Broadway Breakdown with Matt Koplik
Episode: Ranking All 42 Broadway Shows This Season (22–1)
Date: May 15, 2025
Host: Matt Koplik
Theme: Passionate, brutally honest, and highly entertaining rundown of Matt’s top 22 Broadway shows from the 2024–2025 season, complete with theatrical hot takes, detailed production evaluations, actor shout-outs, and razor-sharp wit.
Main Theme
In the second half of his epic Broadway season ranking, Matt counts down his top 22 shows, delivering smart, foul-mouthed, and deeply personal critiques on each entry. The episode is a passionate blend of love letter to Broadway and no-holds-barred critical analysis. Matt brings historical context, juicy industry gossip, sincere appreciation for theatrical risk-taking, and unfiltered opinions on what worked, what missed (even in good productions), and why certain shows soared or tanked.
Detailed Breakdown
22. Gypsy (00:34–10:33)
Key Points:
- Matt openly grapples with ranking George C. Wolfe’s Audra McDonald-led Gypsy so “low” (22nd), despite his adoration for both talents.
- He critiques Arthur Laurents’ stranglehold on past revivals, and expresses excitement about a director like Wolfe finally at the helm.
- Matt saw Gypsy twice (previews and post-opening) but was left “extremely underwhelmed”:
- “This production kind of had two modes. It was either no decision, or weird decision.” (08:13)
- On race-conscious choices: Appreciates attempt but found execution muddled and lacking dramaturgical punch.
- Audra’s Performance: Matt calls her “a smart and powerful actress...impossible to take your eyes off,” but finds her interpretation “earnest” and lacking the needed bite for Rose. He notes she belts more than expected, but key musical moments falter due to odd transpositions and a lack of vocal power at climaxes:
- “I'm not asking for pretty, I'm asking for power. It can sound raw...but it sounds thin.” (09:36)
- Ultimately wishes for a bigger swing and admires Audra for taking risks:
- “I love that after six Tony Awards...she’s like, ‘And I’m gonna take my shot at Mama Rose.’”
21. Stranger Things: The First Shadow (10:33–17:19)
Key Points:
- Matt admits the script isn’t winning any Pulitzers and is too long by a solid half-hour, but:
- “The actual stagecraft, the actual design and inventiveness...is very impressive.”
- Lewis McCartney gets major props for a physically and emotionally demanding lead turn:
- “Fully putting his whole body, mind and soul into this show in a way that I’m like, how are you doing this eight times a week?”
- Fun outweighs substance; ranked above Gypsy because he simply enjoyed himself more.
- Warns, “If you don’t care about the Netflix show, this isn’t for you,” and doubts the production’s Broadway longevity.
20. Boop: The Betty Boop Musical (17:43–22:43)
Key Points:
- “Objectively a mess,” says Matt, but “I did have a blast.”
- Book lacks sense; music is fun but forgettable (except for 3 standout numbers). Some design elements are great, others “bad” (especially the New York scenes).
- Jasmine Amy Rogers is a “genuine star-is-born performance”:
- “She’s incredibly talented, she’s very smart with wonderful instincts...funny, cartoonish but also real.”
- Rogers is underused and the show focuses too little on her. “If the show were better, this would fully launch her in the way that Millie launched Sutton Foster.”
- Boop is worth seeing for Jasmine Amy Rogers alone.
19. Operation Mincemeat (22:43–32:59)
Key Points:
- British WWII musical about a real spy mission; Matt saw it on two continents, “hated it less” second time. Now finds it “not bad, but still can’t call it great.”
- Tonal whiplash: “Goes for Wild British Farce with reminders of what’s at stake...I still get whiplash from this show.”
- Inventive staging and multi-role acting, but not as visually creative as expected.
- Respect for craft: “I used to think this musical was bad. I no longer think this musical is bad.”
- Ranks above Gypsy and Boop on execution, but below shows he truly enjoyed.
18. Real Women Have Curves (33:16–38:30)
Key Points:
- The season’s “last curve ball”; new musical based on Latina identity, family dynamics, and immigration.
- Matt feels show is “clunky” and has only “moments of greatness.”
- Body positivity message feels “unearned”; main focus is more on sitcom-y family strife and immigrant struggles.
- Critique of “pandering” in modern musicals:
- “It doesn’t go for nuance. It goes for message, and it goes for pandering...Very few modern musicals lately have actually challenged audiences in the way that a lot of musicals in the past challenged audiences.”
- Good production values and performances, but lacks depth and challenge—he rates it as the start of his “liked it with caveats” section.
17. Buena Vista Social Club (38:30–41:49)
Key Points:
- Another jukebox/biomusical. Script is “flimsy, but not awful.”
- Music, staging, and choreography are “fiery, energetic,” but “all the drama...happens offstage.”
- Ranks above similar bio-musicals because it “doesn’t go for self-aggrandizing or empowerment, it’s just about truth” and maintains “gravitas, attitude, and style.”
16. Just in Time: The Bobby Darin Musical (41:49–48:26)
Key Points:
- Major Jersey Boys and Here Lies Love vibes.
- Staging is immersive and energetic; the show “rings every last drop out of the Bobby Darin myth.”
- Jonathan Groff “is doing Jonathan Groff and saying, just imagine this is Bobby Darin.” Matinee idol charisma but not much Darin characterization; show is “fun, but shallow.”
15. Dead Outlaw (48:41–53:26)
Key Points:
- Smart, weird, wordy musical based on America’s most-traveled corpse.
- Music by David Yazbek: “Might be the best lyricist we have right now...writes for character and story but also creative...fucking just on point lyrics.”
- Matt loved it off-Broadway, but noticed “slow and a little cold” stretches in the Broadway transfer.
- Despite slower moments, “cannot say this musical is bad,” and highlights the strong ensemble.
14. Elf (53:26–56:30)
Key Points:
- “Better than it had any right to be!” Huge surprise, mainly due to Gray Henson as Buddy, who Matt says should’ve been a Best Actor frontrunner.
- “Comedy is so fucking hard. If you don’t feel like you’re seeing the work [onstage], that’s even more impressive.”
- Economic production, witty choreography, and a tight, strong cast.
- Matt pleads, “Just because it’s Elf the Musical doesn’t mean it can’t be good.”
13. Death Becomes Her (68:13–75:53)
Key Points:
- Broadway drag spectacle, “the most expensive drag show you’ve ever seen.”
- Improved drastically since opening; Jen Simard is “mopping the floor with everybody.”
- Megan Hilty is “finding her freak” and improving; score grows on repeat listens.
- The album’s virality and viral moments help the show become “a whole bunch of fun.”
- Matt yearns for Broadway to keep “allow[ing] musical theater performers to find their freak again...we need more mess, we need more chaos.”
12. Sunset Boulevard (75:53–81:11)
Key Points:
- Jamie Lloyd's West End import, starring Nicole Scherzinger, uses bare staging with extensive video.
- Matt dislikes the musical but “was fully engaged the entire time...it is wild, often bonkers...never bored me.”
- Leans into the film’s camp—“in a weird miracle, it still works and is still compelling.” Praises David Thaxton and the “infamous actual opener.”
- Calls it the “anomaly” of bad shows salvaged by inventiveness.
11. Yellowface (81:11–86:00)
Key Points:
- David Henry Hwang’s Pulitzer finalist about race, industry hypocrisy, and Asian American experience.
- Hilarious and biting:
- “A far more successful satirical depiction of the entertainment industry and creatives in the industry.”
- Some third-act messiness, but overall “a major high point”—especially Francis Jue’s performance.
- Now available to stream on PBS; Matt roots for Jue’s Tony bid.
10. Eureka Day (86:00–90:59)
Key Points:
- Timely, comedic ensemble play set at a progressive California school during a vaccine crisis.
- Highlights the “community activation call” scene for its spot-on satire of online pandemonium.
- Jessica Hecht gets high praise: “If ever there was a year where Jessica Hecht could win the Tony, it would be this for Eureka Day.”
- Play focuses on social satire, messy choices, and never offers easy answers.
9. Purpose (90:59–98:41)
Key Points:
- New Pulitzer-winning family drama about legacy, race, and generational tensions in a prominent Black DC family.
- First act is “almost perfect” and asks big questions; second act “fatty” but still works, thanks to brilliant ensemble.
- Matt fixates on Alana Arenas: “has the smallest role, but she made the biggest impact for me...I am obsessed with her.”
8. Cult of Love (98:58–105:39)
Key Points:
- Leslie Headland’s Christmas-set family drama.
- “A better constructed play than Eureka Day...a little tighter and better constructed,” with exceptional acting, notably Molly Bernard and Shailene Woodley.
- Explores complex family bonds, religion, chosen vs. biological family, but sometimes succumbs to “strawman argument” dialogue.
- “Delves into nuances of family dysfunction...Does not answer, but explores, big questions.”
7. Floyd Collins (105:39–112:36)
Key Points:
- Adam Guettel’s cult musical about Kentucky cave explorer, newly revived at Lincoln Center.
- Matt celebrates Jeremy Jordan as lead: “officially now my pick for best actor in a musical.”
- Admits flaws: sizing (space too big), pacing (act one too long), but, “the highs...are so high that I can’t be too bothered.”
- Great voices, orchestration, and emotional impact.
6. The Picture of Dorian Gray (112:36–118:35)
Key Points:
- Sarah Snook’s solo tour-de-force adaptation (verbatim, multi-character) of Wilde’s novel, loaded with live/pre-recorded onstage video.
- “Perhaps the best and most creative” use of screens this season.
- “Mental gymnastic of a performance” but emotionally “more intellectually stimulating than moving.”
- Exemplifies creative, impactful stagecraft.
5. John Proctor Is the Villain (118:35–126:48)
Key Points:
- Kimberly Belflower’s acclaimed high school-set play about #MeToo, consent, feminism, and Crucible reframing.
- Matt loathed the marketing, but loved the nuance—until a final-act slide into simplification:
- “Up until those last 20 minutes, the play is really good at finding humor in the complexities of human nature...then just a little less complex.”
- “Everyone has stuff they’re going through...no one is fully right or fully wrong.”
- Fierce praise for the young female cast, especially Fina Strazza, “so fucking thrilled [by her Tony nom].”
4. English (126:48–133:03)
Key Points:
- Pulitzer-winning, female-driven play about Iranian students learning English, and the cultural weight of language.
- Matt calls it “so delightful, so endearing, so engaging”—one of the best ensembles, especially Tala Ashe and Marjan Neshat.
- Show interrogates assimilation:
- “Is there room for both [languages/identities]? Do you have to let go of one?”
- Final scene in Farsi “puts you in their shoes.”
- “Loved it so much. I could watch it two more times…deals with themes of identity and connection with beautiful subtlety.”
3. Maybe Happy Ending (133:03–139:59)
Key Points:
- Korean import musical about lonely outmoded robots searching for love.
- Surprise smash: “No one had any stake in it...the word of mouth was like, no, this is a special show and should be seen.”
- Chamber musical with “blockbuster production value”—Michael Arden’s best work yet.
- Its themes about connection, usefulness, and love are handled with “authenticity, humor, and heart that never feel sticky or pandering.”
- Darren Criss and Helen Jae Shen have “phenomenal chemistry.”
- Only drawbacks: sightlines and a slightly overlong ending.
2. Oh, Mary! (139:59–145:35)
Key Points:
- Colman Domingo’s absurdist drag hit is the season’s “biggest runaway phenomenon.”
- Anointed “front-runner for best play,” major threat for many Tonys.
- “Everything that can be said about Oh, Mary! has been said...we are, we have hit the five-hour mark here.” (Matt’s exhausted, but the placement is emphatic.)
- “Could go five for five at the Tonys.”
1. The Hills of California (145:35–end)
Key Points:
- Jez Butterworth’s epic family history play (Sam Mendes dir., Laura Donnelly star), transferred from London with substantial third-act rewrites.
- Matt saw it twice and calls Act 1 & 2 “astonishingly good,” and Act 3 is “now so much tighter.”
- Summarizes: “Four sisters in northern England, a strict mother, a failed Andrews Sisters–style dream, a vanished sibling, secrets, and a homecoming.”
- Laura Donnelly gives his “favorite performance of the season...It is Laura Donnelly and The Hills of California, baby.”
- Lavishes praise on the show’s willingness to improve:
- “You had a show that was working in London, but you knew you could do better...Go back, make it tighter, make it clearer. And my fucking God, did you.”
- Matt drops a hilarious, overjoyed rant:
- “Thank you for giving me a waist and thick hair and straight teeth. My God. Hills of California. You did it. You did it. We did it together.”
Notable Quotes & Moments
- On Audra McDonald (Gypsy) – “She is a six-time Tony winner for a reason, everybody...never bet against her.” (03:13)
- On Boop and Jasmine Amy Rogers – “This is a genuine Star is Born performance...she is so undeniable that this is your blue chip.” (20:50)
- On challenging theater – “Very few modern musicals lately have actually challenged audiences in the way that a lot of musicals in the past challenge audiences.” (36:51)
- On the season’s lesson:
- “Take a lesson from Jez and Sam [Mendes]: you want to be number one in my rankings? Don’t be precious about your work. Go back and say, ‘I can make this tighter. I can make this clearer.’” (147:00)
- On family in Cult of Love – “What’s the difference between a club and a cult really? There’s an ideology...a loyalty that almost becomes your identity.” (101:09)
- On Floyd Collins’ cult status – “This and Last Five Years are like the two big ends for [straight musical theater boys].” (107:02)
Rankings Recap (Top 22, with relative timestamps)
| Rank | Show | Timestamp | |-------|--------------------------------------------|---------------| | 22 | Gypsy | 00:34–10:33 | | 21 | Stranger Things: The First Shadow | 10:33–17:19 | | 20 | Boop: The Betty Boop Musical | 17:43–22:43 | | 19 | Operation Mincemeat | 22:43–32:59 | | 18 | Real Women Have Curves | 33:16–38:30 | | 17 | Buena Vista Social Club | 38:30–41:49 | | 16 | Just in Time: The Bobby Darin Musical | 41:49–48:26 | | 15 | Dead Outlaw | 48:41–53:26 | | 14 | Elf | 53:26–56:30 | | 13 | Death Becomes Her | 68:13–75:53 | | 12 | Sunset Boulevard | 75:53–81:11 | | 11 | Yellowface | 81:11–86:00 | | 10 | Eureka Day | 86:00–90:59 | | 9 | Purpose | 90:59–98:41 | | 8 | Cult of Love | 98:58–105:39 | | 7 | Floyd Collins | 105:39–112:36 | | 6 | The Picture of Dorian Gray | 112:36–118:35 | | 5 | John Proctor Is the Villain | 118:35–126:48 | | 4 | English | 126:48–133:03 | | 3 | Maybe Happy Ending | 133:03–139:59 | | 2 | Oh, Mary! | 139:59–145:35 | | 1 | The Hills of California | 145:35–end |
Tone & Style
- Fiercely opinionated, brashly honest
- Generous to daring productions; scathing to lazy/pandering ones
- Foul-mouthed, frequently hilarious (“Jesus titty fucking Christ, this is good”)
- Deep musical and theatrical knowledge; drops Broadway lore and context at every turn
- Gives serious props to transformative performances and new approaches to classic material
- Self-aware humility about taste: “This ranking is fun but also not Bible, right? ...quality can come from anywhere.”
Final Thoughts
Matt’s top 22 rankings are more than just opinions—they’re a testament to what bold thinking and heart (whether messy and experimental, or skillfully polished) can do for theater. From Audra’s stumbles as Rose, to the triumph of The Hills of California, Matt demands theater that challenges, moves, and surprises him—and isn’t afraid to drag anyone who falls short.
Best in Show:
“The Hills of California” – A profoundly rich play about memory, family, and trauma, elevated by Laura Donnelly’s “favorite performance of the season” and a script reworked into “an absolute stunner.” Matt’s lesson to the industry: Don’t be precious—keep improving the work.
Hottest Take:
New approaches deserve the risk—even if they fail, they push the art form forward. But “pandering” and “complacency” (in writing, direction, or performance) are ranked mercilessly, regardless of star pedigree.
Essential Matt-isms
- “Keep fucking doing that, and everyone should be fucking doing that.”
- “Never underestimate Audra McDonald. Never bet against her.”
- “You are the person you want to fuck on Instagram is getting lines. There’s a difference.”
- “Comedy is so fucking hard...turning yourself inside out isn’t the ultimate height of performance.”
For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode
This is the ultimate theater nerd’s marathon—a love/hate letter to Broadway, stuffed with inside stories, fearless opinions, and a roadmap for anyone who wants to know what truly moved audiences (and one fearlessly honest critic) this year.
Don’t miss:
- Audra McDonald/Gypsy breakdown (03:13)
- Star-is-born coronation for Jasmine Amy Rogers (20:50)
- Call for “mess and chaos” on Broadway (Death Becomes Her, 74:30)
- The thunderous praise for “The Hills of California” (145:35)
For more, stay tuned for Matt’s London episode and Tony predictions. Join the Discord for real-time snark, hot takes, and ticket tips!