Broadway Breakdown with Matt Koplik
Episode: "Ranking Tony Winners: An Experiment (and What I Learned)"
Release Date: March 20, 2025
Host: Matt Koplik
Episode Overview
In this innovative solo episode, Matt Koplik puts aside Broadway deep-dives to explore a social experiment he conducted: ranking all the Tony Award-winning Best Scores, from 1971 to 2024, using votes gathered from his Instagram and Discord followers. Through this winding, foul-mouthed, and highly opinionated narrative, Matt reveals the process, the voting quirks, surprising outcomes, and what this living “canon” says about Broadway, fandoms, and the ever-changing nature of artistic taste.
Topics covered:
- Why ranking Tony-winning scores is meaningful (and controversial)
- The detailed voting process and handling of data
- Surprising insights into fan communities, voting psychology, and Broadway legacy
- A countdown of all 52 Tony-winning scores, with historical context and raw opinions
- What this says about Tony predictions and Broadway consensus
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. What Sparked the Experiment? (01:25)
- Matt wanted to dissect the legacy and prestige of Tony-winning works: “So many things win and seem so undeniable at the moment, but it doesn’t take long for us to look back and go, ‘Was that really the one we should have done?’” (02:30)
- Unlike performance awards, Matt chose Best Score as the focus: “It’s not just how many bangers are in it or your own personal love for the show… it really was trying to be a test of: First, how beloved are these wins, and then are people able to differentiate between what they like or what is actually good?” (06:10)
2. Setting Up the Social Polling Process (06:25–20:00)
- Used Instagram Stories, starting with 1980 (Evita) and 2024 (Suffs) as bookends.
- Each day, a new Tony-winning score was introduced and voters decided its place on the ranking.
- Matt wanted voting blind to chronological biases: “I wanted to make it difficult for people to really figure out where bias lay.” (08:10)
Voting Mechanics:
- Only 4 poll options allowed per Instagram poll; longer lists required sectioned votes (e.g., “Top 10,” “Middle 20”).
- Rounds continued until 200 votes or 3–4 hours passed.
- Matt often broke ties or determined majorities with mathematical advice from “math friends”—and he admits the system was “probably more complicated than it had to be.” (14:15)
- Every 10 additions, “shakeup rounds” allowed voters to move one score up or down in the list, and in the end, a final shakeup let three scores move up more spots.
The Voting Sample:
- About 300–350 votes per round, ranged from industry professionals to teenage fans; 435 was the largest single poll.
Notable quote:
“The pool was a very diverse and very serious group...I had Broadway actors voting, a couple of Tony nominees, and a wide age span. It wasn’t just my own echo chamber.” (31:42)
3. Buyer’s Remorse and Social Dynamics (21:55, recurring throughout)
- Many participants experienced regret as the list grew, e.g., realizing an early-voted placement felt wrong once other scores slotted in:
“People would respond to me with frustration or, I guess we’d call it buyer’s remorse, of voting something the way they had—only for that score to stay higher than they intended.” (22:20)
- Every 10 entries: Open forum shakeups, e.g., “One score gets to move up—pick the one you think desperately needs to be moved.”
4. Countdown of 52 Tony-Winning Scores
(22:48 – end, with pause for recaps and breaks)
Matt delivers a detailed, opinionated, and often hilarious account of each score’s historical context, its original competition, and why it landed where it did.
Bottom Five (52–48)
-
52. Memphis:
“Probably considered one of the weakest Best Musical winners of the 21st century, if not of all time... The best thing I’ll say about the score is that there are quite a few bops. The lyrics are incredibly weak.” (33:30)Why did it win? “It was the only original musical that season...” (38:00)
-
51. The Will Rogers Follies:
“Cy Coleman, Betty Comden, Adolph Green... you’d think it would be better! Won more as a political move against Miss Saigon. It’s a beautiful display wedding cake, but there’s nothing to absorb.” (45:40) -
50. Gigi:
“A weird win... A salute to Lerner and Loewe more than actual merit.” (54:00) -
49. Woman of the Year:
“Lots of voters didn’t know this score—maybe voted low from unfamiliarity. There are solid Kander & Ebb tunes here. But competition was so weak, it was practically pre-ordained.” (59:30) -
48. Big River:
“A fun score, but ranked way too low. I think this vote is the beginning of bad faith voting that we’ll see elsewhere.” (66:53)
Notable Quotes & Segments:
-
On casting/creative team biases (re: Six and Suffs):
“When you do an Instagram poll, you can see who votes—not a single Broadway writer or music director liked Suffs or Six’s score, and were adamant they be low... On the creative side, Suffs and Six both were not very well liked.” (1:51:50) -
On Newsies Fandom:
“If you were online for 2012-2014, this show was everywhere...the fact it’s at #43 is wild to me.” (1:45:30)
5. Recency, Classic, and Creative Biases
(Recurring; e.g., 1:24:30, 1:51:00, 2:32:40)
-
Strong millennial/Gen X nostalgia for shows like Aida.
-
Some scores rise/fall due to current opinions of particular genres (e.g., K-pop, pop-infused scores).
-
Matt reveals creative voters (writers, directors, MDs) often voted to “tank” TikTok-pop musical scores, arguing they aren’t “real” theater:
“The question is: Do you like its assignment?” (re: Six) (1:51:20)
-
Voting against “the obvious classic” or, conversely, against newer hits viewed as “overpraised” (Hamilton, Hadestown).
6. The Mid-to-Upper Section: Surprises & Mainstream Consensus
(2:20:00 – onwards)
- Top Quartile: Shows often cited as changing how Broadway sounded, or ones with a strong afterlife—e.g., Evita, Company, Light in the Piazza, Follies, A Chorus Line.
- Les Misérables dethroned Evita as #1, but its time lasted only until Sweeney Todd entered.
Notable Voting Dynamics:
- Many "classics" did not dominate; high scores came from Sondheim and sweeping epic shows, some voter nostalgia, and sometimes recent revivals.
“People had buyer’s remorse voting for Les Mis at #1...and then got trigger-shy about ever going all-in again. That’s why so many final votes landed in the middle.” (3:45:00)
7. Top 10 Countdown: The Final Tally
(3:48:00–4:11:00)
| Rank | Show | Notable Comments | |------|-----------------------|------------------| | 10 | Evita | Started as #1; classic bias, but voters turned on it quickly once new contenders arrived. | | 9 | Company | “Did not even crack the top five initially once Sondheim was in play; more respect than love, perhaps.” | | 8 | Light in the Piazza | Surprising for some; “I thought we all thought this score is gorgeous—turns out not.” | | 7 | Follies | Matt’s favorite Sondheim; wide spread in voting due to high respect but not always as beloved as Night Music/Into the Woods. | | 6 | A Chorus Line | “I listen to the cast recording all the time—cinematic and show-bizzy…and a miracle.” Beat Chicago for the win. | | 5 | Ragtime | “The only Tony win for Ahrens & Flaherty. Many thought this was the obvious best, but power ballad fatigue and perception of ‘try-hard’ messaging kept it from the top.” | | 4 | A Little Night Music | “Ranks much higher than I expected—Sondheim love plus people eager to correct for the other Sondheim scores being ‘too low’.” | | 3 | Into the Woods | “I don’t think it’s a better score than Company or Follies, but people really wanted a Sondheim to top the list.” | | 2 | Les Misérables | “Finally dethroned Evita. Initially voted #1 with gusto, then people started regretting it…But honestly, it got there for a reason.” | | 1 | Sweeney Todd | “Sweeney Todd and A Little Night Music are the only two scores on the ranking not to have 10+ votes to be put at the very bottom. Sweeney is almost universally considered Sondheim’s masterwork.” (4:09:25) |
Memorable Moment: (“On Sweeney Todd’s ultimate victory”)
“It got 56% of the vote to replace Les Mis at number one, which is a majority, but not a vast majority...For something so universally respected, interesting so many were hesitant.” (4:10:05)
Other Highlights & Quotes
-
On shifting legacies:
“That’s what we’ve seen—scores that were undeniable wins, now near the bottom. You really can’t tell how these things are going to age until they age.” (4:11:10) -
On the frustration of Tony predictions:
“There is no precursor for the Tony Awards that can give you any indication about how people are voting. All you can do is follow vibes…” (4:13:10) -
On how social voting shapes outcome:
“Some things get where they are for a reason. Some are just a product of timing. And sometimes the best things aren’t what you’d expect. Sometimes it’s both art and momentum.” (4:14:40)
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|-------------------------------------------| | 01:25 | Motivation for the experiment; overview | | 06:25 | Voting method, sets bookends | | 21:55 | Buyer’s remorse and voting psychology | | 33:30 | Memphis—Why it’s the lowest | | 45:40 | Will Rogers Follies—Political win analysis | | 1:24:30 | Creative team biases; Six & Suffs drama | | 1:45:30 | Newsies and the “Fanzies” phenomenon | | 2:33:00 | Hamilton—Backlash and “alternative” voting | | 3:48:00 | Top 10 countdown begins | | 4:09:25 | Sweeney Todd overtakes Les Mis | | 4:11:10 | Reflection on legacy and Tony predictions |
Concluding Insights
Matt wraps by connecting the findings to the nature of Tony season punditry, warning that consensus is rarely fact and the “obvious” contender is perpetually colored by subjectivity and shifting tides—be that fans, creatives, or industry professionals. He reiterates that art is “so fickle, so personal, so subject to time and mood,” which is both its curse and its irresistible delight.
“The feelings you have about a show or score are not necessarily fact—what might seem so clear to you is so, so different for somebody else…” (4:12:00)
Closing
After thanking listeners, Matt teases upcoming episodes and signs off with gratitude, promising more deep dives, strongly-held opinions, and likely, just as many four-letter words.
The Full List: Broadway Breakdown Instagram/Discord Poll Rankings
For scores ranked 20–1, see Top 10 Countdown above.
-
- Memphis
-
- Will Rogers Follies
-
- Gigi
-
- Woman of the Year
-
- Big River
-
- Mystery of Edwin Drood
-
- Dear Evan Hansen
-
- Kinky Boots
-
- Tommy
-
- Newsies
-
- Suffs
-
- Six
-
- On the 20th Century
-
- Sunset Boulevard
-
- Cats
-
- The Band’s Visit
-
- Avenue Q
-
- Kiss of the Spider Woman
-
- The Producers
-
- Book of Mormon
-
- Urinetown
-
- The Drowsy Chaperone
-
- Bridges of Madison County
-
- Titanic
-
- Aida
-
- Passion
-
- Kimberly Akimbo
-
- Annie
-
- In the Heights
-
- Next to Normal
-
- Spring Awakening
-
- Falsettos
Matt’s Tone:
Witty, direct, irreverent, happily nerdy, deeply knowledgeable, and unafraid to challenge prevailing wisdom—even taking the piss out of “voting culture,” fandom, Broadway creatives, and Tony myth-making along the way.
Useful For:
- Anyone wanting a passionate education in recent Broadway history
- Fans and experts questioning how “consensus” is formed
- Tony predictors, armchair pundits, and theater lovers wishing for lively, insightful analysis