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Broadway Breakdown
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Matt Koplik is the most opinionated, foul-mouthed, and passionate theatre geek with access to a mic. Every week, Matt and a guest explore Broadway history by diving into the careers of the artists who shaped it. Whether discussing Sondheim and Sweeney or Herman and Dolly, Matt is sure to give you fun facts, deep analysis, and lots of four letter words. Tune in!!
204 Episodes
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"OK, who do you have?"
The TONY nominations are in 5 days, y'all!! That means we gotta start making some new PREDICTIONS. Recorded a mere 2 hours before the Tony Committee released their second round of Eligibility Rulings, Broadway producer David Lynch stops by the Breakdown to share possible nominations. The two also discuss Matt's actions when they saw SUFFS, the trickiness of "well liked" and "good," and try to make sense of who will go where before the Tonys told us! STICK AROUND!
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"Find your light..."
Y'all have been so good that we're treating you to a BONUS episode! An interview with lighting designer extraordinaire Cory Pattak! Cory made his Broadway debut this season with not one, but TWO musicals: SPAMALOT and THE GREAT GATSBY! Cory stops by the Breakdown to discuss the thrill and stress of putting together two very sudden Broadway transfers, how you make lighting "funny," and Cory throws a "gotcha" at Matt. Enjoy!
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"Everyone's a critic..."
We're wrapping up the season very soon!!!! And before we do, we got some more shows for you: THE GREAT GATSBY, PATRIOTS and SUFFS! Matt discusses his opinions on all three. Plus some talk about some of the crazy that's been happening online this week in the community.
Let's have fun.
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"Woman is...or is she?"
It's a bonanza!! Matt starts off with his reviews on seeing MERRILY a second time (now *with* Lindsay Mendez), LEMPICKA, THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL and STEREOPHONIC! Plus a new review that has notes for Matt.
Plus after all of THAT is an interview with Broadway legend and Jack of All Trades: Jack Viertel. Jack talks with Matt about his new book: "Broadway Melody" as well as his extensive career working for Jujamcyn Theatres, being a critic, a dramaturg, a writer, and watching Tommy Tune fix GRAND HOTEL firsthand. GET INTO IT KIDS!
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"See Me...and Stay Gold."
It's April!!! Which means Tony season has sprung! Matt sees TOMMY and THE OUTSIDERS and gives you his thoughts...and then reads YOUR thoughts on upcoming results for the 2024 Tony Awards. And some of you are BOLD.
Let's get some hardware!!!
Tix for NYC Gay Men's Chorus concert "Bubblegum Pop" available here:
https://nyuskirball.org/events/new-york-city-gay-mens-chorus-bubblegum-pop/
Discount Code: BREAKDOWN10 (10% off) Expires April 8
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"There is nothing like New York in the SPRING!"
A *lot* has changed since our first Tonys episode so Matt has come on to talk through some of it. First Matt gives thoughts after having seen WATER FOR ELEPHANTS and THE NOTEBOOK. Plus what it was like being at the infamous performance of AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE attended by protestors! Matt then goes to see TOMMY (or does he?) and offers some clarity on what ILLINOISE will be considered for after it transfers to the St. James.
LET'S GET PUMPED! Link for tix to My First Sondheim at 54 Below:
https://54below.org/events/my-first-sondheim/
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"He has a story to tell..."
It came to Broadway touted as the next ANGELS IN AMERICA. And yet...not every gay man was into it. Then it won the Tony...and some people still weren't into it. But does that make something "Problematic"?? Friend of the pod Robbie Rozelle comes back to the Breakdown to discuss THE INHERITANCE. Matt and Robbie spend an epic amount of time on this epic two-parter and converse over mouthfeels, community support, and the danger of vilifying sex. And hot men.
THE GREAT WORK BEGINS!! Wait...wrong play...
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"We all lead such elaborate lives..."
It's sexy! It's dangerous! It's Disney! It's AIDA!!! Broadway music director Will Van Dyke (Pretty Woman, The Heart of Rock n Roll) comes on the Breakdown to discuss with Matt the first Broadway Disney musical "for adults." The two also discuss casting, fashion shows, and duty.
TAKE ME IN!!!!
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"Thank you, baby. Thank you for listening..."
Welcome back to Problematic(?)! And ooooh boy do we have a DOOZY! Alum of the pod, Marcus Scott, returns to discuss SLAVE PLAY. The show that angered, excited and confused many theatergoers. Matt and Marcus get into the weeds of SLAVE PLAY's 12 Tony nominations and 0 wins, what intimacy is, and whether your truth is *the* truth. Also AMERICAN FICTION.
HERE WE GO!
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Confident and Uninformed.
That's the way to make predictions for Tony nominations THIS early. Breakdown alum Dylan MacDowell (DRAMA) returns to go through every possible candidate for this year's Tony Awards. And Matt spills some tea about exactly *what* Broadway thinks about some of its offerings...
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"This bird is singing..."
Sally Mayes has been there and back and she can sing all about it to you! A Tony nominee for SHE LOVES ME with multiple awards under her belt, Sally stop by the pod to talk about her upcoming concert series (link for tix below), as well as how her Broadway debut as a swing lead to her winning a Theatre World Award, the 1994 Tonys, and naked actors getting reprimanded by police!
Buy tix to Sally's new concert at Green Room 42 here:
https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com/show/details/5WWifjgRHSGE8kpHSzZS
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"Turn it off..."
Hello! Our name is Broadway Breakdown. And we would like to share with you a Tony winning show. It has so many awesome parts. You simply won't believe how much this show has angered crowds. That's right...it's THE BOOK OF MORMON. The Broadway phenomenon from the creators of SOUTH PARK and AVENUE Q that swept the world, wowed critics...and has come back around for a reckoning from many. Does it deserve it? Who's to say? Kyle Marshall (PUTTING IT TOGETHER) is here, though, to help Matt figure out what to do. Together, the two talk about optimism, shock value, and how a musical bop can carry you through. Take a listen!
Check out Kyle's podcast PUTTING IT TOGETHER:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/putting-it-together/id1435108436
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"The heat is on..."
To cover a giant show with giant controversy...you need a giant episode. Yup: it's MISS SAIGON. James Seol (COME FROM AWAY, KPOP) makes his Breakdown debut to discuss the last of the British mega-musicals with Matt. The two discuss a LOT: a mutual belief that Chris is the show's villain, how Kim is actually a survivalist genius and how for a show with so much sex, MISS SAIGON might be one of the least sexy musicals of all time. Come along on the helicopter!
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"What's your damage?"
CONTENT WARNING: This episode covers a show that contains and discusses suicide, sexual assault, and mental illness. Please listen with caution.
We're venturing back to Off-Broadway with the musical that launched a thousand nodes and a million TikTok accounts...we're talking HEATHERS, y'all. The musical based on the classic cult 80's film has a dedicated fanbase...and plenty of ruffled feathers. Longtime friend and icon Chelsea Williams (MAMMA MIA, IN TRANSIT) makes her Breakdown debut and discusses all things mini-skirts and croquet with Matt. The two also discuss the show's outrageously difficult score, the trouble with trying to satirizing a satire, and whether a person is interesting or just hot...
COLOR US STOKED GIRL!
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"If I loved you..."
Oh Boy. It's the one listeners of BREAKDOWN have been waiting for. It's Matt's favorite musical. It's perhaps the most famous "problematic" musical. That's right...it's CAROUSEL, BABY!! Theatre critic Juan A. Ramirez (Theatrely, The New York Times) joins the pod to discuss all things Rodgers and Hammerstein. Juan and Matt discuss the show's horniness, debate the merits of the 2018 revival (Juan is pro, Matt is con), and what exactly that infamous line of dialogue means.
Join the clambake!!
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"All we see is sky for forever..."
STORY TIME! Due to reasons, Broadway Breakdown is covering DEAR EVAN HANSEN in two parts...with the second part coming sometime between now and later. Journalist and podcaster Ruthie Fierberg (Why We Theater) joins the Breakdown to lay out her reasonings as to why DEAR EVAN HANSEN is NOT problematic (with no question mark!) The two also discuss grief, depression, and an updated look at the current Broadway season!! Strap in your cast and let's get to it!
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"I'll never fall in love again..."
It's turkey lurkey TIME, people! Guncle of the Pod Adam Elsberry returns to talk about one of the hottest shows of the 1960's: PROMISES, PROMISES. Based on the Oscar-winning film THE APARTMENT, it's a show that got HAMILTON level reviews...and wasn't heard from again for a very long time. Matt and Adam discuss the difference between 1962 and 1968, being in love and it being terrible, and the double edged sword of sexual agency. Join in!!!
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"...you are a fundamentally evil person..."
CONTENT WARNING: Before listening, be advised that this episode discusses a play that deals with troubling subject matter (primarily sexual abuse and suicide).
The Breakdown is discussing perhaps the most complex and troubling play NYC has seen in years: DOWNSTATE, by Pulizter Prize winning playwright Bruce Norris (CLYBOURNE PARK). Joined by Etai Benson (COMPANY, THE BAND'S VISIT), Matt discusses his own difficult past with abuse, the limitations of empathy and, of course, Matt and Etai's summers at The Manor.
Video content available on the Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/BroadwayBreakdown
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"Shall I tell you what I think of you...?"
It's the first Rodgers and Hammerstein on Broadway Breakdown! And NOT the one you think! Corey Lubowich (Team Starkid) makes his Breakdown debut to discuss the much loved and much debated R&H classic THE KING AND I. Matt and Corey discuss the joint gumption and prejudice of the show's main characters, the sloppiness of Tuptim, and the Tesori/Hwang inverse piece SOFT POWER.
Shall we dance inDEED?
Watch and listen to more content on the Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/BroadwayBreakdown
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"It's time to dance..."
Welcome back to Broadway Breakdown!! And our new series Problematic(?) covering shows that at some point in their legacy have been met with controversy or backlash. Matt is joined by Breakdown legend Ali Gordon to talk about a lighthearted musical that somehow made a few people angry...THE PROM. And no, not because of the on-air kiss. The two discuss the show's tone, question how quickly someone can go from bigoted to tolerant, and Matt's major gripe with a major character. Tune in!!!
For the video of this episode, check out the Patreon for Broadway Breakdown:
https://www.patreon.com/BroadwayBreakdown
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