on the Broadway stage, for which she has received two Tony Awards for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, in 2002 for her role as Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and in 2011 for her performance as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes.

Her other Broadway credits include Little Women, The Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein, Shrek the Musical, and Violet. On television, Foster played the lead role in the short-lived ABC Family comedy-drama Bunheads from 2012 to 2013. Since March 2015, she has starred in the TV Land comedy-drama, "Younger."

In March, Jackman was seen filming his latest work, "The Death of Robin Hood," in England. In the new production, he plays opposite actress Jodie Comer.