Broadway Breakdown – Matt Reviews: RAGTIME, LEFT ON TENTH & SH*T. MEET. FAN.

Host: Matt Koplik
Release Date: November 3, 2024

Episode Theme and Overview

In this episode, Broadway’s “least famous and most opinionated” podcaster Matt Koplik offers his deeply candid, frequently foul-mouthed, and always passionate reviews of three current New York City theatrical productions: Sht. Meet. Fan.* (MCC Theater), Ragtime (City Center Encores!), and Left On Tenth. His takes range from nerdy analysis to show-biz tea, with biting humor and Broadway realness.

Key Episode Sections

• Intro and Housekeeping (00:30–06:00)
• Sh*t. Meet. Fan. at MCC Theater
• Ragtime at Encores!
• Left On Tenth at the James Earl Jones Theatre
• Final Thoughts and Sign-Off

Intro and Housekeeping (00:30–06:00)

• Matt gives election day reminders, discusses fundraising for his play ("because that's theater for you. We are terrible with money. We are terrible with numbers." – Matt, 03:44).
• Quick shout-out to Jersey Boys at Paper Mill (not a formal review); joy at seeing talented friends perform.

Sh*t. Meet. Fan. (MCC Theater) (06:00–24:04)

Premise and Origin:

• Written/directed by Robert O’Hara, adapted from the Italian film Perfect Strangers ("the most remade film that hasn't been turned into an English language film" – 07:30).
• (Not) fun fact: Harvey Weinstein owned the U.S. rights, which may explain no English film adaptation (07:50).

Ensemble Cast:
Neil Patrick Harris, Jane Krakowski, Debra Messing, Garrett Dillahunt, Constance Wu, Trammell Tillman, Michael Oberholtzer.

Concept:

• Affluent friends gather during an eclipse; play a game where all phones are shared with the group—secrets unravel ("when in doubt, think infidelity" – 08:59).

Tone & Structure:

• Over-the-top comedy meets "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "God of Carnage" with a sprinkle of attempted social commentary.
• "Everyone is a caricature on purpose. And then of course, everyone's supposed to contain multitudes throughout the course of the night. ... The play is mostly a comedy." (09:29)

Notable Performances:

• Debra Messing’s "most convincing drunk acting I've seen on stage in a long time" (09:50).
• Best acting: Constance Wu and Trammell Tillman for believable, consistent character work.
• Critique: Jane Krakowski plays it "like a more controlled Jenna Maroney" (11:10) – her well-known comedic persona distracting in this context.

Genre and Direction Issues:

• Lack of consistent tone or escalation ("It does not build the way 'God of Carnage' does. ... It has some funny moments, but it's not great." – 14:43).
• Key comedic bits ("We're swallowing loads now," 15:56) are funny but unearned due to plotting that doesn’t quite line up.

Ending and Meaning:

• The ending is a "sliding doors situation"—one version where secrets are exposed, one where everyone remains blissfully ignorant ("What is to be gained from being truthful? ... Can you be happy if it is based off of a lie?" – 18:10).
• Matt finds the Italian movie as probably making more sense emotionally compared to the "yuppie Brooklyn" setting.

Quote Highlights:

"You have to let go and let God in order to enjoy the jokes." (16:07)

Memorable Moment:

• Matt on the play’s New York apartment view: "That view doesn't exist. There is no apartment in Brooklyn that has that view." (22:24)

Ragtime (City Center Encores!) (24:04–57:48)

Background:

• Classic 1990s musical adaptation of E.L. Doctorow’s novel; beloved source material ("cast from Fucking Heaven" – 25:40).
• Recent Encores! production rumored for Broadway transfer.

Personal Reaction:

• Matt doesn't cry seeing Ragtime, but weeps listening to it alone ("I was listening to Peter Friedman's 'Gliding' and I started to sob." – 27:05).
• "If you're somebody who's just like, give me that music… this is the production for you."

Encores! Production Qualities:

• Full orchestra, mostly strong cast, but minimalist/directorially "hands-off" approach.
• "They don't really do anything else. ... Which is code for: they don't do anything with the material. They sing it well. They acted fine." (30:03)
• The production’s significance heightened primarily because of present-day political context, rather than anything done onstage.

Casting Discussion:

• Best performances:
  • Brandon Uranowitz as Tateh: "I'm going to give the edge to Brandon Uranowitz here. ... He obviously doesn't have like the rough quality of a singing voice that Peter Friedman did... but Brandon understands who he is." (36:38)
  • Joshua Henry as Coalhouse Walker, Jr.: "He is such a perfect fit for that role. ... My biggest issue is ... Nichelle Lewis as Sara, she's fine. She's got an amazing voice... but she doesn't really bring much to it." (39:20)
• Mother:
  • Casey Levy "does not get the respect she deserves as an actress," but is "mismatched" for this period role.
  • In-depth technical breakdown of "Back to Before" and shifting vocal styles over decades (50:05).
  • "Mother begins the show and as a soprano of the early 1900s. And she ends as a belter of the 90s." (52:13)

Production Critique:

• "I do not think that this production is special enough to move to Broadway."
• Too reliant on strong material ("That is why this Ragtime succeeds. ... Not because anyone brings anything to it." – 31:50)
• No major innovation; minimal directorial signature ("You don't have to do a Jamie Lloyd reinterpretation... but you do have to have a point of view." – 56:23)

Quote Highlights:

"Everyone involved with 'Ragtime,' that original incarnation. They were brilliant artists ... and made a really strong musical with an incredible score." (54:03)

Memorable Moment:

• Extended riff on how mother’s "arc" is truly about learning to belt ("Mother learns to belt" – 52:13), with references to Marin Mazzie and how performances have changed over the years.

Left On Tenth (James Earl Jones Theatre) (58:21–90:51)

Premise:

• Written by Delia Ephron (Nora’s sister), based on her memoir about loss, finding love late in life, cancer, and dogs.

Matt’s Unfiltered Take:

• "I’m not gonna tell you that this play was good. I’m not gonna tell you there was really anything good about it." (59:47)
• He attempts politeness, declaring exhaustion after a busy month—but ultimately finds the play “objectively not good.”

Story & Structure Problems:

• "They do try to liken it to a romantic comedy without actually delving into why romantic comedies work." (01:00:34)
• No real conflict or dramatic progression (“more. And then this happened. And then this happened.” – 01:13:37)
• Overreliance on narration – “narration is tricky because it can work very well. And it could also be an absolute crutch and detriment to any kind of drama or tension.” (01:03:31)

Performances:

• Julianna Margulies (Delia): "I do not think that Julianna Margulies fits for stage. Her talent for acting is in tune with the medium of film. She does not know how to make herself bigger for stage. Louder. She doesn't know what to do with her body." (01:19:10)
• Peter Gallagher: Charming as always, but "he doesn’t have anything to play other than just being charming, which he can do." (01:20:35)
• Praise for supporting actor Kate McCluggage for multiple memorable character turns.
• Most memorable cast member: the dog named Nessarose as Honey, because “a wicked fan definitely adopted that dog and let that dog perform in Left on 10th” (01:04:56).

Direction and Design:

• Production feels inert, ill-paced. Set is "unattractive, kind of lumbering," design elements awkward or cheap-looking. (01:06:53)
• "Susan Stroman ... isn't giving either of them anything. You would at least think as a choreographer, Susan Stroman would be able to fill that production with movement... Make that thing flow. ... It has no pacing.” (01:22:26)

Best/Worst Lines & Unintended Comedy:

• Out-of-place lines become running jokes:
  • "Actually, I had AIDS."
  • "I am a leukemia patient now."
  • "I should just go to Monte Carlo and die."
  • "Every man from Northern California wears a backpack." (01:27:42)
• Contextless or delivered poorly, Matt finds them absurd, unintentionally funny.

Industry & Cultural Commentary:

• Frustration at nepotism and limited opportunities: “I know so many people who've written such amazing things and can't get their foot in the door. ... So when you see something that is just rotted to the core of not a good script, poorly designed, absentmindedly directed. You just sit there and you get angry.” (01:31:16)
• Stresses the importance of honest criticism, even with respect for artists: "If everything is good, nothing is good. And theater tickets are too expensive now for me to just blindly say that everything is the thing to [see]." (01:35:45)

Final Assessment:

• "The unanimous response from the community is harshly negative. Believe me when I say that Tony chances, probably none. Not even probably none. I can't imagine this going anywhere." (01:30:00)
• "Some things just come and are left on 10th." (01:34:17)

Final Thoughts and Sign-Off (90:10–end)

• Matt reiterates his non-cynical but honest approach: “I’m not a total negative Nancy. ... Ragtime does not overwhelm me in the way that it overwhelms other people. The music does. ... and this Encores production is nice. It’s very nice.”
• Upcoming: Little Shop of Horrors episode, more reviews on the way.
• Encourages reviews, joining Discord, donating to the play, and comes full circle.
• Closes the episode (as promised) with "Back to Before" sung by Marin Mazzie.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “You have to let go and let God in order to enjoy the jokes.” (16:07, on Sht. Meet. Fan.*)
• “Mother learns to belt. Mother begins the show as a soprano of the early 1900s. And she ends as a belter of the 90s.” (52:13, on Ragtime)
• “I’m not gonna tell you that this play was good. I’m not gonna tell you there was really anything good about it.” (59:47, on Left On Tenth)
• “If everything is good, nothing is good. And theater tickets are too expensive now for me to just blindly say that everything is the thing to [see].” (01:35:45)
• “Some things just come and are left on 10th.” (01:34:17)

Summary Table of Reviews

| Show | Venue | Overall Impression | Standout Elements | Issues/Criticisms | |---------------------|--------------------|--------------------|-------------------|------------------------------| | Sh*t. Meet. Fan. | MCC Theater | Mildly entertaining, not great | Constance Wu & Trammell Tillman performances; some funny bits | Tone/genre issues, shallow satire, logic gaps, unearned ending | | Ragtime | City Center Encores| A “nice” Encores production, not revelatory | Joshua Henry & Brandon Uranowitz; classic score | Lacks directorial vision/staging, some miscasting | | Left On Tenth | James Earl Jones | Objectively "not good", harsh consensus | Kate McCluggage’s versatility, the dog | Direction, pacing, writing, set, performances, structure |

For Further Listening

• Upcoming episode: Little Shop of Horrors with Sutton Lee Seymour
• Deep Dives planned, including a Passion episode

For more reviews, community, fun, and occasional theater shade, check Matt on the Broadway Breakdown Discord and visit bwaybreakdown.substack.com.