Broadway Breakdown: Matt Reviews – ELF, TAMMY FAYE, SWEPT AWAY & DEATH BECOMES HER

Host: Matt Koplik
Date: November 24, 2024

Episode Overview

In this review-packed episode, Matt Koplik dives into four recent Broadway productions: Elf, Tammy Faye, Swept Away, and Death Becomes Her. True to form, Matt delivers sharp, passionate, and candid critiques, balancing snark with genuine appreciation for artistry. He also shares his philosophies on giving feedback, both as a critic and creator, and peppers his takes with signature wit and theatre insider perspective.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Housekeeping, Listener Feedback, and the “Art of Critique”

Timestamps: 00:30–07:30

• Matt reads out podcast reviews, embracing both praise and constructive criticism (“You don’t bitch slap me and then say, want to get a manicure? That’s just no.” [06:10])
• Emphasizes empathy and boundaries in giving creative feedback, especially when artists are still developing their work.
• Reflects on his approach to reviewing: “I try to be considerate of the fact that it’s actual people who worked on this... If I don’t like it, I explain why. I only get snarky if I feel like my time was wasted.” [05:57]
• General rule for feedback: Only offer constructive criticism if asked, respect process, and context.

ELF

Segment: 07:35–21:32

Overview

Matt reviews the third Broadway engagement of the holiday musical ELF, based on the Will Ferrell film. He enters with no expectations and leaves surprisingly delighted.

Highlights

• Admits to never having seen previous productions and only knowing two songs going in.
• On Gray Henson as Buddy:
  “Gray Henson as Buddy is extraordinarily perfect casting… makes the musical work… If he's eligible, I would absolutely nominate him for Actor in a Musical.” [11:52]
• Applauds the entire cast, notably Ashley Brown (great comedic instincts), Kayla Davion (as Jovi—“not a total ice queen”), and kid actor Kai Edgar.
• “We all know I don’t like kids on my stage, but this kid is solid. He sings like a tank engine.” [13:30]
• Critique: Show is “overly long” and could lose some scenes/songs but is “well-structured, with songs in the correct places.” [10:50]
• Technical/design: “Clever usage of tangible sets and projections... doesn't look cheap, it just looks streamlined.” [17:26]

Notable Quotes

• “You have to have one foot on the ground and one foot in the air.” [15:27; on acting style that fits the show]
• “Liam Steele’s choreography would be my number one right now for best choreography of the season, with a bullet.” [18:56]
• “It was joyful, it was delightful, and it was smart and clever... knows what it is and doesn’t try to be anything else.” [20:38]

Rating & Final Thoughts

• ELF achieves its Drowsy Chaperone-level ambitions; “They really worked to make this as delightful a time as they could, and they succeeded.” [21:24]

TAMMY FAYE

Segment: 22:04–39:33

Overview

Tammy Faye, a highly anticipated new musical by Elton John, Jake Shears, and James Graham, is reviewed after its disappointing run and swift closure.

Highlights

• Matt discusses the show’s critical and commercial flop status, playing only 29 performances.
• “Ultimate sin of Tammy Faye is that it is just so dull. I was really thrown by how boring I found it to be. And also under baked.” [24:48]
• Laments how Tammy Faye, as a character, is passive and the story offers no real perspective or deeper “angle.”
• “She just constantly reacts to things... The show is called Tammy Faye, she has to have more than that.” [28:55]
• Critiques the production design for failing to visually invoke Tammy Faye’s iconic style (“They don’t do Katy Brabin up in any way like Tammy Faye Baker... She just doesn’t give any of it.” [31:45])
• The musical’s book and songs are unfocused with “vague intentions executed semi-professionally... nothing got fleshed out after that vision board.” [37:12]
• The attempt to connect Tammy Faye to the queer community is “unearned,” highlighted by lines like “I couldn’t have done it without the gays,” which, in context, falls flat due to lack of narrative build-up. [35:56]
• Compares unfavorably even to other flops: “People on the Discord asked, is this worse than Lempicka? And I'm gonna say yes.” [24:20]

Notable Quotes

• “I wanted this to be a Diana, two and a half hours of strong and wrong choices that I would remember for the rest of my life. And it isn’t that.” [38:02]
• “Just a lot of vague intentions executed semi-professionally.” [37:12]
• Verdict: “With Tammy Faye, I would say it’s a nay.” [39:25]

SWEPT AWAY

Segment: 39:52–53:11

Overview

Swept Away is reviewed as the new jukebox musical using the songs of The Avett Brothers (who Matt had never heard of prior). Book by John Logan, directed by Michael Mayer.

Highlights

• Matt walks through the plot: a period tale of sailors, shipwreck, starvation, and cannibalism.
• Technical aspects praised: “The music for this show is handled incredibly well... The vocals are great. The arrangements are great. It is definitely the number one reason to see this show.” [40:52]
• Stagecraft wins: set by Rachel Hawke, lighting by Kevin Adams (“You feel the cold and you feel the wet with his lighting.” [49:56])
• Book and storytelling receive harsh critique: Predictable, tensionless, “The last two thirds...overwritten in text and underdeveloped in terms of story.” [46:50]
• “Considering it ends with cannibalism, you’d think it would be more engaging, and I just didn’t find it to be.” [45:56]
• Michael Mayer’s direction is an improvement over his recent work, but “not on the level of his original Spring Awakening or Hedwig.” [49:02]

Notable Quotes

• “For me, this was very underwhelming...there’s a lot of pretty wrapping paper...but you open the box and there’s nothing but tissue paper inside.” [50:45]
• “I was losing focus constantly. I was looking at the design, I was looking at the lighting grid, I was looking around me.” [48:33]
• Verdict: “Swept Away. That’s all she wrote. Underwhelming.” [52:56]

DEATH BECOMES HER

Segment: 53:31–79:24

Overview

Matt reviews the newly opened musical adaptation of Death Becomes Her (Meryl Streep/Goldie Hawn/Bruce Willis film), with a score by Julia Madison & Noel Carey, starring Jennifer Simard, Megan Hilty, Christopher Sieber, and Michelle Williams.

Highlights

• Admits: “I am not a fan of the movie... but I do know and admire Julia & Noel from college.” [53:32]
• “I had fun at Death Becomes Her. I did not have as much fun as I was hoping, though. And I think there are some reasons for that.” [56:45]
• Design: Lavish and clever—Nobel Prize-level marketing, Paul Tazewell’s costumes (“intentionally garish...but some ensemble costumes felt like 60% of an idea” [58:05])
• Book & score: Faithful to the movie; laughs every few minutes but wanted more pace and consistent momentum.
  • “If you want perfection...a fun number, but also a direct ripoff of the title song from Kiss of the Spider Woman.” [61:43]
  • “This is very clearly not for kids... This is a musical comedy for the 21 and older crowd... If you're going to be here, we're not going to soften the tone for you.” [64:44]
• Jennifer Simard as Helen: “She is the talent alien of our time... absolutely the number one reason to see this show.” [56:52]
  • Simard’s humor is “out of left field but always works. She is so locked in to this role... writing it like the Dom top she is.” [69:34]
• Megan Hilty “is a diva, incredibly talented, but Jennifer is a faggot, and you know exactly what I mean by that.” [69:42]
• Direction: Commends body double gags (not hiding the trick; “makes it all the funnier”), wishes for more inventive comedic vision throughout.
• Michelle Williams: “Looks great. Sounds great. Not an actress. Also would argue she doesn’t really have stage presence.” [72:25]
• Christopher Sieber: Underused in the Ernest role.

Notable Quotes

• “There are moments of spaghetti on the wall and Death Becomes Her and those are the best moments. And then there are times where you’re like, okay, this is fine.” [76:40]
• On performance style: “This is a glammed up drag show for Broadway.” [69:00]
• “Between the two, Jen is my pick. If I had to pick one for a nomination, I would pick Jen.” [76:45]
• “I would love more of the inventiveness of maybe happy ending to go into Death Becomes Her... Like, let’s think outside the box. Like, what’s some spaghetti we can throw at the wall?” [76:24]

Overall Impression

• Definitely a good time with fantastic leads, but could be even “weirder” and sharper with stronger comedic direction and more relentless pacing.
• Death Becomes Her is now a major Tony contender, especially for Jennifer Simard as Lead Actress.

Matt’s Current Season Ranking (Top 10)

Timestamps: 79:24–80:45

1. The Hills of California
2. Oh, Mary
3. Maybe Happy Ending
4. Yellowface
5. Sunset Boulevard
6. Death Becomes Her
7. Job
8. The Big Gay Jamboree
9. Drag the Musical
10. Once Upon a Mattress

Quick Categories:

• 1–4: “Really, really liked/loved this.”
• 5–6: “Enjoyed myself, I have notes, but more enjoyed than not.”
• 7–9: “Good or worthwhile time, but I had notes.”
• 10–17: Disliked to middling.
• 18–22: Hated or really disliked.

Memorable Moments & Choice Quotes

• On tough feedback:
  “You don’t bitch slap me and then say, want to go get a manicure? That’s just no.” [06:10]

• On ELF’s design & vibe:
  “Doesn’t look cheap, it just looks streamlined, and I was appreciative of that.” [17:49]

• On Tammy Faye:
  “Ultimate sin... is that it is just so dull.” [24:47]
  “It’s not even Lempicka, which is a bunch of strong and wrong choices... It’s just a lot of vague intentions executed semi-professionally.” [37:12]

• On Swept Away:
  “When you told me this musical was about swallowing Stark Sands, this is not what I had in mind. Sorry, let me say that again. Like Samantha Jones, honey, when you told me this musical was about swallowing Stark Sands, this is not what I had in mind. Which is. I'm sorry. That's funny. I'm funny.” [46:17]

• On Jennifer Simard:
  “She is so locked in to this role, to this material, to this tone, that she is riding it like the Dom top she is. She is a 12 out of 10, you know, causing a power outage on 46th Street.” [69:39]

Conclusion

Matt’s episode offers a bracing, thoroughly entertaining gauntlet of reviews—pinpointing where each show soars or staggers. Fans of smart, sharp, passionately delivered theatre critique will find his insights both illuminating and hilarious, with a sense of camaraderie for fellow fans, artists, and listeners.

Stay tuned for more reviews and deep dives, and don’t forget to check the Discord for ongoing convo and extra notes!