Broadway Breakdown LIVE: BroadwayCon 2025
Host: Matt Koplik
Guest: Grey Henson
Date: February 13, 2025
Episode Overview
In this charged, hilarious, and affectionate live episode of Broadway Breakdown—recorded at BroadwayCon 2025—host Matt Koplik and Tony nominee Grey Henson dive deep into the phenomenon that is Les Misérables. What begins as an audience-vote segment turns into an exuberant, freewheeling discussion of the show’s plot, its labyrinthine history, legendary performances (and mishaps!), the quirks of its various recordings, and personal connections to the musical.
The episode blends deep theatre nerdery, wild tangents, and biting wit, lovingly unpacking why—after almost four decades—Les Mis endures on the Broadway Mount Rushmore. Expect juicy stories, plenty of laughter, and a bevy of four-letter words.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Kicking Things Off: Audience Vote & Les Mis Intro
[00:04‒04:33]
- The live audience chooses Les Mis as the discussion topic over Mean Girls, Sweeney Todd, and Oklahoma.
- Matt pokes fun at the musical’s “insanely complicated” plot:
"A plot so simple that they had to put it in the playbill of the original Broadway production so audiences could follow along." — Matt [02:03]
- Grey provides a broad (and comedic) plot synopsis, with Matt’s help, highlighting the relentless misfortunes of Jean Valjean and others.
2. Personal Histories with Les Mis
[06:07‒18:32]
- Grey first encountered the show as a middle schooler in Georgia, gleefully recounting playing "a sailor in Lovely Ladies" and then graduating to Marius in high school.
- Matt reveals he appeared on MTI’s official High School Edition reference recording as a kid:
“If you listen to the reference recording… you’ll hear a little 12-year-old me go, ‘You broke the law, it's there for people to see.’” — Matt [15:35]
- Both hosts share nostalgia and embarrassment over earnest high school productions:
"Someone’s mom burned us a CD of our performance because we thought it was so amazing, which it was really not." — Grey [18:20]
3. Princess Tracks, Iconic Roles & Doubling
[06:40‒08:48]
- Matt explains the concept of a “princess track” i.e., Fantine:
“She comes on 20 minutes in, sings the most famous song, dies, does not come back for three hours... You can watch six episodes of Grey’s Anatomy between dying and coming back as a ghost.” — Matt [06:41]
- Hilarious Patti LuPone and Andrea McArdle stories highlight Broadway lore, including the infamous Skittles mishap:
“When she died, all the skittles fell out and slowly just, like, bounced their way into the pit... and it was like silence.” — Grey [08:31]
4. History & Noteworthy Performances
[09:44‒14:36]
- Discussion of Eponine’s iconic look and the "baggy coat" aesthetic.
- Matt waxes rhapsodic about Judy Kuhn (“Kunzy”) and the miracle of her Tony nomination for Cosette:
“Do you know how good you have to be to take that bale of hay of a role and turn it into Tony-nominated gold?” — Matt [11:10]
- Matt tells his “meeting Judy Kuhn” horror story, which ends sweetly:
“And Kunzie, to her credit, just goes, ‘Do you want a hug?’” — Matt [14:36]
5. Les Mis Editions & High School Productions
[14:41‒18:32]
- MTI’s High School Edition gets an affectionate roast. Matt recalls performing at the show's 2003 Broadway closing with future stars like Cristin Milioti.
6. Approaching Marius, The Most Muddled Role?
[18:32‒20:20]
- Grey on playing Marius:
"That was, me in high school was just like, youthful and kind and just wide-eyed... I think it was the first time I was like, ‘Oh, I think I can do this professionally.’" — Grey [18:38]
- Matt and Grey debate whether Marius’ journey is an “arc” or if he’s simply “someone to whom things happen.”
- Hilarious mutual shade at Marius:
“The wet blanket decides to get off the towel rack.” — Matt [33:55]
7. Musical Motifs, Plot Holes & Thematic Content
[20:21‒24:46]
- Matt dissects recurring motifs—even poking fun at their overuse:
“Some would… call it recycling melodies; I think of it as a motif.” — Matt [20:52]
- The hosts joke about the character relationships and plot holes, especially the presence of Eponine’s ghost at Valjean’s death:
“Why is Eponine there when Valjean dies? She met him for a second. I’m like, well, themes!" — Matt [22:12]
- They call out the show’s sprawling disorder:
"Don’t come at Les Mis with a fine tooth comb. That plot does fall apart in the stage show if you analyze it too much." — Matt [27:58]
8. Favorite & Least Favorite Songs: Ruthless Honesty
[28:17‒31:48]
- Both struggle with “Castle on a Cloud”:
“Unfortunately, my gut is telling me… Castle on a Cloud… if there’s one to cut, that, to me, is the most depressing song.” — Grey [29:06]
- Matt throws out “Turning” as unnecessary:
“That’s, I think, the only song that repeats the Lovely Ladies medley motif. Again, I couldn’t necessarily tell you why other than it’s two situations where there are women on stage.” — Matt [31:48]
9. The Movie Adaptation: Warm Praise and Scathing Critique
[31:57‒37:29]
- Matt laments the addition of spoken dialogue in the film adaptation:
“Here’s what I don’t like about adding dialogue to Les Mis… when you set a world where we’re singing text… and then… someone literally says, 'Hey, how are you?' Like, why are we not singing anymore?... It’s whiplash.” — Matt [32:17]
- Mixed feelings about the “singing live” approach in the film, with specific shoutouts (and side-eyes) to Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman:
“Tom Hooper, the director, said, you know what I hate about musicals? When they sound good.” — Matt [34:52] “But, like, that was when I was like, that's how you know there was not a single homosexual in that room that day.” — Matt [36:13]
- Grey defends the rawness of the film:
“Perfect, pretty singing is often boring… The story of Les Mis is a story of humanity in many ways… so I think in that way, I think the singing live was really exciting.” — Grey [37:11]
10. Rankings, Icons, and Recordings
[39:07‒46:44]
- Hands-up polls for favorite Les Mis recordings: 10th Anniversary Dreamcast, London OBC, Broadway OBC, and even the “Nick Jonas” cast.
- Heated debate on the best Valjean, Fantine, and Eponine. Is it Colm Wilkinson? Lea Salonga? Ruthie Henshall? Patti LuPone? Every fan gets their moment.
- Matt’s surgical breakdown of specific vocal moments—especially Colm Wilkinson’s “Took my flight... Like all of a sudden, Elphaba was in the room…” [41:46].
11. Legacy, 90s Mega-Musicals, and Revivals
[46:44‒49:07]
- Grey identifies Les Mis as the “quintessential Broadway show”:
“To me, Les Mis is Broadway. Like, that’s what I think of when I think of a Broadway show.” — Grey [46:34]
- Matt connects Les Mis’ vocal style to 90s mega-musicals (Ragtime, Titanic, Side Show), noting how the “big singing” sometimes lost touch with corresponding stakes.
- Discussion about whether Les Mis is due for another revival. Both want a return of the turntable staging, rather than digital projections.
12. Epic Fails: Backstage Mishaps & Iconic Flubs
[49:11‒52:31]
- Multiple tales of legends missing entrances, including Patti LuPone reading a magazine and missing her own ghostly entrance, and Colm Wilkinson nearly leaving Randy Graff stranded onstage.
- Grey’s vivid reenactment of Fantine crawling desperately across the stage for Valjean’s entrance, to major audience laughter.
13. Rapidfire: Ratings, Top Shows, and What Les Mis Means
[52:47‒56:00]
- Grey gives Les Mis a “9 or 9.5” out of 10 [52:59].
- Both hosts admit it’s in their top five and explain that the show flies by because it’s “sung through,” which they adore.
- Matt offers a parting shot:
“I think the real tragedy is thinking that you’re an Eponine, and then you’re actually factory girl number three in life.” — Matt [54:13]
- The show closes on a personal story about bonding over Les Mis with coworkers—underscoring the musical’s power to unite “straight boys and gays alike.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Fantine’s Role:
"You can watch six episodes of Grey’s Anatomy in between dying and coming back a ghost. It’s amazing."
— Matt Koplik [06:41] -
On Judy Kuhn’s Versatility:
"Some people can sing Florence in Chess. Those people can’t always sing Cosette in Les Mis… Judy Kuhn can do both."
— Matt Koplik [12:25] -
On High School Productions:
“Someone’s mom burned us a CD of our performance because we thought it was so amazing, which it was really not.”
— Grey Henson [18:20] -
Matt’s One-Liner on Plot Complexity:
“Don’t come at Les Mis with a fine tooth comb. That plot does fall apart in the stage show if you analyze it too much.”
— Matt Koplik [27:58] -
On the Movie’s “Live” Approach:
“Tom Hooper, the director, said, you know what I hate about musicals? When they sound good.”
— Matt Koplik [34:52] -
Ranking the Leads:
“Of all of the Valjeans, who’s your go to?”
— Matt Koplik [40:28]
“Oh, the OG. I mean, Colm.”
— Grey Henson [40:28] -
On Revival Staging:
“I would want a turntable again, though."
— Matt Koplik [48:59] -
On Les Mis’ Enduring Power:
"To me, Les Mis is Broadway. Like, that's what I think of when I think of a Broadway show."
— Grey Henson [46:34]
Timestamps for Major Segments
| Segment | Time | |-----------------------------|------------| | Audience Vote & Intro | 00:00–04:33| | Les Mis Plot & Princess Tracks | 04:33–09:44| | Iconic Broadway Stories | 09:44–14:36| | MTI High School Edition | 14:36–18:32| | Playing Marius | 18:32–20:20| | Motifs & Plot Chasms | 20:21–24:46| | Favorite/Least Favorite Songs | 28:17–31:48| | Les Mis Film Discussion | 31:57–37:29| | Best Recordings & Performers| 39:07–46:44| | Mega-musicals & Revival Chat| 46:44–49:07| | Backstage Hijinks | 49:07–52:31| | Final Ratings & Reflections | 52:47–end |
Final Thoughts
This episode is a love letter to Les Mis, its fans, and the glorious messiness of musical theatre obsessiveness. If you’ve ever belted “One Day More,” debated your favorite Valjean, or gone down a YouTube bootleg rabbit hole, this conversation is pure gold.
Find Grey Henson on Instagram: @greyhenson
Find Matt Koplik on Instagram: @mattkoplik