Broadway Breakdown: Matt Reviews – THE WILD PARTY (Encores)
Host: Matt Koplik
Date: March 24, 2026
Episode Overview
Matt Koplik delivers a passionate and unfiltered review of the New York City Center Encores production of Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe’s The Wild Party. In true Matt fashion, he dives deep into the history, material, artistic merits, and production choices of this seldom-revived Broadway musical, breaking down performances, direction, and the complex DNA of the show itself. Listeners can expect unapologetic opinions, deep musical-theatre analysis, and colorful language as Matt weighs what makes The Wild Party simultaneously thrilling and problematic.
Episode Structure
- Background & History of The Wild Party
- Comparing the LaChiusa and Lippa Versions
- Analysis of the Encores Production
- In-depth Cast/Performance Breakdown
- Direction, Design, Staging
- Notable Changes & Moments in This Production
- Concluding Thoughts & Legacy
1. Background & History of The Wild Party
[01:30]
- The Wild Party is based on Joseph Moncure March’s 1920s poem about Queenie and her boyfriend Burrs, vaudeville performers who throw a debauched party that ends in murder.
- “Spoiler alert… it ends with the murder of Burrs.” – Matt [02:25]
- The poem fell out of fashion until Art Spiegelman’s illustrated version in the 90s inspired both Michael John LaChiusa and Andrew Lippa to compose separate musicals, each premiering almost simultaneously.
- LaChiusa’s version, produced by George C. Wolfe, ran on Broadway in 2000 with a star-studded cast (e.g., Toni Collette, Mandy Patinkin, Eartha Kitt) but struggled commercially and critically.
- Lippa’s Off-Broadway version at Manhattan Theatre Club never made it to Broadway but became more frequently performed, known for its cabaret-ready songs.
2. Comparing the LaChiusa and Lippa Versions
[06:00]
- Lippa’s show focuses tightly on a love quadrangle and is “much easier to swallow” with pop-influenced “bops,” while LaChiusa’s is harsher, more complex, and deeply engaged with issues of race, gender, and identity.
- “The LaChiusa version is a much harsher vibe musically, and just overall. It deals a lot more with race…” [07:45]
- “[LaChiusa’s music is] the sensation of being a cat in heat…you’re just basically, you’re pulling a J.D. Vance and you’re fucking the cushions.” – Matt quoting Adam Elsbury [18:00]
- Neither adaptation fully “works”; both struggle against the poem’s inherently episodic, unfocused structure.
3. Analysis of the Encores Production
[16:30]
- Excitement centers on hearing LaChiusa’s score “live” in New York for the first time since 2000.
- “This score by Michael John LaChiusa is one of the greatest musical theater scores of the 21st century.” [23:30]
- The Encores series was designed as a semi-staged concert presentation; over time, expectations have evolved for more complete, Broadway-ready productions.
- Limitations: Short rehearsal, orchestra must be onstage (no pit), playing area/wing space is shallow, limited time for actors and design.
4. Cast & Performance Highlights
[33:00]
Matt ranks principal performers from most to least successful, with detailed commentary for each:
Top Performances
- Jasmine Amy Rogers (Queenie) [23:50, 33:50]
- “Jasmine Amy Rogers as Queenie is THAT bitch… the most fully realized performance.”
- “She is about 90% there… which is extraordinary for an Encores process.”
- “What she’s missing is a bit of vulnerability and fear… but she gets there in the last 15 minutes.”
- Adrienne Warren (Kate) [39:00]
- “Adrienne Warren is actually kind of pretty, pretty perfect for this role of Kate… She wears success very well.”
- “Lovely bond with Jasmine; you totally buy their history.”
- Joseph Anthony Byrd & Wesley J. Barnes (Phil & Oscar D’Armano, black gay vaudevillians) [47:00]
- Byrd as Phil: “Has a lot of attitude, a lot of flair… It’s a little easier to make an impression as Phil for me.”
Other Notables
- Megan Murphy (Madeline True, the almost-famous lesbian stripper) [50:30]
- “She has a great husky alto singing voice…[but] opted out of some high notes, probably due to vocal fatigue.”
- Jordan Donica (Burrs) [54:00]
- “Danica is good…but I never felt fearful of him, because after awhile, he just plateaued.”
- Critique on relentless ‘shoutiness’: “There’s a lot of power in restraint, guy. There’s a lot of power in standing still.” [1:03:45]
- Betsy Morgan (Sally) [1:06:40]
- “Able to make an impression as Sally, despite a microscopic role.”
- Tanya Pinkins (Dolores, originally played by Eartha Kitt) [1:10:00]
- Smart, interesting, “sounded pretty good”—but lacks “fire” and intensity essential to the role.
- “Eartha Kitt basically was like Larry Kramer in drag… [Dolores] is a survivor; she is the ‘I’m Still Here’ from Follies.”
- Others (mixed to underwhelming): Claiborne Elder as Jackie, Jelani Aladdin as Black, Evan Tyrone Martin as Eddie, Leslie Margarita as Mae [1:17:00–1:26:00]
- Multiple roles described as “fine,” “serviceable,” but lacking nuance or emotional range.
Memorable Quote
“May is a comedic role, that is true, but it’s also a singer’s. …Somebody who’s truly fucking dumb and out to lunch does not have the ability to give a quip like, ‘You get more ass than a toilet seat, and I bet you make them all call you the champ.’” [1:25:15]
5. Direction, Design, and Staging
[1:29:00]
- The original production’s vaudeville/black-box-inspired fluidity is replaced here by a “very literal” and static unit set, limiting the show’s kinetic party energy.
- Production design by Arnel Sanchianco, costumes by Linda Cho (“period-appropriate but could be more stylish”), lighting by Justin Townsend (“more functional than atmospheric”).
- “Honestly, for me it was giving Stage Door Manor. Everyone take a shot: Stage Door Manor!” [1:32:30]
- Choreography by Katie Spelman: “Solid” but “could have had a bit more fun… this show has nasty stank to it, in a good way.”
- Matt finds direction by Lili-Anne Brown unspecific and lacking in bold choices:
- “She doesn’t really have a visual point of view, and she doesn’t really allow the cast to congeal or give enough for them to play off.” [1:37:30]
- Specific actor feedback he wishes had been given (e.g., on Queenie & Burrs’s dynamic, or Dolores’s fire).
6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On the show’s sexual tension:
- “It’s a hot show, but the sexiness about it isn’t hot… There’s all this sex, but it’s not sexy.” [15:10]
-
Ranking the score:
- “This score by Michael John LaChiusa is one of the greatest musical theater scores of the 21st century. …It’s audacious and it is smart, but it’s creative and it’s exciting.” [23:30]
-
On directorial restraint:
- “You’d be surprised how much longer you’re able to maintain yourself if you hold off on going for broke immediately. There’s a lot of power in restraint, guy, a lot of power in standing still.” [01:04:15]
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On Tanya Pinkins as Dolores:
- “I want her in those kitten heels to plant her feet, look at 2,200 people—half of whom probably don’t know what the fuck they signed up for—and belt in their mouths. …And we would have leapt to our feet. …It was enthusiastic applause, not voracious applause.” [01:13:30]
7. Notable Changes & Ending
[1:42:00]
- Production cuts the number “Golden Boy.”
- Final confrontation is changed: LaChiusa’s original makes it a tense scene without music, while Encores adds a choral section.
- Matt wishes they hadn’t cut Burrs’ final manic sequence exposing others' secrets: “I think it’s really, really compelling material. It’s harsh, it’s upsetting—but that’s on purpose.” [1:45:45]
- Matt critiques the sound design, crucial for this percussive, intense score.
- “You need that music to wash over you, especially the drums. …Get your hands on the bootleg.” [1:48:30]
8. Conclusion: The Messy Legacy
[1:51:00]
- The Wild Party will always have flaws—its structure’s messiness, ending’s abruptness—but Matt celebrates its ambition, heat, and musical brilliance.
- “That’s sort of the beauty of a flawed piece like this: it has such amazing highs. …There could be a production and a cast down the line that makes it all fall into place.”
- Calls for more love and awareness for LaChiusa’s score and encourages listeners to seek out the original cast recording and archival footage.
- “Sometimes you need that for theatre. It tells you who it is.” [1:58:00]
Key Timestamps
- [01:30] – Historical context and poem origins
- [06:00] – Lippa vs. LaChiusa shows: strengths and weaknesses
- [16:30] – Importance of seeing the score performed live/Encores expectations
- [23:30] – LaChiusa’s score: “one of the greatest of the 21st century”
- [33:00] – Cast rankings and performance analysis
- [1:29:00] – Direction, design, and staging breakdown
- [1:45:45] – Discussion of alterations to finale and production cuts
- [1:51:00] – “The messy legacy” and the necessity of bold, flawed works
Overall Tone & Language
- Passionately opinionated, filled with humor and four-letter words, conversational and deeply knowledgeable.
- Matt is unafraid to be blunt about strengths and weaknesses—of both the material and the people performing it.
- Accessible for theatre geeks and newcomers: contextualizes everything and highlights why The Wild Party is a cult favorite for musical obsessives.
Listen for These Lines
- “The LaChiusa version is a much harsher vibe musically, and just overall. It deals a lot more with race…” [07:45]
- “I would rather be messy and fascinating than perfect and sterile. And this is the opposite of sterile.” [13:50]
- “This show has nasty stank to it, in a good way. It’s intentional.” [1:34:00]
- “Sometimes you need that for theatre. It tells you who it is.” [1:58:00]
For fans of musical theatre (or those fascinated by the wilder, more ambitious corners of Broadway history), Matt’s review leaves you with a renewed appreciation for LaChiusa’s daring piece—and a hunger to hear the music or catch a future production, even with its flaws.