Tonight, we're all heading to Whoville.
That's right, holiday fanatics: NBC's production of Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical premieres tonight, Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m., and thanks to the two-hour rendition of the classic children's book How the Grinch Stole Christmas, you can get into the festive spirit without even leaving the comfort of your couch!
Matthew Morrison leads the way, playing the titular role of the, the, the...THE GRINCH, as Cindy Lou Who once put it. This, of course, requires the Glee actor to undergo an intense transformation process—one that's aided by makeup, prosthetics and lots of green paint—but once the nearly four-hour makeover is done, there's no denying that he truly embodies the mean one, Mr. Grinch.
In fact, you don't have to take our word for it. E! is bringing you a close-up look at what goes into Matthew's head-to-toe transformation in the above time-lapsed clip.
In the video, the 42-year-old star leans back and relaxes for much of the initial makeup application—though he does take the occasional ukulele break—and slowly but surely, he becomes the green creature we know and love.
Then comes two very important Grinch features: his furry eyebrows and fluffy wig!
Add in some hairspray, shading, a pronounced nose and bam—goodbye Matthew Morrison and hello, the Grinch.
Tonight, the actor will be joined on stage at the Troubadour Theatre in London by Amelia Minto as Cindy Lou Who, Denis O'Hare as the older version of the Grinch's beloved dog Max, Booboo Stewart as the young version and plenty of Whoville Whos!
Don't miss the special holiday production! The Grinch Musical airs at 8 p.m. on NBC.
Scroll down for more images from tonight's show.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)