Broadway Breakdown: "Our Favorite Tony Award Performances"
Host: Matt Koplik
Guest: Sutton Lee Seymour (Prescott Seymour)
Date: May 25, 2023
Episode Overview
In this vibrant, opinionated episode, Matt Koplik is joined by recurring favorite Sutton Lee Seymour (aka drag star Prescott Seymour) to dish on their favorite Tony Award performances of all time. The conversation is foul-mouthed, passionate, and packed with deep Broadway history, fun facts, sharp analysis, and memorable side tangents. The two theatre geeks (and proud) swap both mainstream and under-the-radar picks, dissect what makes a Tony performance legendary, debate the impact of the ceremony on shows' legacies, and relive some of the most iconic and chaotic moments in Tony broadcast history.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Setting the Season: Tony Awards and Their Legacy
- Matt and Sutton open by riffing on the chaos of the Tony Awards season, the unpredictability of the current year, and the inside-baseball nature of Tony campaigning and precursors.
- Sutton recalls her earliest Tony Awards memories being watch parties for The Producers (04:36) and learning about the awards via her dad and ancient methods like Encarta 95 and playbill.com (05:00).
- Discussion highlights how, especially in the '90s and earlier, theater-world exposure was far less mainstream than today.
Quote
"I remember my dad telling me, like, oh, this one best musical. Like, what do you mean? What does that mean? And then he told me about the Tony Awards."
– Sutton Lee Seymour (05:16)
How to Pick a "Best" Tony Performance
- Debate over how to judge: Iconic versus underrated; longevity versus recent impact; and the difference between performance quality and its effect on Broadway/pop culture (11:20).
Quote
"I've got like my top 10, but also it changes all the time."
– Matt Koplik (11:16)
Mainstream, All-Time Great Tony Performances
Jennifer Holliday – "And I Am Telling You" (Dreamgirls, 1982)
- Universally acknowledged as a pinnacle Tony Awards moment, described as both the obvious and essential pick.
- Emphasis on emotional gut punch, unmatched vocals, and the now-iconic "leg over the cable" moment (39:12).
- Example of a performance that elevated both the Tony broadcast and Broadway pop culture at large.
Quote
"It is the Tony Award performance that is... my number one. I think it is many people's number one."
– Sutton Lee Seymour (39:20)
"Dreamgirls makes me cream girls."
– Matt Koplik (39:01)
Timestamps
- Lead-up and discussion: 38:54 – 41:11
- Parallel top performances debated: 40:09 – 43:14
Other All-Time Favorites Debated
- "Turkey Lurkey Time" (Promises, Promises, 1969)—praised for pure joy, manic Michael Bennett choreography, and Donna McKechnie’s legendary rubber-necking (42:47, 133:01).
- "One"/medley (A Chorus Line, 1976)—the impact of Michael Bennett’s camera direction and the closing zooms (91:13).
- "A New Argentina" (Evita, 1980) with Patti LuPone’s "Killer Dom, Top Mood" (41:11).
- Bea Arthur & Angela Lansbury – "Bosom Buddies" (12:57): A staple for its sass, legacy, and camp.
Under-the-Radar & Cult Legend Performances
Dorothy Loudon – "Broadway Baby" (14:41)
- Celebrated for its unhinged, possessed energy, wild fashion, and taboo-breaking approach to the Sondheim classic.
- Matt loves the Methodist revival vibe and how Loudon "is at her most possessed" (15:32).
Annie Medley (1977)
- Praised for Dorothy Loudon’s iconic, adult-starved Hannigan, Andrea McArdle’s non-cloying “Tomorrow,” and the non-precious, working-class energy of the original orphans (16:42).
The Wild Party (LaChiusa, 2000) (21:27–31:32)
- Sutton singles out the show’s Tony performance (Toni Collette, Mandy Patinkin, Eartha Kitt) as an underappreciated cult moment, remarkable for its darkness, danger, and “ahead of its time” rawness.
- Sparks a deep, nuanced comparison with Chicago and Cabaret’s handling of violence and boundary pushing in musical theatre (23:10–26:41).
Quote
"It was beautiful and grotesque, and I wanted more. I wanted so much more."
– Sutton Lee Seymour (21:27)
Falsettos (OBC, 1992) (84:44)
- Noted for how the orchestration beefed up a small musical for the Tony stage, and the “joyful, 90s energy” that celebrated Falsettos’ finally making it to Broadway.
Masterful Marketing: Great Choice of Number & Presentation
Fun Home – "Ring of Keys" (47:52)
- Cited as a recent masterclass in crafting a performance specifically for the telecast, setting up context through narration, and using camera work for emotional punch.
- Both hosts love how it drew viewers in and honestly represented the show.
"They set up Cindy Lucas's scene and her performance the way they film her, and then they end it on Michael Cerveris' close-up... It makes you lean forward." (48:26)
Urinetown – "Run, Freedom, Run" (52:53)
- Celebrated for being fun, meta, and a “magic trick” of a Tony performance that both mocks and thrills with the Broadway musical format (55:17).
"That's a terrible title, as Little Sally says. Yes, it is."
– Sutton Lee Seymour (53:01)
Spelling Bee – "Pandemonium" feat. Al Sharpton cameo (77:55)
- Noted for capturing the distinctive humor of the show and using the live telecast to surprise and delight even further.
The Light in the Piazza – "Statues and Stories" (79:54)
- Praised for handling live crisis (Victoria Clark's mic malfunction), showcasing resilience, talent, and the risks of live awards TV.
Exploring the Role of Plays at the Tonys
- Matt highlights rare, impactful play excerpts:
- Joan Allen & Peter Friedman ("Heidi Chronicles")
- James Earl Jones ("Fences")—noted for "theatrical energy coming at you like fire" (33:54).
- Mary-Louise Parker & Timothy Hutton ("Prelude to a Kiss")—praised for quirky romance.
- Observes that plays rarely get their time to shine, but when they do, it's electric (part 31:23–37:33).
When Tony Performances Miss or Flop (But the Artists Still Kill It)
- Missed Mark: Caroline, or Change Tony performance noted as "not good" (90:30).
- Pre-Recorded/Lip-Synched moments: Original Sweeney Todd Tony performance (44:09) ("You can tell because she is not sure when her dialogue comes in... she just nods her head like an animatronic doll." – Matt).
- Mainstream Tony favorites they DON'T love:
- Original Les Mis Tony performance—love for the number but mic issues, miscast Marius (97:22).
- Wicked Tony performance—acknowledged as not Idina or Kristin’s best night, and more famous than great (97:48).
Lesser-Known Modern Standouts
- Sister Act – “Raise Your Voice” (82:05)
Sutton: “See a stage full of character actresses belting their tits off... It makes me so happy... Sometimes I just want to see a human being on a Broadway stage.” - Jacqueline K. ("Paradise Square") (134:40)
A recent performance likely to "stand the test of time" for its rawness and heart.
Choreography & Direction – The Power of Camera and Stagecraft
- Michael Bennett’s direction for both Dreamgirls and A Chorus Line Tony numbers highlighted as why those performances remain legendary (91:13).
- Tommy Tune’s jazz-age choreography in Grand Hotel (“We’ll Take a Glass Together,” 70:02), and Michael Jeter’s “dancing rubber band” moment praised for leaning into joyful, intricate, but not showy dancing (71:04).
- Michael Bennett’s work on Turkey Lurkey Time defined as “showbiz razzmatazz rooted in character” (133:01).
Joy in the Chaos: The Tony Awards as a Theatre Community Gathering
- The show notes how Tony performances not only market shows to the public, but preserve singular moments of community, celebration, and even heartbreak, year after year.
- The unpredictability and "lean in" factor: It's not always the polished or expected performance that sticks in the memory; sometimes it's the raw, the risky, or the total trainwreck.
Quote (on Bernadette Peters' turn in Gypsy)
"Even though it's this big number on a big old stage, you feel like you're watching the most intimate, private moment. And it is. Makes you uncomfortable."
– Matt Koplik (129:17)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)
-
On Chaos and Tangents:
"This is how this podcast works. Yeah. It's full chaos."
(Sutton Lee Seymour, 02:48) -
On Tony Nostalgia:
"My first musical I ever saw was the national tour of Phantom of the Opera... then he told me about the Tony Awards."
(Sutton Lee Seymour, 05:16) -
On Iconic Tony Energy:
"It's just a joyful medley... Not cute little kids, except for maybe Molly... They aren't Gap kid actors. They've got unique faces and voices."
(Matt Koplik on Annie, 19:30) -
On Showcasing Plays:
"It is just theatrical energy coming at you like fire."
(Matt, on James Earl Jones in Fences, 34:07) -
On Performing Live on TV:
"As amazing as [Melba Moore] is in that Tony performance, she actually sounds better in later performances... She is just... otherworldly."
(52:04) -
On Crafting Perfect Tony Numbers:
"Fun Home, they include a good chunk of 'It's All Over' to set up the number... And they had the benefit, as did A Chorus Line, of the Tonys being like, 'Oh, you want eight minutes? Here you go.'"
(49:10–49:44) -
On New Gays Finding Their Own Standards:
"No one sang like that on a Broadway stage ever before. That style of Broadway belting started with Merman, then Betty Buckley, then Melba Moore in Purley, Patti LuPone and Evita. After that, it was just, like, done deal. This is what singing is on Broadway now."
(Sutton Lee Seymour, 51:24) -
On Broadway Community Energy:
"You can tell at certain Tony telecasts which is the show that has everything going for it... It has the momentum, the praise, the love, it's a cultural moment."
(Sutton, 111:55)
Broad Takeaways
-
Defining Greatness:
The most effective Tony performances aren't always the most polished or sung perfectly—they're the moments that capture the spirit of their shows, build context, make smart use of their TV time, and sometimes take huge creative risks. -
Legacy & Change:
What’s considered “the best” changes with generational tastes, but a handful of performances—Jennifer Holliday, Turkey Lurkey Time, Bosom Buddies, Wild Party—have an evergreen impact, cited even decades later. -
Value of Community:
Tony performances provide a living record of not just Broadway’s talent but its atmosphere and community—full of surprise, love, heartbreak, and every now and then, utter chaos.
Episode Structure & Flow
- Opening Banter & Chaos (00:00–04:50)
- First Tony Memories / Theater Nostalgia (04:50–07:00)
- Current Tony Season Observations & Meta Commentary (07:07–11:00)
- Defining Great Tony Performances: Old vs. New, Mainstream vs. Underground (11:00–22:00)
- Iconic & Under-the-Radar Picks: Deep Dives (22:00–55:00)
- What Makes Tony Performances Work or Flop: Context, Craft, and Risk (55:00–1:12:00)
- Rapid Fire: Unheralded Favorites & Modern Gems (1:12:00–1:38:00)
- Final Thoughts: Why Talk About Art, and the Power of Disagreement (1:38:00–end)
For Listeners: Why This Episode Matters
Whether you're a new Broadway fan or a seasoned queen, this episode is jammed with both hilarious shade and pure geekery that will likely inspire a YouTube deep dive of Tony legends and oddities. Sutton and Matt keep the energy wild, loving, and unapologetically passionate—reminding us that Broadway is not just about the shows or the awards, but about the singular communal moments shared in the theater and, sometimes, on national TV.
Find more at: bwaybreakdown.substack.com