Broadway Breakdown Podcast Summary

Episode: LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!
Host: Matt Koplik
Guest: James Crichton
Date: February 2, 2023

Episode Overview

This episode of Broadway Breakdown features a passionate, free-wheeling deep dive into Terrence McNally’s seminal 1994 play Love! Valour! Compassion! as part of the podcast's "Big Move" series, spotlighting works that moved from Off-Broadway to Broadway. Host Matt Koplik and returning guest James Crichton explore the play’s history, production, legacy, and continued relevance (or lack thereof) in the queer theatrical canon, while also meandering into personal anecdotes, theatre gossip, and tangents about Broadway’s golden eras. Expect frank opinions, plenty of four-letter words, and a tone both affectionate and irreverent.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Broadway Context: 1990s Turning Point

• 90s Broadway Optimism:
  The hosts reflect on the early-to-mid 90s rebirth of American theatre, noting a shift away from the anemic 80s dominated by mega-musicals. Matt:
  "The 90s was the beginning of an optimistic turning point...started with plays and revivals of musicals and then got more so with original musicals." [02:36]
• 1995 Best Play Tony Lineup:
  Love! Valour! Compassion! was up against Arcadia, Indiscretions, and Having Our Say—a stacked season in retrospect, yet perhaps underappreciated at the time. The off-Broadway-to-Broadway transfer was rapid, reminiscent of more recent hit musicals like Hamilton.

2. Terrence McNally, Joe Mantello, & the Original Production

• McNally’s Career Renaissance:
  Having lagged in the late 80s/early 90s, McNally returned to prominence with Kiss of the Spider Woman, then hit his stride with Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class (Tony wins in successive years).
• Joe Mantello, From Actor to Director:
  Known as Lewis in Angels in America, Mantello quickly transitioned to directing, and this production was instrumental in launching his acclaimed directorial career:
  "He was not...a name director, and Spinella and Nathan [Lane] were like the biggest names in the cast..." [08:34]
• The Definitive Production:
  The hosts watched the Lincoln Center recording, which McNally called the "definitive" staging. They praise Mantello’s dynamic use of music and movement and acknowledge the power of the original ensemble—especially Nathan Lane, Stephen Spinella, John Glover, and Justin Kirk.

3. The Play’s Structure, Characters, and Themes

• Story & Character Overview:
  Eight gay men gather at Gregory’s country house over three holiday weekends (Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day). There are three main couples, one set of twins (played by the same actor), and the interloper Ramon.
  • Key characters discussed:
    • Arthur & Perry (the comparatively “straight-passing”, long-term couple)
    • Gregory & Bobby (May-December, dancer and blind younger boyfriend)
    • John (acerbic British composer) & his twin James (gentler), Ramon (the object of desire), Buzz (flamboyant, musical theatre-obsessed) [35:00]
• Inciting Incident—Infidelity:
  Ramon and Bobby’s late-night hookup is the “big event” that doesn’t derail everything as expected. Matt:
  "I can't tell if the play thinks that that incident does something or if it's tricking you into thinking that it's going to do something because it ultimately doesn't..." [34:58]
• Direct Address & Fourth Wall:
  The characters frequently break from scenes to narrate their memories or challenge each other’s versions; the structure is remarked upon as both Chekhovian and reminiscent of Heidi Chronicles or Torch Song Trilogy.
• Representation & Datedness:
  The original’s all-white, affluent cast is discussed as a product of its time. James:
  “It’s a bunch of affluent white men, mostly.” [16:03]
  They also touch on more recent, diverse queer narratives and shifting attitudes toward which stories are still revived or canonized.

4. AIDS, Tone, and Shifting “Gay Plays”

• From Anger to Nostalgia:
  The hosts compare Love! Valour! Compassion! (comedy with sadness) to Angels in America and The Normal Heart (rage with humor), noting the play is “one of the AIDS plays” but “not as angry, more bittersweet.” The genre’s evolution is mapped from activism to tragic nostalgia to current-day millennial malaise (e.g., The Inheritance, Significant Other). [15:05]
• Memorable Monologues & Moments:
  • The quiet intimacy of Perry (Spinella) and Buzz (Lane) stands out over showier, “important” speeches.
  • James:
    "Of all the people he wants to be there [when he dies], it’s Perry...that was just such a moment of intimacy..." [43:12]
• Humor as Shield:
  Lane’s Buzz is noted as both the comic relief and a window to vulnerability, with his encyclopedic Broadway memory and camp serving as armor.

5. Legacy, Impact, and “Definitiveness”

• Why No Revivals?
  Despite initial success and a movie adaptation, the play is seldom produced today. Matt posits:
  “It’s a product of its time, not just in content but in approach. It hasn’t returned because that original production was so definitive – and maybe the right director hasn’t come along again.” [13:00]
  • A powerful fun fact: Lincoln Center’s video archive restricts rewinding/rewatching to prevent directors from copying Joe Mantello’s staging for regional productions—a byproduct of past legal battles over copyrighting direction. [64:00]
• Awards & Recognition:
  • Tony for Best Play, recouped after 6 weeks on Broadway (aided by a special “Broadway Alliance” keeping costs down) [96:16]
  • Did not win the Pulitzer despite expectations; committee reported “liking” but not “loving” it.

Quotes & Notable Moments

• "Buzz knows the number of performances of all these shows..." — Matt, on Lane's Broadway-obsessed character [37:20]
• "We all put on masks, right? ... It's fun to be energetic and the center of attention from time to time, but no one is like that all the time. (Nathan Lane) does a really good job of...you realize it's a mask for being violently right." — Matt on Buzz as a character [52:22]
• "Sometimes the bonds of friendship can be...everything." — James, on what the play is really about [43:20]
• "I do think this is true of the queer community: there is a very specific energy and vocabulary to intimate queer friendships. It’s the reading challenge of Drag Race..." — Matt on the play’s banter [68:44]
• "A partner is a pillow, not a blanket. They are your support, not your protection." — Matt [93:58]

Standout Segments & Timestamps

• 00:05–06:00 — Opening Broadway context, explaining the “Big Move” series
• 09:00–13:00 — McNally’s career bounce-back; Mantello’s directorial emergence; off-Broadway-to-Broadway transfer details
• 34:00–41:00 — Plot outline, character breakdown, and how the play structurally operates
• 43:00–53:00 — Friendship, intimacy, and the telling Buzz/Perry relationship
• 58:00–63:00 — Original staging, 'definitive' production, and the legal/archival legacy (Lincoln Center restrictions)
• 96:00–104:00 — Awards, Tony history, and the economics/contracting that let the play succeed
• 121:00–123:00 — Discussion of closure and symbolic moments (the disposal scene as emotional turning point)
• Ending — Tangent-packed close, six degrees game, and Broadway trivia [131:41ff]

Running Themes & Takeaways

On Love! Valour! Compassion!’s Place in Queer Theatre:

• It is lauded for its humor, warmth, and ability to balance intimacy with broader, “important” themes.
• Some parts, especially monologues and the “future fates” epilogue, now feel contrived or forced rather than moving.
• The play is recognized more as a time capsule than an evergreen classic—profoundly of its moment.
• The all-white, all-male milieu, so revolutionary (and commercially surprising) at the time, now reads as limited.
• Despite that, the honesty of friendships, the banter, the messiness, and the specifics of lived queer life continue to resonate.

On the Original Cast and Creative Team:

• The guest and host heap praise on Mantello’s fluid, musical staging and the uniformly excellent cast.
• Point out that only Nathan Lane’s career truly skyrocketed as a result, reflecting shifting industry politics for out actors.

On Friendship, Love, and Infidelity:

• The guests both connect most with Perry (“I think honestly, I am most like Perry...A Perry with a Buzz rising.” — Matt [51:33])
• Their favorite elements are the play’s moments of everyday mess and affection, rather than the “statements” about AIDS or death.

Final Thoughts

Matt and James ultimately celebrate Love! Valour! Compassion! as an imperfect, dated, but emotionally true snapshot of 90s gay life—a play that can feel both comfortingly familiar and frustratingly out-of-step with today. It is an affectionate, geeky, and at times critical assessment, filled with behind-the-scenes lore, personal resonance, and a palpable love of queer theatre history.

Recommended for:

• Those interested in the evolution of LGBT+ theatre
• Fans of McNally, Mantello, or Nathan Lane
• Theatre nerds who love deep, candid analysis and tangents a-plenty

For particularly memorable insights:

• Check Perry and Buzz’s relationship breakdown and the “pillow, not blanket” metaphor [93:46–93:58]
• Catch the discussion on legal battles and staging copyright at [63:58–66:11]
• For laugh-out-loud banter and reading challenge energy, [68:44–71:05]

“Join us next week for God knows what, because this whole thing’s being done out of order, and I don't know, it's all a mess. And that's it for now. Have a great week, everybody. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you, James.” — Matt Koplik [135:55]