You submitted the shows and movie musicals you wanted Broadway Breakdown to discuss and now the winners are here and ready to be announced!! Find out what the rest of 2024 has in store for the pod! AND AFTER YOU DO: subscribe to the BB Discord Channel to keep making your voice heard on the podcast! https://discord.gg/jez6sDwB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join the Broadway Breakdown Discord Channel and get in on the fun! Link: https://discord.gg/jez6sDwB This week Matt is joined by author and historian Ben West to talk about his new must-have book: The American Musical, Evolution of an Art Form! The two discuss the variety of genres in which the musical theatre has its origins, deep-cut songs, and that time Hal Prince accidentally created a new category at the Tony Awards. DIVE IN! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Eternal youth is worth a little suffering..." It's big, it's bold, it's BACK! The British Invasion comes to a crashing halt with the landing of the Desmond Mansion, bankrupting a billion dollar production company and causing multiple leading ladies to claw at Andrew Lloyd Webber's throat. That's right...it's SUNSET BOULEVARD. Friend of the Pod Justin Mendoza (BOOK OF MORMON, WICKED) comes back to the Breakdown to discuss with Matt all things belting, turbans, and dead monkeys. The two also discuss melodrama, camp, and the Judy Kuhn of it All. LET'S HAVE LUNCH, SQUIRREL! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Did you hear the story of the Johnstone twins...?" It ran for over 20 years on the West End...and for 2 on Broadway. It's about class, murder, and...Marilyn Monroe? Just roll with it! Fellow podcaster Kyle Marshall (PUTTING IT TOGETHER) joins the Breakdown to talk about the British sensation that barely made a blip across the pond. The two also discuss overusing similes, avoiding your fate, and the double edged sword of adults playing children. SHOES ON THE TABLE!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world..." It's the longest running Broadway production. The ultimate "Mask4Mask" musical. The show that's kept classic sopranos employed for over 30 years. It's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA! That's right: the most enduring Andrew Lloyd Webber musical is here to be discussed and debated. Long-time friend Sofia Christensen joins the Breakdown to talk with Matt about reliving trauma, fangirling over Meg and Carlotta, and why it's best not to ask questions. SING FOR ME! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Do you hear the people sing?" C'est le gros chien: LES MISÉRABLES! Aka LES MIZ! The epic 3 hour pop-opera is given the epic Breakdown treatment with the grand return of our dearly loved Sutton Lee Seymour(@suttonleeseymour)!! Matt and Sutton get Parisian as they discuss the worldwide phenomenon and its impact on theatre kids everywhere. The two also discuss ruining your life over carbs, that time Matt sang in a recording of the show, and how LES MIZ uses repeated melodies correctly. BRING IT HOME, JEAN! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The sun has got his hat on!" It's the revival NO ONE saw coming! Yes, we're talking about the smash musical comedy ME AND MY GIRL! Fellow Broadway podcasters Kristina Miller-Weston and Bobby Traversa (MY FAVORITE FLOP) come on the Breakdown to discuss the 30's West End musical that found a second, richer life in the 1980's and went up against some major heavyweights! The three also discuss the weird romances in British aristocracy, the trickiness of doing a star vehicle, and why this extremely fun musical is basically a murder-less Agatha Christie novel. Doing the Lambeth Walk! OI! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"All these DOORS!" It's a gut-busting, pants-dropping, door-slamming night at the theatre! It has violence! It has alcohol! It has SARDINES! We're talking about the all-time classic farce NOISES OFF! Breakdown Friend Adam Elsberry (@adamels) returns to discuss with Matt the joys of British comedy, censorship on the London stage, and the kitty cat joke that's almost too risque for television. Join in the fun!!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Jellicles can and Jellicles do." You know it, you hate it, you love it, you secretly know at least two songs from it...it's CATS! Good friend and Sastress Amanda Lee Hawkins (@imamandahawkins) comes on the Breakdown to explore with Matt this feline fever dream that somehow ran for decades around the world. The two also discuss how horniness overrides most emotions, the song in CATS that no one expected to cry at, and the time Matt shouted Kerry Butler's age at BEETLEJUICE. TOUCH ME!!!!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"What's On?" If we're talking British imports, then we gotta talk about the West End's ultimate incubator for Broadway transfers: The Royal National Theatre!! Specifically, 4 BIG, IMPORTANT, SEXY PLAYS from the National. Breakdown Regular Ali Gordon (@msalicenutting) helps Matt tackle the first National play to come to Broadway(ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD), the first to become a sensation (EQUUS), one of the many unjustly overshadowed(THE PILLOWMAN), and the epic spectacle that made the Tonys question themselves (WAR HORSE). The two also discuss the importance of nonprofit theatre, casting celebrities to do Stoppard, and the Real Housewives. HEADS! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"What's new, Buenos Aires?" Things are HEATING UP with the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice Belt-A-Thon...EVITA! Even though the sung through "rock opera" is the team's follow up to their controversial SUPERSTAR, EVITA truly marks the team's arrival on the theatre scene...and their invasion of Broadway. Guest and Patti Lupone impressionist Jonathan Hoover (@inappropriatepatti ) joins Matt to discuss their favorite actresses who've played the fascist First Lady of Argentina Eva Peron, when Andrew Lloyd Webber used to get weird, and whether this classic musical is ACTUALLY good. DON'T CRY FOR US!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Please Sir, I want some more..." Welcome to the NEWEST series on Broadway Breakdown: The British Invasion, covering imports from the West End to our beloved Broadway! First up: OLIVER! Exclamation Point! The British Wave didn't start with this adaptation from the Charles Dickens novel, but it sure got its momentum from it. Guest Margaret Hall (GEMIGNANI) comes on to discuss with Matt the dark family entertainment plus its infamous sequel DODGER, the debate of whether the movie is better than the stage show, and why Matt is average. CONSIDER YOURSELF ONE OF US! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Hal...it's no longer about CATS." Oooohhh boy! Matt went and saw CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL, the wild, crazy and invigorating new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Feline Fantasia! Listen up for Matt's chaotic thoughts as well as his time sitting with Cynthia Erivo! PLUS!!! An invite to Broadway Breakdown's Discord Channel! Invite Link: https://discord.gg/jez6sDwB Join in on the Broadway Breakdown fun!!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Look at it, LOOK AT IT!" Guest/Alum of the Pod Jimmy Larkin (@letshearitforthechoice) closes out the Sondheim Series with ROAD SHOW(aka BOUNCE, aka WISE GUYS)! The two discuss why it took almost 20 years for the show to make it to NYC, lawsuits, and why writing a musical about incest may NOT be a great idea Plus! Matt reveals his official ranking of all the Sondheim musicals AND an announcement on the subject of the next series. BET YOUR LITTLE, TITTY BOY! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

IN THE HEIGHTS came out in theaters this week! What did Matt think? More importantly what did our resident movie musical critic, Matt's Mom, think?! Can a light entertainment be deep? Is it possible to have TOO many good ideas? And how are we all misusing hyperboles? FIND OUT! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Brek-kek-kek-kek!" Stephen Sondheim, Susan Stroman, and Nathan Lane...how could it lose? Well, we're gonna find out EXACTLY how. Breakdown Legend Ali Gordon comes aboard the River Styx to discuss with Matt the last new Sondheim score to hit Broadway...THE FROGS! And Ali is our Frogs expert because the bitch has actually SEEN the damn show! What a treat! The two discuss their time at theatre camp, meeting Nathan Lane at the stage door, and whether a show that makes fart jokes has the right to try to teach you a lesson. ALL ABOARD! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Everybody's got the right to be happy..." It took 13 years... but it got to Broadway and won some Tonys, to boot! That's right. We're talking ASSASSINS! This week, Matt is joined by musical artist Erin Markey to discuss the political-LSD-vaudeville and all the hang ups that go with it. The two also discuss Erin's experience performing as Squeaky Fromme at City Center, the importance of wigs, and why Matt is much more basic than originally thought. WE ARE UNWORTHY OF THIS EPISODE! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"This is nice, isn't it...?" Special guest Kevin Metzger-Timson (MT Trivia, Tara Rubin Casting) joins Matt to discuss the first fully formed musical Sondheim wrote: SATURDAY NIGHT! Despite being his first, it took almost 50 years to come to New York and even then...never got to Broadway. Matt and Kevin converse over the early mistakes of Sondheim, the insanely stacked cast of the show's NY premiere and SATURDAY NIGHT'S connection to an Oscar-winning actress that Matt has a signed movie poster from. What more do you NEED?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BONUS EPISODE! On a very special Breakdown, Matt sits with triple threat and beautiful soul Natascia Diaz (EVERY LITTLE STEP, SEUSSICAL, CAROUSEL) and oooohhhh is it WONDERFUL! During their conversation, Natascia discusses the difficulties and pay off of playing Fosca in PASSION, Matt talks about the time he yelled at someone in public about CAROUSEL and what it means to have a legacy. We TOLD you it was SPECIAL! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"So much happiness..." If Stephen Sondheim wrote for Taylor Swift...it would turn out to be PASSION. That's right! It's here! The last Tony-winning Sondheim musical in the series. Matt is joined by his dear friend Nur Pratama to discuss all things love, sex and sickness with this sexy Sondheim chamber opera. Together, Nur and Matt discuss what it means to be loved, getting booed on stage, and being too hot to know any better. Let's get EMO y'all!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"And I know things now..." Before SHREK, there was INTO THE WOODS! That's right, we've come to the classic fairy tale Sondheim musical that every high school in America has performed at one point in the last 30 years. But even though it's Sondheim's most produced musical, is it his best? Matt and guest Kevin Zak (CLINTON, WAITRESS) dive into all things witches, giants and beans and discuss the show's road to Broadway, its movie version and why the original production ruined everything. I WISH! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"GOD, I am so HOT." It's SUNDAY on a Thursday! We're talking all things SUNDAY IN THE PARK with our Resident GEORGE expert Emily Maltby (EVITA, ANASTASIA)!!! YESSSSS, Emily has returned to discuss even further her favorite musical in the Sondheim canon. Emily and Matt discuss secrets storylines, being immortalized and why Kim Cattrall would've been a great asset to the show. MOVE OOOOOOOOONNNN!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Hey, Old Friend..." From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows...here go with MERRILY! The big Broadway flop that almost made Sondheim quit the business, gave Liz Callaway her debut, and despite running for 16 performances has continued to survive and become beloved in its own right. Guest Jane Bruce (JAGGED LITTLE PILL) comes on to discuss re-written material, what "selling out" means, and why sweatshirts were the original Broadway production's downfall. HERE'S TO US!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt saw FOLLIES! TITANIC! HOME! HERE THERE ARE BLUEBERRIES! And he's gonna talk about all 4! Plus a glorious 1-star review he got Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Attend the tale..." Ooooooooohhhh it's the BIG ONE!! Broadway music director Justin Mendoza (BOOK OF MORMON, WICKED) discusses with Matt just about every element of this grand ol' cannibalistic musical/opera including stupid lovers, sociopathic actresses and what SWEENEY TODD has in common with LES MIS. God, that's GOOD! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Have some tea, My Lord..." 1976, Broadway met Kabuki with PACIFIC OVERTURES, and Sondheim fans have been arguing over it ever since. Guest Sam Simahk (MY FAIR LADY, THE KIND AND I, CAROUSEL) chats with Matt about the historical Sondheim musical's virtues and shortcomings, as well as diversity in musicals, Japanese history and telling your story. Next!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"RAISINS!!" The Sondheim Streak continues with one of the songwriter's biggest hits: A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC! Podcast alum Charlotte Maltby (THE SOUND OF MUSIC) returns to discuss all things delightful about the one Sondheim musical even your grandmother will love! Plus Matt and Charlotte get into how NIGHT MUSIC spawned Sondheim's biggest pop hit, Matt's personal connection to the original Broadway company, and what teen movie Matt thinks you should watch if you've been cast in NIGHT MUSIC. Hi Ho the Glamorous life!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I'm just a Broadway Baby" The Golden Age of Sondheim keeps going with the existential showbiz fever dream that is FOLLIES! Peter Koplik (aka MATT'S DAD) makes his Breakdown debut to discuss his longtime love for the musical. Plus the two discuss FOLLIES' connections to The Glass Menagerie, Fellini, and PADDINGTON 2! You'll love it, and we're not just being kiiiiiind! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I'd like to propose a toast..." A LITTLE SONDHEIM MUSIC gets conceptual with the marital musical COMPANY! Yes, we're finally entering the TRUE Sondheim era!! And who better to discuss the landmark musical than a member of the most recent Broadway production, Britney Coleman (SUNSET BOULEVARD, TOOTSIE, BEAUTIFUL)!!! Britney and Matt discuss the complex music, Bobby's sexuality, and the joys of being vapid. You'l loooooooooooooooooooooooove iiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"We're gonna be alright..." Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers and Arthur Laurents wrote a musical once and we ALL forgot about it!! Friend of the pod Adam Elsberry (THE WILD PARTY WARS PART 1 and 2)returns to Breakdown to discuss with Matt about what happens when your lead actors are TOO hot, how Sondheim missed the boat, and why the best characters in musicals are all essentially Samantha Jones from Sex & The City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I don't know, but it's BRILLIANT!" Things get weird w/ Daddy Sondheim's next musical about conformity, sanity and the power of a red wig: ANYONE CAN WHISTLE. Broadway historian Jennifer Ashley Tepper (author of the Untold Stories of Broadway Anthology) returns to the pod to discuss this truly whacky musical with Matt as well as the show's troubled process getting produced, including Angela Lansbury shouting in a stairwell, giving audiences the middle finger...and DEATH!!!! We and this pod...we just want to be LOOOOOVED! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"INTERMISSION!" We barrel into the 60's with the first Broadway score ENTIRELY written by our boy Stephen Sondheim. Broadway music director and former guest of the pod Patrick Sulken (PRETTY WOMAN, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS)stops by to discuss with Matt how such a successful show had such a disastrous out of town tryout, a score that works even though it doesn't fit the show, and why this musical may not be as dated as some would have you believe. TRAGEDY TOMORROW, COMEDY TONIGHT! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Impossible? Things are happening EVERY day!! Alum of the pod Jimmy Larkin (@letshearitforthechoice)joins Matt to interview legendary/award winning music director Paul Bogaev on his illustrious career on Broadway (CHESS, AIDA, SUNSET BOULEVARD). film (CHICAGO, NINE, DREAMGIRLS) and TV (CINDERELLA, ANNIE) including the making of the iconic CINDERELLA starring Brandy, the Tony winning actresses that ALMOST starred in AIDA, and how he turned non-singing movie stars into Broadway Babies!! It's a JUICY and THRILLING bonus episode of the Breakdown!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Children, go play in the alley..." We close out the Golden Age of Broadway with the iconic GYPSY. Often thought of as the perfect musical, Preston Max Allen (WE ARE THE TIGERS, CARRIE 2) comes on to discuss with Matt the show's brilliant writing, homoerotic undertones and missed opportunities. And Matt goes on to explain why Arthur Laurents was the best and worst thing to happen to GYPSY. Have an egg roll!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Stop texting me..." The 2024 Tony Awards occurred. Some shows won and some lost. People performed and the TV cameras got waaayyy to close for comfort. And Matt's royally annoyed at Alicia Keys. So let's talk about it! Friend of the pod James Seol (KPOP, COME FROM AWAY) is back to discuss the WHOLE Get Down and to wade through some of your comments. Let's get into it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Broadway Breakdown’s first mini-series “A Little Sondheim Music” where we go through the career of Stephen Sondheim. Friend of the Pod Andres Melendez comes back to dive into the show that gave our Broadway Daddy his Broadway debut...WEST SIDE STORY! The two discuss how the show has aged, if the movie version is ACTUALLY good, why "I Feel Pretty" is better than Sondheim will admit, and why most revivals fail. KEEP IT COOL, BOY! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THINGS ARE SHAKING UP HERE! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"There IS a contest...but she won." Tim Kov and Anna Hulkower (hosts of MY LITTLE TONYS) join Matt to dissect the numerous Tony wins of legend, icon and bubble bath taker Angela Lansbury! The group also discusses when the Tonys had Gays in the mezzanine, Elizabeth Taylor doing stand up, and that one telecast that had blackface...it's Angie's Turn! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The only thing hornier than Bridgerton is the 1982 ANNIE." Your favorite (or least favorite) redhead is front and center in a new episode of Breakdown! Fan favorite Dani Ticktin Koplik (aka MATT'S MOM) comes on to discuss with the opinionated host the origin, merits and flaws of the musical ANNIE and its subsequent movie versions. Is the the 1982 version too racist? Is the 1999 version too sweet? Is the 2014 version too ashamed it's ANNIE? And who the HECK thought it was a good idea to make all the orphans horny?! WE KNOW YOU'RE GONNA LIKE IT HERE! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Was it chaos or was it fun?" Fellow podcaster Kimberly Cooper Schmidt (BROADWAYSTED, BROADWAY BABY) takes Matt back to his college years when musical theatre was alive and well in Youtube concerts. Matt and Kimberly discuss the Broadway stars who were once Youtube unknowns, drugs in Angela Lansbury's dressing room, and why a great song can never be in a musical. CLAP YOUR HANDS! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"If anyone could write a musical of WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, it's Maltby and Shire..." Broadway Producer and Historian Jennifer Ashley Tepper (BE MORE CHILL, The Untold Stories of Broadway Anthology) discusses with Matt her love for the iconic songwriting duo of Richard Maltby Jr and David Shire (BABY, BIG). The two gush over the amazing scores the two have written as well as high school hobbies, what it means to be a dated musical, and why the 80's wasn't as bad a time for Broadway as some think. STARTING HERE! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"RUTHLESS is the Gay SAT's" It's our longest episode yet, Henny! Breakdown alum Morgan Reynolds comes back to discuss Matt's newfound love for the Off-Broadway camp fest RUTHLESS, which leads to discussions on Bernadette Peters' career as a producer, the history of gay culture, and why Tina Denmark is the hardest role for a child actor. ARE WE ALL LIT?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"It's not barbaric when you're a diva." Massive backstage drama, high belting arias, and MURDER! It's SUNSET BOULEVARD, baby! International ingenue Matt Leisy (PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, SWEENEY TODD) discusses his obsession with the noir Andrew Lloyd Webber musical and does battle with host Matt about who's a better Norma, when a principal role is actually the worst one in the show, and whether this musical is ACTUALLY good. Ready for you close up? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"What the f*ck is WILL ROGERS FOLLIES about?" Got Milk?? Spencer Glass ("It's the Day of the Show Y'all!") drops by the Breakdown and reminisces with Matt about Broadway in the 90's, including the debut of Laura Benanti, why THE LIFE's Tony performance shows true diversity, and who is Broadway's secret MILF. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"It's sort of the MAGNOLIA of Christmas movies." SURPRISE!!! Just in time for the holidays, Broadway Breakdown has gifted you a special bonus episode with recurring guest Ali Gordon ALL about the Netflix masterpiece/garbage fire that is "Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square." Matt and Ali get into EVERYTHING about this movie: the songs, the drama, and characters getting impregnated by Dolly Parton. FEEL THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Oi!" Hello again! Matt went to London! With his mom! And they saw some shows and did some things! Listen as the two discuss their London outings, plus their takes on OPERATION MINCEMEAT, GUYS AND DOLLS, STANDING AT SKY'S EDGE, and THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"All of his songs are bops" Look Out! Look Out! Look Out! Look Out! Devin Holloway (SOMETHING ROTTEN, MOTOWN, 42ND STREET) comes to the Breakdown to discuss his obsession with Disney tunesmith and purveyor of childhood dreams Alan Menken! Devin and Matt also discuss which recording of Little Shop is definitive, performing with legends, and the destruction of childhood imagination. ALLEY-OOP! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"How do you silence a woman who's known for her belt?" THE PROM is now on Netflix! And audio issues can't stop Matt from voicing his opinions with his iconic mother by his side. The two discuss the pros and cons of Ryan Murphy's movie adaptation of the stage musical. They also talk about the original Broadway production's secret weapon, why James Corden isn't the enemy, and how a wig can ruin a scene. IT'S TIME TO DANCE! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I'll eat some breakfast, then change the world." Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee're BACK! Broadway Encyclopedia and Perpetual Opinionated Gay Matt Koplik returns with special guest Jimmy Larkin (aka @letshearitforthechoice)!!! Jimmy stops by to discuss his obsession with the musical landmark HAIRSPRAY. The two also discuss Brandi in Cinderella, dressing up as Dorothy in homemade Wizard of Oz costumes, and why so many musical theatre actors don't like musicals. YOU CAN'T STOP THIS BEAT! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The last thing you wanna think when someone is having a murderous breakdown is 'This is a bop.'" PART 2!!! Matt and Adam decide ONCE AND FOR ALL: Which is the Better WILD PARTY? And does "best" always mean "favorite"? Can music be enjoyable but not effective? All of these questions (and many more) are answered! Get into it, Toni Collette! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices