Broadway Breakdown with Matt Koplik
Episode: Matt Reviews: Punch, Waiting for Godot, ART, Bat Boy & More
Date: November 13, 2025
Host: Matt Koplik
Episode Overview
In this review-packed solo episode, Broadway Breakdown host Matt Koplik delivers blunt, hilarious, and deeply opinionated takes on the 2024–2025 theater season thus far. He digs into a diverse spread of both Broadway and Off-Broadway offerings, including Punch, Bo, Waiting for Godot, Seat of Our Pants, Art, Little Bear Ridge Road, and the City Center revival of Bat Boy. Throughout, Matt’s signature foul-mouthed passion, industry insights, and performer callouts keep the analysis fresh and entertaining for theater fans.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Punch (Manhattan Theatre Club)
[07:50–27:30]
- Premise: Written by James Graham (Ink, Dear England) and based on the true story/memoir of Jacob Dunn, who killed a young man with a single punch, leading to a journey of remorse and restorative justice.
- Matt’s Take:
- Graham’s signature is “cinematic” playwriting—“He writes plays like screenplays. There will be scenes that could be no longer than 30 seconds before moving on to the next scene.”
- The first act is “energetic, fluid,” but “distancing,” making it “difficult to care.”
- Praises the use of a “concrete jungle gym” set—abstract but effective.
- Standout scene: the restorative justice meeting between Jacob Dunn (Will Harrison), James Hodgkinson’s parents (Victoria Clark and Sam Robards), and a counselor:
“The entire audience held their breath… It’s the only moment of the play that really felt genuinely human where everything kind of just stopped.” [22:30]
- Tony Chances:
- Not ruled out for Best Play (depending on what’s original vs revival), possibly on the shortlist for nominations.
- Potential noms: Will Harrison (Lead Actor), Victoria Clark (Featured Actress), maybe sound and lighting; but "I'm gonna bet the under right now."
- Quote:
“I always just sort of feel like I admire his creativity... I just never feel that it all adds up to a really captivating whole. Captivating hole. I will always be seven years old, you guys.” [17:55]
2. Bo (St. Luke’s Theatre)
[27:30–44:25]
- Summary: A gay coming-of-age, country-infused musical, music/lyrics/book by Douglas Lyons, directed by Josh Rhodes, starring Matt Rodin as Ace.
- Music & Staging: High praise for the “catchy” and stylistically varied country-flavored score.
- Matt Rodin:
“He has charisma coming out of every pore of his body… With the voice he has, his acting capabilities, his charm, his stage presence, his musical abilities with instruments, it’s just like, what are we waiting for?” [37:00]
- Critique: Enjoyable, not maudlin or trauma-focused—focuses on resilience and growth. Matt wishes the central relationship (Ace and grandfather Bo) had been developed even deeper and faster emotional turns earned more gradually.
- Final Thought: Recommends it highly despite critique—“It’s like 95 minutes. So please, like, just... It’s shorter than most movies these days. Just give it a chance.” [44:10]
3. Waiting for Godot (Broadway, Jamie Lloyd dir.)
[44:30–01:07:55]
- Cast: Alex Winter (Didi/Vladimir), Keanu Reeves (Estragon/Gogo), Brandon J. Dirden (Pozzo), Michael Patrick Thornton (Lucky).
- Notable:
- Pronunciation: “It is pronounced Godo.”
- Gives background on Beckett’s intent and the play’s origin as “theater of the Absurd.”
- Matt’s Take:
- Admits never loving the play—“I’ve never cared about it,” but “this production wasn’t as painful to sit through as I expected.”
- Praises Alex Winter’s pathos and Dirden’s “big dick energy” as Pozzo:
“One foot in sort of the elevated and animated intellectual element...while also having a modern aura I could grasp onto and a naturalism I could understand.” [1:02:50]
- Jamie Lloyd’s design: monochromatic “long tunnel” set, ASMR-level sound; effective, if cold.
- Tony Chances:
- Likely Best Revival nominee unless major spring contenders bump it. Design nods likely; Dirden possible for Featured Actor.
- Quote:
“Considering that I hate Keanu Reeves as an actor—despite so many movie podcasts I listen to try to gaslight me into thinking that he is actually good—...I wasn’t counting the seconds either.” [53:50]
4. Seat of Our Pants (Public Theater)
[01:08:00–01:37:05]
- Summary: A musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s Skin of Our Teeth, book/music/lyrics by Ethan Lipton, directed by Leigh Silverman.
- Production & Structure: Experiments with fourth wall breaks, non-linear time, and metafiction—“a mess of a play that is interesting. I don’t find it compelling, but I find it interesting.”
- Music & Staging:
- First act praised for LaChiusa-esque music; declines after that.
- “The best person in the show is Michaela Diamond,” who “sounded fantastic” and brought maturational depth as Sabina.
- Technical issues plague the production (awkward theater configuration, interminable scene changes).
- Final Thought:
“It was such theater kid energy in a way that was like, ‘art can change the world and our art will change your world forever.’ And it just didn’t.” [1:36:35]
5. Art (Broadway, Scott Ellis dir.)
[01:37:07–01:52:40]
- Cast: Bobby Cannavale (Marc), Neil Patrick Harris (Serge), James Corden (Yvan)
- Play Summary: A comedy of manners about three men whose friendship is tested by the purchase of an all-white painting.
- Matt’s Take:
- Dings Yasmina Reza’s “living room...Noel Coward-esque” writing as artificial:
“She creates characters that don’t really exist. They are paper dolls that can sort of stand in place for an idea.” [1:43:50]
- Acting: Corden is “the best thing about this”—gives the crowd-pleasing Yvan monologue.
- Cannavale is “enthusiastic but miscast,” fitting more into Scorsese than Woody Allen territory.
- Direction and set are “ugly” and lack energy.
- Dings Yasmina Reza’s “living room...Noel Coward-esque” writing as artificial:
- Tony Odds:
- Possible—if not likely—Best Revival candidate. Corden has a strong shot at Featured Actor.
- Quote:
“It’s not terrible. It’s also incredibly missable.” [1:52:17]
6. Little Bear Ridge Road (Samuel D. Hunter, dir. Joe Mantello, Broadway debut)
[01:52:41–02:16:30]
- Summary: A moody, slice-of-life drama about Ethan (Micah Stock), who returns home (rural Idaho) post-pandemic to settle his father's house, and the codependent relationship with his aunt (Laurie Metcalf).
- Matt’s Take:
- “The play is an exercise in slice of life. No scene itself is overly dramatic.”
- Expresses mixed feelings—admires Hunter’s refusal to sentimentalize, loves Metcalf’s deeply nuanced performance (“knows how to be dropped in and grounded while also hitting the back row of the theater”).
- Praises John Drea as James; less fond of Micah Stock’s “very off putting and strange” Ethan.
- Enjoys the production’s mood and design, but wishes for greater dramatic impact.
- Comedy & Humanity:
- Appreciates the unassuming, quiet moments: “...small moments of gratitude that...in other contexts would seem basic or small, you understand the magnitude of that because you spent enough time with these characters to see what that love language actually is.”
- Tony Prospects:
- Very likely for Play, Actress (Metcalf), Director, and possibly Lighting. Acting noms besides Metcalf less certain.
- Quote:
“After seeing it and then some people kind of coming out and going, eh, it was okay, or people hating it. And then other people being like, oh, my God... I would even be willing to see it again.” [2:12:50]
7. Bat Boy: The Musical (City Center Encores)
[02:16:32–End]
- Context: 2001 Off-Broadway cult musical by Laurence O'Keefe and Keythe Farley, tabloid-inspired story of a boy found in a cave, wrapped in parody/horror camp.
- Casting: Taylor Trensch (Bat Boy), Carrie Butler (Meredith), Chris Sieber, Gabby Karuba, Andrew Durand.
- Production Changes:
- Expanded orchestra, no more character doubling (“takes away from the threadbare charm”), several new/rewritten songs (“lateral changes—those are the ones that actually always hate the most”).
- Pacing feels longer and less tight, but “really well cast”.
- MVPs:
- Carrie Butler: “Carrie sounds and looks phenomenal. Just like not a day has gone by... She is still 21. She’s 90. She’s 21.”
- Taylor Trensch: “His physical transformation as Edgar from animalistic Bat Boy into the more refined...really beautiful.”
- Possible Broadway Transfer: Rumored to be in the works but unsure if Bat Boy can fill a Broadway house commercially.
- Quote:
“It is a campy, campy time and really works the best when it’s done in an intimate theater probably off Broadway with a rinky dink set... But they make the most of it and they make it work for the space that it’s in.” [2:22:00]
Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
- “The entire audience held their breath… It’s the only moment of the play that really felt genuinely human where everything kind of just stopped.” (Punch) [22:30]
- “He has charisma coming out of every pore of his body.” (On Matt Rodin, Bo) [37:00]
- “I always just sort of feel like I admire his creativity...I just never feel that it all adds up to a really captivating whole. Captivating hole. I will always be seven years old, you guys.” (Punch) [17:55]
- “You can tell that there’s been time between the two.” (On Bat Boy’s new songs) [2:23:45]
- “It was such theater kid energy...and it just didn’t.” (Seat of Our Pants finale) [1:36:35]
- “Art is an example of that where you’re like, can you just get to it? Can you just get to the conclusion?...Each time that happens, more air gets let out of the balloon.” [1:50:50]
- “This is a very well cast production of Batboy, everyone is well suited for their roles.” [2:19:14]
- “Carrie Butler sounds and looks phenomenal. Just like not a day has gone by for Carrie Butler.” [2:19:38]
Timestamps for Key Shows
- Punch: 07:50–27:30
- Bo: 27:30–44:25
- Waiting for Godot: 44:30–01:07:55
- Seat of Our Pants: 01:08:00–01:37:05
- Art: 01:37:07–01:52:40
- Little Bear Ridge Road: 01:52:41–02:16:30
- Bat Boy: 02:16:32–end
Summary Tone & Final Thoughts
Matt’s tone throughout is wry, sardonic, and deeply engaged—never afraid to drop a four-letter word or call out a famous name. His commentary is both entertaining and informed, balancing personal anecdote (“I played Bat Boy at, where—take a sip—Stagedoor Manor”) with sharp evaluation of craft and industry. Where some shows fared better than others, Matt’s throughline remains: articulate truth with theater-kid heart and a healthy dose of skepticism.
Next episode tease: Look for a two-part deep dive on Great Comet with Natalie Walker.
Further engagement: Written reviews at bwaybreakdown.substack.com, and join the Discord for further Q&A.