Patreon Preview: The Top 50 Opening Numbers

Summary

---

Broadway Breakdown: Patreon Preview — The Top 50 Opening Numbers

Host: Matt Koplik
Guests: Robbie Rozelle, Will Anderson, Rachel Anderson
Date: August 6, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This exclusive Patreon preview gives listeners a taste of the upcoming “Top 50 Opening Numbers” episode of Broadway Breakdown. Host Matt Koplik invites regulars Robbie Rozelle and Will & Rachel Anderson to join him in the “green room” and debate their picks for the best opening numbers in Broadway musical history. Together, they explore how these songs set the tone for their shows, reflect musical theatre evolution, and why some classics were left off the list. Expect passionate opinions, a touch of chaos, and irreverent Broadway banter.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Premise and Ground Rules (01:13–02:26)

• The hosts explain the structure: each participant picked their favorite opening numbers from each decade, ideally getting at least one—or up to two—picks per decade.
• After their personal lists were finalized, friends of the podcast were invited to add more, making room for 49 choices—but “some pretty big ones” were still left off.

Notable Quote:

• Matt: “Even with all that up to 49 options, there are still a couple of pretty big ones that have been left on the table… this is your chance to cut ties with that toxic family member and say, no, this is my final list.” (01:17–02:08)

2. Last-Minute Swaps & “Orphan Annies” (02:38–05:12)

• Matt reads out iconic opening numbers nobody picked—“Fugue for Tinhorns” (Guys and Dolls), “All That Jazz” (Chicago), “Circle of Life” (The Lion King), “Alexander Hamilton” (Hamilton), and others.
• Robbie claims the open spot to add “All That Jazz.”
• The panel discusses feeling pressure to choose “obvious” classics like Hamilton but preferring overlooked gems.

Notable Quotes:

• A (Rachel or Will): “It’s tempting. The obvious is, like, to go Hamilton, right? But that almost feels stupid… it’s more interesting to talk about other stuff.” (03:58–04:11)
• Robbie: “I came so close to All That Jazz. So, so close. But… no, I am locked.” (04:11–04:18)
• Matt: “There were some major bangers that I felt very guilty about taking, but no one was taking them. And so I said, fuck y’all. I am gonna get old.” (04:37–04:50)

3. Picks for the 1930s & 1940s (05:32–10:34)

• Robbie: “Another Op’nin’, Another Show” (Kiss Me Kate)
  • Praises how it encapsulates theatre itself: “It literally personifies musical theater because it’s about creating a musical.” (05:38–06:18)
• A (Rachel): “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” (Oklahoma!)
  • Calls it transformative, instantly charming the audience: “You have to fall in love with Curly immediately and fully. Otherwise, like, it just doesn’t work.” (06:43–07:07)
• Will: “New York, New York” (On the Town)
  • Highlights Leonard Bernstein’s mix of popular and complex music, creating an anthem for the city. “This opening number manages to combine those so seamlessly.” (08:09–08:53)
• Matt: “The Carousel Waltz” (Carousel)
  • Lauds its boldness as a sung-less, purely musical seven-minute prologue: “Every time that Carousel comes to Broadway, the Carousel Waltz… rejiggers audiences’ expectations for a musical.” (09:31–09:58)

4. Picks for the 1950s (10:34–15:32)

• Will: “Why Can't the English?” (My Fair Lady)
  • Appreciates the clever setup of Higgins’ journey: “We need to see the things that he’s passionate about and that he can still express himself in the language of musicals while being against it.” (10:34–11:44)
• Rachel: “Prologue” (West Side Story)
  • Compares its wordless storytelling to Carousel, calling West Side Story her all-time favorite: “You can tell what’s going on just from listening to the music… it informs the rest of the story.” (11:58–12:52)
• Robbie: “Six Months Out of Every Year” (Damn Yankees)
  • Stresses importance of the opening as a “contract with the audience,” establishing the world and stakes: “Set up a complete world. And say, this is what you’re getting tonight. Right? This is the contract with the audience.” (12:57–13:21)
• Matt: “Rock Island” (The Music Man)
  • Praises its rhythmic, patter-sung energy: “Really kind of the first incident of rap, you could say in musical theater of speaking on rhythm and having it really be character-driven.” (14:40–15:25)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On picking “obvious” vs. offbeat choices:
  Rachel/Will: “It’s more interesting to talk about other stuff.” (04:11)

• Matt on missing out on ‘bangers’:
  “I felt very guilty about taking [some songs], but no one was taking them. And so I said, fuck y’all.” (04:37–04:50)

• Rachel on “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’”:
  “In order for Oklahoma to work, you have to fall in love with Curly immediately and fully. Otherwise, like, it just doesn’t work... And it changed musical theater.” (06:43–07:07)

• Will on “New York, New York”:
  “This opening number manages to combine [popular and classical] so seamlessly… and New York, a hell of a town, like, that’s still just like an anthem of the city.” (08:09–08:53)

• Robbie on “Six Months Out of Every Year”:
  “The opening number is the contract, and then it’s broken by everything that comes after it. Six Months Out of Every Year… sets up the world completely.” (12:57–13:21)

---

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 01:13–02:26: Explanation of rules & ranking structure
• 02:38–05:12: Reading 'Orphan Annie' openings; last-minute additions
• 05:32–10:34: 1930s & 1940s picks and reasoning
• 10:34–15:32: 1950s picks and reasoning

---

Tone and Style

• Irreverent, passionate, deeply knowledgeable—the panelists mix insider theatre lingo with playful profanity, personal anecdotes, and fierce opinions.
• Interactive and engaged—the group banters, interrogates each other’s choices, and references Broadway lore with both reverence and tongue-in-cheek humor.

---

Final Notes

The Patreon preview wraps just as the panel finishes decade two, with Matt inviting listeners to join the broader discussion on Patreon, promising new guests, surprise rankings, and plenty of debate. For any musical theatre buff, this episode is a whirlwind of nostalgia, strong takes, and love for the “contract” an opening number makes with its audience.

---

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Hey, everyone. Welcome to the Broadway Breakdown green room. Thank you. All you company members who joined and are joining us here today. This is my first time doing an intro like this, so I'm not entirely sure what I should be saying, what the banter should be. But that's okay. This is a relaxed, exclusive area. Come have a seat around the table by the couch and grab yourself a nice drink or coffee and giddy on up with us today. To start us off strong, we have some Broadway Breakdown faves. We have, of course, the one and only. Thank God, Robbie Roselle.

[C]

What a pleasure to be here and a pleasure to meet the other guests.

[B]

Yes, thank you for coming to the green room. And of course, we have Will and Rachel Anderson, our wonderful theater lovers. Welcome to the green room, guys.

[C]

Hi. Hello.

[A]

Happy to be here.

[B]

And we're wearing green, and you guys are wearing green.

[C]

I just.

[B]

I just realized, wow, dang. Robbie and I are wearing purple, so everyone's kind of matchy matchy.

[C]

Well, I'm in my funny girl moment.

[B]

And I'm in my.

[C]

Yeah, I'm in my theater stage Door Manor. Did you go there? I.

[B]

No, I didn't. I'm just a fan. Anyway, kids, we're doing something a little interesting today. We are kooky crazy. Kooky crazy. We have decided to narrow down and rank the top opening numbers in musical theater history. Ideally, everyone would get at least one choice per decade. They don't have to do every decade. And you could do up to two choices per decade once we've made our choices. I then reached out to our friends of the pod and they were all allowed to add one choice as well. And even with all that up to 49 options, there are still a couple of pretty big ones that have been left on the table. So before we get to our actual final picks, I told the group today that they get to make some sort of, like, last minute changes should they want to. I'm going to list out the numbers that have not been included and see if anybody wants any of these Orphan Annies. Uh, and then on top of that, if there are any choices you have that maybe you're having buyer's remorse on, this is your chance to cut ties with that toxic family member and say, no, this is my final list. Or you can look at the list you have now, guys, and go, no, it's perfect. No notes. I'm amazing.

[A]

And what do we get if we win?

[B]

Oh, what do you get if you win?

[C]

Yeah, Merch.

[B]

Yeah, you. Yeah, you get. You get the first merch.

[A]

Yeah, we're starving for totes in the theater lover household.

[B]

Or coffee mugs or refrigerator magnets. Okay, so before we get to our choices, the some of our Orphan Annies that we have here. And anyone, let me know if you want any of these. First up, we have Fugue for Tinhorns from Guys and Dolls, a pretty iconic opening number that has been left unclaimed by all of us. Food, glorious food from Oliver 20 fans from the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. All that Jazz from Chicago. Requiem for Evita Owetta Circus from Evita. Jellicle Songs for Jellicle. Cats from Cats. The Prologue from Into the Woods. Overture de La Donna from 9. Circle of Life from Lion King. The Old Red Hills of Home from Parade. No One Warns the Wicked from Wicked. Hello from the Book of Mormon and Alexander Hamilton from Hamilton. I tried to spread it out over the decades. I want to emphasize my restraint that I did not include Let There Be from Children of Eden, which is a massively campy but brilliant opening number. I did not include Typical high school senior from Smile. I could have I am the boss here, but I didn't do it. So that's my restraint. So with these. With this list, anybody interested in swapping out any of their choices for these today? Everyone's feeling pretty locked in.

[A]

No, it's. It's tempting. I just. It's like the. The obvious is, like, to go Hamilton. Right? But that. That almost feels stupid.

[C]

Right?

[A]

You know what I mean? It's like. It's more interesting to talk about other stuff.

[C]

I came so close to all that jazz. So, so close. But it. No, I am locked.

[B]

Okay? So here's so. Okay, well, Robbie, here's the thing. You do technically have another spot open in your list, as do I. So you could add one. I could. Or I could take all that jazz. Or you could take that jazz.

[C]

I.

[B]

You know what? Then I'd do that because I have another set. I could do 270. So I'm going to add all that jazz.

[C]

That's beautiful.

[B]

I think so, too. Thank you so much. There were some major bangers that I felt very guilty about taking, but no one was taking them. And so I said, fuck y'. All. I am gonna get old. Okay? So that means all of these other losers are thrown into the garbage bag. Sorry. Sorry about it, everyone.

[D]

Bad songs and bad musicals.

[A]

Not true.

[B]

They're all bad musicals. Well, here's the thing. All of these songs are amazing. They're wonderful, iconic openings. I think. I think people will be Interested in all of our choices and our. And our friends choices. So let's just jump.

[C]

Oh, yeah, our friends choices. Are we talking about those?

[B]

Yeah, we can. We can make comments on those. Those. Those were all made after we made our choices. They. They were allowed to get one choice each, and they're very particular about it. And I do have their reasonings as well. So. Okay, starting with 30s and 40s. Robbie, what do you have for your 30s and 40s pick and why?

[C]

Thank you so much for asking. I chose another opening, another show from Kiss Me Kate.

[D]

Why?

[C]

You may ask? Why? Why? Why? I saw that the 2000 revival so many times and the way that Michael Blakemore staged it, and it's just so clearly set up the world of what we were entering. Adrian Lennox just belting, belting, belting Marin, Maisie appearing like the goddess she is and stoked, et cetera. It's. It just felt correct as I was looking down the list of 30s and 40s. It is like it personifies musical theater. It literally personifies musical theater because it's about creating a musical.

[A]

I think any song, musical song title, that can also be like an Instagram caption and people understand what you're saying is like, it's an upper echelon of musical theater. It's just.

[B]

It's 1,000%.

[A]

I went, oh, what a beautiful morning from Oklahoma. Do I need to explain myself there, or does it just kind of speak?

[B]

I don't know how many uncultured fucks are here in the green room with us.

[A]

I mean, okay, so the curtain opens, Aunt Eller is churning butter, and out of nowhere, this strapping young buck sings one of the most beautiful songs you've ever heard. And I'll add, we were talking about this earlier, that in order for Oklahoma to work, you have to fall in love with Curly immediately and fully. Otherwise, like, it just doesn't work. And that song accomplishes that in spades. And it's beautiful. And it changed musical theater. And that's Bye the dogs got us.

[B]

Rachel and will have a very active house right now. Guys, if you're in any activity, we're

[A]

pet sitting and we have our own.

[B]

Prior to Oklahoma, people expected things like another open, another show, or, you know, you look at Showboat and Pal Joey like, these production numbers almost. Yeah. I teach analyzing musicals at the Florida Thespian Festival, and we talk about this, and I say, like, what your opening says about your show. And with Oklahoma, I always say, like, by having it open with Curly, it's telling you that this is going to deal with a lot of big themes and big ideas, but ultimately it's about the. The people. It's not going overly grand with its presentation. It's about the people in this situation. And I think that's a wonderful, wonderful choice. Will, what is our choice?

[D]

I went with New York, New York from On the Town, which, like, similar to Titanic, giant sequence. But I think first off, Leonard Bernstein is giving popular music and really complex modern classical music, and this opening number manages to combine those so seamlessly. Jerome Robbins is choreographing all of. He's presenting a visual language and movement language in the same season as Carousel as well. So, like, Agnes de Mille is also credited with that in the same moment, but. And the Congdon and Green lyrics being like, here's something approachable and fun, but still very smart. I think it does so much so well and really sets up the worldview of the show. And New York, a hell of a town, like, that's still just like an anthem of the city.

[B]

It's really kind of this announcement of Leonard Bernstein as a musical theater composer, when you think about it, just that the ba ba ba ba ba ba. And yeah, I think it's fantastic. Good choice, Will. Which leads us to my choice, which we knew it was going gonna happen. And part of the reason why I wanted to wait, I was like, are. Are they just gonna let me have this, or is someone gonna say, sorry, Matt, I'm doing it.

[C]

We're not stupid.

[B]

It's not being stupid, but, like, you know, you had every right to take it for your own, so. But this is to say, my choice, of course, is the Carousel Waltz from Carousel, which I think kind of does a lot of what all of your choices do as well. Like, oh, it a beautiful morning. It changes the game of what an opening number can be. It's a full 7 1/2 minute pantomimed prologue with no singing, just pure music and dance. Every time that Carousel comes to Broadway, the Carousel Waltz, in whatever production it is, kind of rejiggers audiences expectations for a musical. And that's always really exciting, whether it's literally in 1945 or an audience was like, I'm sorry, where's The Overture to 1994? When everyone was like, I'm sorry, why is there a big clock here? I thought we were supposed to open on a carousel. Like, it's always kind of subverting your expectations. And it is a genuine prologue. None of the music here is ever sung later in the show, so it's not an overture. So Those are our 30s and 40s picks. 1950s. Let's go backwards. Will, what do you have for us?

[C]

I want.

[D]

Why can't the English from My Fair lady, which.

[A]

Such a will choice.

[C]

Such a will choice.

[D]

What I really like about My Fair lady, and I don't think it gets enough credit for this, is like, yes, it's a story about Eliza and her growth, but it is as much a story about Higgins growth, and you just don't get to see it as much. But why can't the English kind of secretly does this thing where everything that he. He's got this very wordy song, but we also have to understand that there's music somewhere in him so that by the end with I've grown accustomed to her Face, that he now can sing, because Eliza has brought that out of him. Even though he's this cranky jerk who, for 98% of the show is the worst. We need to see the things that he's passionate about and that he can still express himself in the language of musicals while being against it.

[B]

Yeah, I think it's really hard to write a charm song for a judgmental dick. And My Fair lady does it so well that I think a lot of people think it's easy, but it ain't. It ain't easy. Rachel, what do you have for us?

[A]

I have the prologue from west side Story, and in a very similar kind of like, parallel thought to you in Carousel. No dialogue, no singing. I mean, I guess, like, every once in a while someone's like, hey, someone

[D]

makes the word patoo like a noise

[C]

that you can spell.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Robbins watched Carousel. He's like, all great. Can I have some. Some patus in there?

[D]

Yes.

[A]

But, yeah, deeply iconic Bernstein. You. You can tell what's going on just from listening to the music. And, you know, it informs the rest of the story. And not for nothing, west side Story is my all time favorite show. So it was like I wasn't. There was never a world where I wasn't gonna pick west side Story.

[B]

I love that. I think it's a perfect choice. Robbie, what is our 50s choice here?

[C]

Six months out of every year from Damn Yankees. Come on. The best opening number. Set up a world. Set up a complete world. And say, this is what you're getting tonight. Right? This is the contract with the audience. There's nothing worse than when you see something and that opening number, whether it's a cabaret or a musical, like, the opening number is the contract, and then it's broken by everything that comes after it. Six months out of every year, Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Jerry Ross, out of nowhere, just really like wrote a banger that just sets up the world completely. And by the end of it, you know exactly what the strife is between men and women in the show. But also, like, what. What world is that you're in?

[B]

Absolutely. And incidentally, the only musical that my father has ever been in, and this was the one song he did. He was one of the husbands. Strike three, Ball four. He still remembers his choreography today. And this was like eighth grade at Riverdale. So that's the power of Damn Yankees, Robbie.

[C]

I used to lie and tell people that the 94 production of damn Yankees was my first Broadway musical because I thought it was a lot classier than what was actually my first Broadway musical, which was the 94 grease, the Star Search, Grease with Rosie O', Donnell, et cetera. And I realize now that thinking that Jerry Lewis in Damn Yankees was classier than Billy Porter at all in Grease is maybe the dumbest and most pretentious thing in the world. But I just loved that Damn Yankees song.

[B]

You grew from there. You grew out of that. You're good. My choice for the 1950s, I picked rock island from the Music Man.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Which is, I mean, listen, all of you guys had amazing choices. And honestly, if any of you had picked Music Man, I probably would have picked one of your choices. But I love it. I think it's such a phenomenal opening number similar to My Fair Lady. It takes sort of the speak singing really kind of the first incident of rap, you could say in musical theater of speaking on rhythm and having it really be character driven in a story. And everyone has different levels and patterns. Like, it's never monotonous, it always finds a way to keep going. And having a go with the engine of the train is just like Meredith Wilson. Man, you really were a one and done banger. But what a banger.

[A]

Yeah, if you're going to do it.

[B]

Yeah, if you're going to get the one in, let it. Let it be. Music Man. Billy, I beg to differ with you. How do you mean?

[C]

You're the top.

[B]

Yeah, you're an arrow caller. You're the top. You're a coolage dollar. You're the nimble tread of the feet of Fred. All right, guys, that's going to do it. For this preview of Broadway Breakdown, if you want to hear the entire almost two and a half hour episode, you can click the link in the description box of this episode. It'll link you to the Broadway Breakdown Patreon, otherwise known as the Broadway Breakdown Green Room, where you can become a company member for just $5 a month. That is the equivalent of a bagel with cream cheese or a large cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts. Literally just one large cup of black coffee at Dunkin Donuts per month. That is all you need to do to support this podcast. Support the Patreon. Help us grow. You know, if you liked this taste, you'll get to hear all of our choices. Mine, Will's, Rachel's, Robbie's. Plus entries from friends of the pod new friend Steve Tipton plus Brian Nash you just heard on the Next to Normal episode longtime friend Margaret hall, very longtime friend at John Wiscavage, Rob W. Schneider podmother Ali Gordon Gunkle of the Pod Adam Ellsbury. Plus where Robbie, Will, Rachel and I rank all of these opening numbers. Spoiler alert. Some of them will surprise you and some of them will make you a little mad. But it's always a fun discussion. So I highly recommend that you click the link and you join the Patreon. If you are still iffy, that's okay. There are more to come, more previews to come, but we will be dark for the majority of August. So yeah, you know, we'll see you guys soon enough. That's it for now. Enjoy the rest of your summer, guys.

[C]

Bye.