The 2025 Tony Awards w/ Robert W. Schneider

Summary

Broadway Breakdown: The 2025 Tony Awards with Robert W. Schneider

Release Date: June 12, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Broadway Breakdown, host Matt Koplik is joined by guest Robert W. Schneider to dissect the highlights and lowlights of the 2025 Tony Awards. The duo brings their characteristic blend of deep analysis, passionate theater insights, and candid, unfiltered commentary to provide listeners with an engaging recap of the evening's events.

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Favorite Tony Awards Years

Matt Koplik and Rob Schneider reminisce about their favorite Tony Awards ceremonies.

• Matt (05:07): "When I was three years old in '86... Rupert Holmes won best score and best book for Mystery of Edwin Drood."
• Rob (05:10): Shares a personal anecdote about watching the '86 Tonys and receiving an autographed copy from Rupert Holmes, highlighting the emotional significance of that year.

Changes in the Tony Awards Format

Discussion on how the ceremony has evolved over the decades.

• Matt (06:07): Notes the introduction of separate categories for musicals and plays in 1994, allowing for more tailored and substantive performances.
• Rob (08:10): Discusses the elimination of showing scenes from nominated plays and musicals, attributing it to a focus on ratings rather than showcasing theatrical artistry.

Personal Experiences with the 2025 Tonys

Matt and Rob share their individual experiences of watching the awards.

• Rob (11:28): Praises the In Memoriam segment, calling it "the most beautiful" he's ever seen, but criticizes the choice of the song "Tomorrow."
• Matt (13:00): Agrees with the tasteful execution but expresses disappointment in performances like Gypsy, feeling they were underwhelming.

Substack and Discord Community Building

Matt introduces the podcast's new Substack and discusses the growth of their Discord community.

• Matt (16:12): Announces the launch of Robby Breakdown on Substack, detailing its purpose and how it complements their existing Discord channel with over 300 members.
• Rob (17:30): Inquires about Discord and Substack, leading Matt to explain their functionalities and how they serve as platforms for listener interaction and content expansion.

Listener Reviews and Feedback

Matt reads and responds to listener reviews praising the podcast's depth and intelligence.

• Review Highlights:
  • Bobby Booby commends Matt's comprehensive theater knowledge and fun analysis.
  • GM Matt appreciates the podcast's ability to make listeners smarter critics.
  • Shm Your Mom lauds the podcast for its thoughtful critiques amidst humor.

Rankings of Performances

The hosts rank the evening's performances, sharing their personal favorites and disappointments.

• Matt's Rankings:

  1. Sunset Boulevard - Praised for its cohesive storytelling and strong musical score.
  2. Buena Vista Social Club - Noted for its excellent score and choreography, though criticized for camera work.
  3. Floyd Collins - Highlighted Jeremy Jordan's stellar performance, despite production constraints.
  4. Just In Time - Enjoyed for its fun energy but noted as unremarkable compared to others.
  5. Dead Outlaw - Considered a solid performance with effective staging.
  6. Operation Mincemeat - Appreciated but found lacking in depth.
  7. Real Women Have Curves - Placed at the bottom due to underwhelming performance amidst high expectations.

• Rob's Perspective:

  • Aligns with Matt's appreciation for Jeremy Jordan and commends performances that balance humor and drama effectively.

Controversies and Missed Opportunities

Addressing how social media narratives and political influences impacted perceptions and voting outcomes.

• Matt (45:48): Criticizes the influence of social media in shaping narratives around performances, asserting that voters prefer craftsmanship over online hype.
• Rob (54:03): Emphasizes the importance of respecting comedy and the challenges it presents in award performances.

Closing Remarks and Future Directions

The hosts discuss their plans for the podcast's hiatus and upcoming projects.

• Matt (183:22): Announces a short hiatus to work on restructuring episodes and preparing for a new Deep Dive series titled "Matt's Picks."
• Rob (183:30): Encourages listeners to check out Matt's other projects and praises the show's intelligent approach to theater criticism.

Final Thoughts

Matt and Rob conclude by celebrating their friendship and the collaborative spirit of the podcast community. They acknowledge the complexities of award ceremonies and the diverse opinions they ignite among theater enthusiasts.

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Notable Quotes

• Rob Schneider (11:28): "I thought it was the most beautiful In Memoriam sequence I'd ever seen in my life."
• Matt Koplik (13:00): "I thought everyone plays a little too safe now to do that."
• Rob Schneider (54:07): "Is there a time we're on a Tony broadcast where you're like, oh, my God, they did shit the bed."

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Conclusion

This episode of Broadway Breakdown offers a nuanced and candid exploration of the 2025 Tony Awards, blending personal anecdotes with critical analysis. Matt Koplik and Rob Schneider provide listeners with a comprehensive overview of the evening, highlighting standout performances, addressing controversies, and fostering a sense of community through their engaging discussions.

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For more insights and detailed discussions, visit Broadway Breakdown or join the conversation on their Discord Channel and Substack.

Transcript

[Matt Koplik]

Hi, I'm Ariana Grande.

[Rob Schneider]

Hi, I'm Cynthia Erivo and you're listening.

[Matt Koplik]

To the Broadway Podcast Network.

[Rob Schneider]

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[Matt Koplik]

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[Rob Schneider]

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[Matt Koplik]

Handcrafted by over 200 language experts, Babbel.

[Rob Schneider]

Gets you on your way to speaking a new language in just a few weeks. With over 16 million subscriptions sold and a 20 day money back guarantee. Just start speaking another language with Babbel right now. Up to 55% off your Babbel subscription at babbel.com Spotify podcast spelled B A B-B-E-L.com Spotify podcast rules and restrictions may apply. I know we broke up, but do you wanna watch the Tonys this year? You f ed my brother. Does your big dicked brother wanna watch the Tonys this year? What?

[Matt Koplik]

Come on. Hey, it's like in birthdays actually had.

[Rob Schneider]

Any meaning or your wedding was written by Stephen Sondheim.

[Matt Koplik]

Hello all you theater lovers both out and proud and on the DL. And welcome back to Broadway Breakdown, a podcast discussing the history un legacy of American theater's most exclusive address. Broadway. I am your host, Matt Koplik, the least famous and most opinionated of all the Broadway podcast hosts. And we have have made it to the finish line. The Tonys are over. The winners have won, their performers have performed and the Internet has exploded. Thank God the Internet is dead. Long live the Internet with me today. Wait, did I say who I was?

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And I was Matt Copley. You said you were Matt Copley?

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

The most opinionated and least famous of all the Broadway podcast hosts. With me today is friend of the pod, daddy of the pod.

[Rob Schneider]

Please, Ms.

[Matt Koplik]

Robert W. Schneider.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, hello, Matt. How you doing?

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, hello.

[Rob Schneider]

I have to tell everybody. Just so you understand. I looked down at my phone for a second and I didn't realize Matt was starting. And I'm looking at my phone, all of a sudden I hear, hi, welcome to Blah, Blah, Blah. I'm Matt Koplik.

[Matt Koplik]

I don't change my voice that much.

[Rob Schneider]

No, it just scared me. I was like, why are you talking to me like that? And they're like, oh, you were recording. Oh, we started.

[Matt Koplik]

We started.

[Rob Schneider]

Thank God. First of all, Matt was doing mic tests before this, and I was gossiping like a little bitch, and I wish. I wish I had known because I was saying some not nice things, and now they're on the air forever.

[Matt Koplik]

You were saying some not nice things about somebody who isn't real. It's fine. It's wasn't actual Tea. It was someone we both know. Like, it was. It was. We weren't talking about, like, a Broadway actor tea. We were talking about someone we both kind of knew and just. And. And just speaking about.

[Rob Schneider]

I diminished them in a way I should not diminish them. And I'm sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

No, but it was a person who had been mean to me. So that's why you were doing that.

[Rob Schneider]

So I did it. So I did a good thing. I did a mistake.

[Matt Koplik]

You were being a friend, not knowing that I was doing a mic test. All that matters is that there's, like, 20 seconds out there. You wouldn't even know who this person is.

[Rob Schneider]

Great. At my funeral, just play those 20 seconds.

[Matt Koplik]

I feel like it's the end of Rob's, like, little bitchy moment, but, Rob, enough of that.

[Rob Schneider]

Sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

Sorry. Enough of that. What are we talking about today?

[Rob Schneider]

Today we're Talking about the 2025 Tony Awards as well as the 2425 season or just the Tony Awards?

[Matt Koplik]

I think it all.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm sorry. I should have been more prepared.

[Matt Koplik]

I think they're all flowers in the attic.

[Rob Schneider]

I love that movie.

[Matt Koplik]

Of course you do.

[Rob Schneider]

That was a good movie.

[Matt Koplik]

It was a hot movie.

[Rob Schneider]

Louise Fletcher was the.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, she's the grandma.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, my God.

[Matt Koplik]

But you know what? None of this has anything to do.

[Rob Schneider]

With the Tony Awards.

[Matt Koplik]

The 2025 Tony.

[Rob Schneider]

Aw. Words. What do you want to know? Well, I watched it.

[Matt Koplik]

You watch it well. So Rob and I were supposed to be at the same party. Yeah, to watch it.

[Rob Schneider]

Sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

It's fine. Rob had a leak in his apartment that he had to get fixed, so he had to watch it separately. But we watched it on a different.

[Rob Schneider]

And my super was not interested in my thoughts or opinions.

[Matt Koplik]

No. But, you know, we. We.

[Rob Schneider]

What is this? Mince meat.

[Matt Koplik]

This means meat. What is the operation.

[Rob Schneider]

What is the operation? Who has operation?

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, who?

[Rob Schneider]

I cut you open, though.

[Matt Koplik]

Who is Curves.

[Rob Schneider]

No subletter, no matter what. Do you like the roommate? No, roommate, Subletter. That's all I kept saying. That's it.

[Matt Koplik]

Anyway, so first of all.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes, sir.

[Matt Koplik]

Actually, Rob, what is it? Do you have a year at the Tonys that you really like? Whether it's a ceremony or like a.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, like a year. Oh, 1986.

[Matt Koplik]

That's the mystery of Edwin Druid.

[Rob Schneider]

Mystery of Edwin Drew.

[Matt Koplik]

What made that a good year?

[Rob Schneider]

Honestly? Yeah, I.

[Matt Koplik]

When I was three years old in 72.

[Rob Schneider]

You fucking asshole. When I was three years old, my family watched it and they. They. They filmed it. And there's literally video footage of me wearing, like, A Chorus Line t shirt at 3 years old, watching the 1986 Tony Awards. And one of the things that's, like, a big deal for me, honestly, is, like, I just. I'm doing something at 54 below sin, and Rupert Holmes is in it. And Rupert won best score and best book for Mystery of Edwin Drood. And so, like, there's a. Like, there's footage of me, like, watching him on the television. And now, years later, like, he sent me an autographed copy of his book. And to be like, hey, I like working with. I don't know. It's. So. That one's very special for me.

[Matt Koplik]

I do love that performance, by the way.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes. So, like. Yes, the. So that's like, the sentimental reason, but also what they did on it and people forget this, and I. I thought it was brilliant, is they would. It was the 50th year of the Tonys. Or the 40th. 40th year of the Tonys. I'm sorry, 40th year. And they brought back anyone who had been in one of the best play winners, and they had them, like, recite one line from each of the plays, like, in a montage.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, interesting.

[Rob Schneider]

And it's. Some people are like, it's very corny. I think it's very moving.

[Matt Koplik]

But that's sort of theater and Broadway, right? It's like the line between corny and moving.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. And they would do. And they did a celebration of all the musicals that had won. So, like, somebody would sing, like, a lyric from High Button Shoes, and then somebody would sing a lyric from, like. Like, King and I. And that, to me, was like, my first education of, like, what musical theater should be, because I was like, oh, I kind of like that song. What's that from? Oh, High Button Shoes. What's High button shoes. Yeah. And then I would go and research it. So anyway, the 86 was a big one for me and I taped every year till 89.

[Matt Koplik]

So 86, 87, 84 years.

[Rob Schneider]

Four years.

[Matt Koplik]

So you stopped before it got good?

[Rob Schneider]

I recorded 90.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay.

[Rob Schneider]

Did not. My parents forgot to hit the DVR. I mean, hit the record for 91. And I picked up again in 96. No, 95. I picked up in 95 because that was the year Nathan Lane hosted with Gregory Hines and Glenn Close. Yes, yes. And they were fabulous. And Nathan Lane and Gregory Hines did this amazing medley of like, songs that women get to sing. And it was fantastic.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, I'm sure.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

I've watched it. It's a good story. One of my favorite ceremonies is 2000.

[Rob Schneider]

2000.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, a. I really like Contact. It's the Contact year. And it's not because I'm like, oh, my God, I love Contact. I love. That was a year they did montages. They did video montages of the season of the designs and of the score writers. And I thought it was done so well. It was a great way to showcase the whole season.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Showcase as many shows as possible and really gave you insight into what goes into making shows.

[Rob Schneider]

Can I ask you a question?

[Matt Koplik]

Yes.

[Rob Schneider]

One of the things that I really loved that they used to do in the 80s they don't do anymore is they used to show little scenes from the plays and they would set them up and I thought they were fantastic. Like, I. Like I got what was happening. Like, why have they taken that? Why have they stopped that? Why can't they show a scene from O Mary? Why can't they show a scene from Purpose?

[Matt Koplik]

Two things.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

One, they are hungry for them ratings. And in their mind, plays do not get the ratings.

[Rob Schneider]

Really.

[Matt Koplik]

Even though things like oh Mary broke through to the pop culture zeitgeist this year. And I think a lot of viewers would have killed to have seen two minutes of O Mary.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, God. Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

That aside, there's also just not as much time now because people always talk about, like, why are all these awards now relegated to the pre broadcast? Like, they used to be able to fit everything. We actually have more categories now than we used to. Like 86 did not have. 86 didn't have orchestrations. Revival used to just be revival. It wasn't revival of a musical or play. There was no sound categories, one or two. And then the design categories were mixed with the musicals in the plays. So it was just scenic design, costume design, lighting design. Boom. So there Just were fewer awards to give out and so there was more time that you could add stuff. And also we used to have genuinely four best musical nominees and revivals didn't usually perform.

[Rob Schneider]

You are correct. Yeah, you're right.

[Matt Koplik]

I think revivals didn't really start performing regularly until the Guys and dolls year.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, 92.

[Matt Koplik]

That was 92. Because I think that was Guys and Dolls and Most Happy Fella.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. And was it 94 when they first started giving the revival? You know it's Carousel year, right?

[Matt Koplik]

Yes, it's the carousel year. 94 was the first year that they split musical and play.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, okay. So there used to be a revival category. Then they were like, we gotta differentiate.

[Matt Koplik]

Revival category, I think began in 77, maybe. Or maybe 70.

[Rob Schneider]

Interesting.

[Matt Koplik]

And it was. It was like 80. Innovative production. And then it became like innovative or reproduction of a show.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And then I think it eventually just became revival somewhere in the 80s and then it became revival of a musical and play separately. But yeah, 2000 is my favorite ceremony. But I mean, like, there are so many other great lineup years.

[Rob Schneider]

Who hosted in 2000? Was it Rosie O' not Rosie O' Donnell? Was this the year there was no host? Wasn't there like a year they were like, when there's no host, they would bring out duos.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, well, Nathan Lane And Matthew Broderick did 01. I think Rosie did 2000.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

She did. Because she did 98. Famous.

[Rob Schneider]

I don't remember this.

[Matt Koplik]

I can look it up. I'm pretty sure she was the host in 2000.

[Rob Schneider]

Well, Matt's looking that up.

[Matt Koplik]

Yes. Well, we can talk and talk about fresh direct, so. Fuck you. So I was gonna say watching it on your own. No, no, let's get back to the top.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm just gonna say Matt's wearing a really cool T shirt that says Thrilla in Manila between Diana and Camilla. He's wearing his Diana shirt today. So for you that are picturing what Matt's wearing, he's wearing the Diana shirt.

[Matt Koplik]

People like to picture what I'm not wearing. Yeah, it was Rosie o' Donnell and Nathan Lane was like. I was like a special guest.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yes.

[Matt Koplik]

So what I was gonna ask you was while we talk about this ceremony.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

You and I watched in very different situations. I was. I was at a gathering. You were alone.

[Rob Schneider]

You pathetic fuck. You were alone, you.

[Matt Koplik]

You pathetic old fuck. You were alone. What did you think of the ceremony watching this year?

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, wow. What a question. In terms of, like, the overall, first.

[Matt Koplik]

Of all, the ceremony itself. What do you think of the ceremony itself.

[Rob Schneider]

First of all, honestly, I thought it was the most beautiful In Memoriam sequence I'd ever seen in my life. And I know that's such a weird place to start the ceremony, but honestly, that really touched me. Although some idiot on Threads or X or whatever the hell it's called now was like, I think it was really offensive that they sang Tomorrow for the dead people who can't see.

[Matt Koplik]

Tomorrow.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. And I was like, it was written by Charles fucking Strauss. He wrote Tomorrow. He died. Like, come on, you asshole.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. To say that it's offensive. I'm like, first of all, you want to know who can't be offended?

[Rob Schneider]

Dead people. They're not offended.

[Matt Koplik]

Dead people can't be offended.

[Rob Schneider]

Please.

[Matt Koplik]

Like, fuck off.

[Rob Schneider]

Charles would not be offended. He would be touched.

[Matt Koplik]

He'd be so touched that he was the most famous composer from Broadway who passed last year.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

This was inarguably his most famous song.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

Not his best, but his most famous.

[Rob Schneider]

You wanna sing Put on a Happy Face? Yeah. What else do you want him to sing?

[Matt Koplik]

Spanish Rose. Come on.

[Rob Schneider]

Can you imagine?

[Matt Koplik]

The worst one would be. Got a lot of living to do. That'd be the worst one to sing. The worst one to do.

[Rob Schneider]

Shit.

[Matt Koplik]

Imagine if Cynthia Erivo and Sara Bareilles came out and they were. No, they went like. And now we will be singing rags this land of freedom we had to run to and now we're freedom. The black and white, slowly in the background. It's all just old headshots of Judy.

[Rob Schneider]

Cute, which you probably have. Which you probably gave to them.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm serious.

[Rob Schneider]

This is my collection.

[Matt Koplik]

Look at this stuff. Isn't it neat?

[Rob Schneider]

Neat? No, sir. It's actually kind of upsetting.

[Matt Koplik]

Judy Cute is taking out a restraining.

[Rob Schneider]

Order more than anything. So anyway, Yes. I thought. I loved the In Memoriam. I know that sounds so weird. No.

[Matt Koplik]

But I will say it was a very. I thought it was a very tasteful, beautifully done In Memoriam.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes. And, you know, actually tasteful. A really nice way I think of describing the entire ceremony, like, everything felt tasteful. There was nothing to me that felt very visceral. Like, you know, there's some performances where I think, like, in your watch, like, and I'm telling you, I'm not going to use, like, visceral Michael G to Grand Hotel visceral Caroline or change visceral. There really wasn't anything like that for me. Maybe Audra's performance came closest for me and friends. Matt's eyes literally just filled with Such hate.

[Matt Koplik]

How dare you.

[Rob Schneider]

I. You. I literally saw your eyes narrow. No, I don't know what my friend is talking about.

[Matt Koplik]

Stop it.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm just telling you. I'm just telling you.

[Matt Koplik]

What? What is this? What is this? No, I. I feel, I hate that this has been the season where I have to say over and over again to everybody, like to remind them to. I hate that I have to remind people over and over again how much I love that. Like, I think she's the queen. She's awesome.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

But I've had to remind people that I think that when I talk about that how much this gypsy underwhelmed me. We'll get to Audra's performance in a second. I agree with you. I think that the performances of the shows this year. I thought there were no full on duds, but there was nothing that really was for the record books.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, keep talking because I want to read you something, if that's okay.

[Matt Koplik]

May I read something better than anyone I know?

[Rob Schneider]

Better than anybody I know, Rose. My good friend Josh Ellis and I asked him if I could quote him on this and he said yes, Josh Ellis, friends. If you don't know who he is, he was a Broadway press agent in the 70s and 80s. He did 42nd street into the Woods. The list goes on and on. And he sent an email to all of his friends and he said, depressingly, bad choices on Tony broadcast. That was the headline and this was his first paragraph. And I want to know what you think about this, Matt. He said, if your show is up for best musical, picking the exact right musical highlight to present on the Tony Awards broadcast is a monumental choice. You must choose something that makes complete sense without context because 99% of the viewing audience needs to be seduced quickly and passionately. They blew their chance. Sad. Do you feel like that's an accurate statement? Do you feel like.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, I think saying they blew their chance implies that everyone did a bad job. And I think the thing is no one did a bad job, but I don't think anyone did a very good job. There are some shows that I found I don't know what they could have done. Like, I don't know what Floyd Collins could have done because that show is so unmarketable. And I am actually kind of happy they chose the Call because I thought that was the best number when I saw the show. And I thought that they did the best they could considering, like what Jeremy Jordan does in the actual production. Like, you can't recreate that at Radio City.

[Rob Schneider]

Music Hall. So you saw all the shows this year?

[Matt Koplik]

I did.

[Rob Schneider]

So do you feel like the numbers that were presented were the. Like, if you. If someone said to you, hey, Matt, you have to pick a number from each of these shows? Like, do you feel like those were the same numbers you would have picked, like, for, like.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, no, no, no, no. Again, it's so.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay, let's go off topic. I was just curious.

[Matt Koplik]

No, it's all. It's all on topic. I didn't even get. By the way, I didn't get to read the most recent reviews of the podcast. We'll do that after the next break.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, I'm sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

No, no. I just. I. My brain is all over the place. But I want. I told the people who wrote reviews for the podcast recently, because I read them on.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

That I would give them their flowers this episode, and I will. We'll do it after the first break.

[Rob Schneider]

Sorry, friends.

[Matt Koplik]

Nah, they're fine. People who listen to this podcast have learned how to be patient because this podcast is long form, baby. Actually, this is a good time to announce this. Robby Breakdown has launched a substack which is really exciting, and if you want, you can subscribe to it. There's a link to it in the episode description for the podcast. I took a quick peek at our Discord channel, which, by the way, currently has over 300 members. Very exciting. We launched the Substack privately on Discord a few days ago. We're recording this the Monday after the Tonys. We launched the substack a few days ago on Thursday, and in the last, like, four days, it now has 100 subscribers, which is really cool. But on the Discord, people were concerned that Substack was going to replace the Discord, and it's not. I'm here to tell you now I'm kind of speaking out of turn. I'm not supposed to be saying this. Discord is going to stay. I'm glad that everybody really is enjoying it. We're figuring it out. Substack is going to be another thing we are doing with Broadway Breakdown. We are trying to get as many eyeballs on it right now as possible, which is why I am sort of putting all my effort in all of my interactions with listeners on Substack in this moment.

[Rob Schneider]

Can I. I'm going to ask you a really stupid question because I'm a hundred. What is Discord and what is a substack?

[Matt Koplik]

Discord is a channel where people can communicate on a specific subject that they love and that can Be theater in general, a specific podcast, a YouTube channel. Like, a lot of YouTube channels have Discord channels where, like, fans.

[Rob Schneider]

Is it literally like discord.com? like, what is it? Ye. Really?

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, that's literally what it is. And the admins create multiple pages on the Discord. So it's like if you want to talk, it's like for.

[Rob Schneider]

On.

[Matt Koplik]

On the. On the Discord channel for Broadway Breakdown, we have like a welcome page where people can introduce themselves. We have a channel for the podcast itself where people can write in about like the newest episode, things like that. You can also people on Discord so they can respond to you. So a lot of people me on there sometimes. We have a channel for the Tony Awards. We have a channel for. Whenever we do a new series on the podcast, we have a channel for that so people can put in information on the shows that we're going to be covering. So when we did grab bag, people would send in media that they found on YouTube or whatever. Yeah, it's a really great spot. And people. There's a channel for theater talk on the latest news. There's one for ticket advice. Random. For like random things that people saw that day or feel that day.

[Rob Schneider]

Is it like a message board?

[Matt Koplik]

Kind of. Yeah. It's basically that. But it's unlike Broadway worlds where people can create a thread and.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And eventually, like, it will die if people stop responding to it. On Discord, all the threads are just sort of in place and you can just always contribute. Where substack is a little easier for me is I am using substack to expand the outreach of Broadway Breakdown and I'm posting articles on there. Some of them are recaps of podcast episodes of Broadway Breakdown and some will be new articles and reviews that I'll be writing originally on my own. So people who like my reviews on Instagram can join the substack and subscribe to the substack and see all the things. By the way, guys, Rob was not primed for any of this. He didn't know I was going to talk about any of this. This is a genuine interaction we're having.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. I'm so sorry. I really don't know.

[Matt Koplik]

This isn't Rob being like. And what is it, Matthew? Tell me. I'm going on the fly here. But. So people who want to read my writings or want to get newsletters want to message me directly and don't want to deal with Instagram, I. You can message me directly on substack also. It's a good way to Support me. It's kind of like Discord meets. I don't know, like. Like a Tumblr board meets. Meets Patreon. Because you can also. Because you can also pledge a subscription fee either monthly or annually. And we've had. It's free right now. Substack is free. There's no paywall. We will be eventually implementing a paywall where there will be some content that is free for everybody. You can read it, whatever you want. And then other content that is going to be exclusively for subscribers in addition to certain interactions with me that will be exclusive to subscribers. And that's not me being like, I have to be in a VIP section. So much is that there's only so much I can do and only so many listeners I can respond to.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And so I will be. Discord will be staying. I'm so happy people are finding the Discord. We have over 300 members. It keeps growing.

[Rob Schneider]

Great.

[Matt Koplik]

So that's gonna stay. My input is going to be more on Substack, not because I dislike Discord, because we're trying to phase it out. It's just easier for me to communicate with listeners on Substack. Just the way that that website is figured out. But also, people don't have to interact with me on Substack. Plenty of people still interact with me on Instagram. So if you. There were some comments in Discord where they're like, I don't want to have to learn a new website, which I totally get. I'm like, and in that case, you can just join the Substack if you just want to read my shit.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, wow.

[Matt Koplik]

If you like. If you love listening to the podcast. But you're like, I missed when Matt used to write Instagram reviews.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

That. That's coming back on Substack.

[Rob Schneider]

That's great, isn't it? We're excited for explaining that. I really didn't know that. I really didn't.

[Matt Koplik]

And it's again, and I have to emphasize right now, it is free. Right now. You can pledge to be a subscriber, but you will not be charged.

[Rob Schneider]

We will.

[Matt Koplik]

We will make an announcement when that will be happening. But it's new. This sub stack is five days old. And we're figuring it out as we go.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

So you'll also get on the ground FL and see how it grows. So hopefully it grows really nicely. This is to say. And then we're gonna go to a commercial in a hot second.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, Jesus.

[Matt Koplik]

This is to say, I used Substack to ask people for questions and comments they wanted us to cover on this Tony Awards. Ah. And so something that people asked was, you know, how would you rank the performances of the ceremony? And I rewatched everything today, and we'll. I. I'm gonna go through these specifically in a minute after the commercial, but I want to say when we eventually get to the rankings and my thoughts on specific performances and whatever. I don't think any performance was bad. I don't think any performance was great either.

[Rob Schneider]

None of them, like, middle, middle. Everything was.

[Matt Koplik]

I thought everything was basically middle, middle, middle minus, and middle plus. I thought nobody shat the bed. Nobody embarrassed themselves, but nobody that I watched was, like, sold a thousand tickets.

[Rob Schneider]

Can I ask you a question?

[Matt Koplik]

Yes, babe.

[Rob Schneider]

Is there a time we're on a Tony broadcast where you're like, oh, my God, they did shit the bed. Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, who?

[Rob Schneider]

I'm curious.

[Matt Koplik]

Trying to think in the last, like, sorry, I don't think anything. Super recent. Yeah, I think everyone plays a little too safe now to do that. I mean, I thought that. I remember thinking the Tootsie performance is really bad and that, like, they picked the wrong song and the wrong staging. I thought that I was at the. I was at the Tonys the year of 2018. And I remember watching the Mean Girls performance and going, oh, you guys didn't do a good job. Not. Not the performers. But, like, I thought that they did a bad job creating a medley for that show. Okay, what was. It was another one. I thought that Carousel picked the wrong thing. They picked Blow High, blow low from 2018. Yeah, 2018. I thought that. I thought the Visit kind of shat the bed. They. Because they wanted to focus.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, my God. I forgot that was nominated.

[Matt Koplik]

Right. Well, they focused on Cheetah, which was the correct thing to do, but they. And they were like, well, in the show. This is really moving. I'm like, right. We had 85 minutes to build up to this. And so people are watching Cheetah just stand there and going, love and to love alone. And I'm watching going, oh, no one understands what's happening.

[Rob Schneider]

Can I tell you my visit story very quickly?

[Matt Koplik]

Is it a brief visit?

[Rob Schneider]

It's a brief visit. It's a brief. How dare you. When I went to go see the visit, I got my seat, and it was up on the balcony. And so it was on the edge, like, on the. On the. On the aisle. And the usher said to me. He goes, well, I got good news for you. He's like, the good news is there's nobody sitting in the center. So if you want to move to the center, you can. He goes, the bad news is, is from the center, you can really see the show. That was the Usher. That was the Usher.

[Matt Koplik]

I didn't mind the visit, but I also understand completely why people hated it.

[Rob Schneider]

I wanted to see that, like, in a small, little black box underground somewhere.

[Matt Koplik]

Everyone I know who has worked on it has said that the best version was the version they did right before John Doyle got in there. They said that the problem with John Doyle is that he cut all the fat, but he also cut some good stuff. And that by streamlining the show, a lot of really important shit also went away.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, interesting.

[Matt Koplik]

And so it became a much colder.

[Rob Schneider]

Weirder show because I love the play.

[Matt Koplik]

I like the play a lot. I want to watch the movie with Ingrid Bergman.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, I've never seen the movie.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, sorry, Sorry, friends. So we will get to all of that in a second. We will talk, actually about the stuff on substack. We will talk more about the Tonys. I swear to God we will. But I hope people are just enjoying this so far.

[Rob Schneider]

I am.

[Matt Koplik]

First off, Rob, let us take a quick break.

[Rob Schneider]

Billy, I beg to differ with you.

[Matt Koplik]

How do you mean?

[Rob Schneider]

You're the top.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. You're an arrow collar.

[Rob Schneider]

You're the top. You're a Coolidge dollar. You're the nimble tread of the feet of Freddy.

[Matt Koplik]

Don't miss your last chance to see Broadway royalty. In the New York Times critics pick Stephen Sondheim's old friends. The Wall Street Journal raves, Tony Award winner Bernadette Peters is extraordinary. And Tony winner Lea Salonga is thrilling. The observer says it's filled with one showstopper after another. And Entertainment Weekly cheers. It's glorious and ecstatic. It's your last chance to see old friends now through June 29th only. So visit oldfriendsbroadway.com for tickets and more information. And we're back. So before we get into the Tonys. I know, I know, I'm teasing you guys. I'm teasing you guys. But I swear to God, there's a reason I'm going to give the flowers to our three new reviews on the Apple podcast app. And we will continue with some of the substack questions and the Tonys in general. First up, please cue the lightning. The Piazza Overture, five stars by Bobby Booby. Love it already. And the title is. You had me at Sally Murphy. This is the best Broadway podcast out there. I have struggled to find Broadway podcasts that I can tolerate for more than five minutes. I can more than tolerate Broadway Breakdown and the lengthy episodes. This isn't a read, I swear. Thanks, Bobby. I know it's not. Matt knows his theater history, and his analysis of current Broadway trends is always spot on. I break into a giggle fit every time he brings up Nickelodeon acting. I call it Disney Channel acting, but it's the exact same thing. As someone who is frequently called a theater snob. It's refreshing to listen to someone who is as particular as I am. He also worships at the altar of salvation. Murphy and Judy Kuhn.

[Rob Schneider]

Jesus.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay, like, he likes the correct Wild Party, doesn't call cast recordings soundtracks, and is obsessed with the 94 carousel. All pluses in my book.

[Rob Schneider]

I did see this review on your Instagram. I thought it was great. And he says you love the correct Wild Party. Lachiusa.

[Matt Koplik]

Yes.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay, great. Keep going.

[Matt Koplik]

Yes. Continue on, Continue on. Five stars. The Brain of Broadway by GM Matt's Broadway Breakdown makes me a smarter critic. His encyclopedic knowledge and commitment to recognize research makes his podcast one for intelligent theater goers. Yeah, not for you dummies out there. We don't want you dummies. I can hardly wait to listen to his new offerings when they're available. If you love Broadway, you'll get hooked quickly and you'll get critiques with strong opinions that are well thought out and explained. Subscribe today. You'll be glad you're listening. Thank you. And last one, but not least, by shm. Your mom. No, s mom. Oh, s mom. 21, otherwise known as shma. Shm. Five stars. And it's called Maggie. I beg to differ with you.

[Rob Schneider]

She's Irish. In your version.

[Matt Koplik]

I think they're. It's a reference to Patti LuPone's Billy. I beg to differ.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

It's okay, guys. Rob is pretty not smart.

[Rob Schneider]

Jesus.

[Matt Koplik]

It's a podcast. They don't know.

[Rob Schneider]

Got me. Okay, keep going. Sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay, sorry. Re Cue the Land of the Piazza.

[Rob Schneider]

Over.

[Matt Koplik]

Sorry.

[Rob Schneider]

Sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

I hit it. Ted.

[Rob Schneider]

Fucking overture. Let's go.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay, Maddie, I beg to differ with you. I only came to appreciate theater late in life if I'm allowed to consider my 30s later and my introduction to theater. You're not in your later life. And my introduction to theater was predominantly shows and revivals produced in the 2000 teens and onward. The encyclopedic Broadway knowledge that Matt delivers. Encyclopedic. Everyone keeps calling me that. And every episode of the podcast sends me down numerous Google rabbit holes, which has consequently expanded my own Broadway knowledge far beyond the years that I've been an audience member. His ability to rattle off a choreographer or sound designer from an obscure musical revival that occurred decades ago never fails to impress.

[Rob Schneider]

It is very impressive.

[Matt Koplik]

I hate it for myself.

[Rob Schneider]

It's impressive.

[Matt Koplik]

Yes, until you're trying to go on a date with Jonathan Groff and he goes, I'm sorry, my best friend Lea Michele is coming in, and we just don't have time for this. I'm kidding. I wouldn't go on a date with him. His reviews are not only thoughtful and nuanced, amidst the humor, he approaches evaluation of theater craft with the same tenacity exhibited by Wayne Newton's plastic surgeon.

[Rob Schneider]

What was. Say that one more time.

[Matt Koplik]

His reviews are not only thoughtful and nuanced. Amidst the humor, he approaches each approach, he approaches evaluation of theater craft with the same tenacity exhibited by Wayne Newton's plastic surgeon.

[Rob Schneider]

That's funny.

[Matt Koplik]

Isn't Wayne Newton.

[Rob Schneider]

He's had, like, 900 plastic surgeries. So this plastic surgeon's like, I'm gonna do it this time.

[Matt Koplik]

Wait, you know who I'm thinking of? Okay, Wayne Knight played Newman.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, Wayne Knight is different than Wayne Newton.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay, that's who I was thinking of. That's who I was thinking of. So much for. So much for encyclopedic knowledge. Sorry. The work is never done in giant, bold letters and exclamation point. I originally wrote an additional paragraph to this review, but if there's one thing I've learned from listening to the show, it's good to not be too precious when it comes to trimming things down.

[Rob Schneider]

That's funny.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, that's also me talking about shows, not just my own. I always. I also don't want to upset that one person that thinks the housekeeping section is too long. In the event that this gets ready, I look forward to making many more ridiculous faces in public places while trying to squash my earbud induced laughter. Also, I gotta say, fuck the people who say that the housekeeping is too long. This is the podcast.

[Rob Schneider]

This is housekeeping. What do you mean?

[Matt Koplik]

Whenever I say we have some housekeeping to do, we have to read some reviews? I gotta tell what's wrong with that? There's nothing wrong with it. I had one episode where I was saying, like, here's what's gonna happen on the podcast for a little while with the discord. And to be fair, I was talking about it for, like, eight minutes, but I was being you're excited. And I was going in depth about it.

[Rob Schneider]

What's wrong with that?

[Matt Koplik]

But I have learned to try to trim down my tangents.

[Rob Schneider]

People don't like it. They can skip it.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, no, there's a fast forward button.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay. So the first thing on substack was I'm still reeling from everything, but would love an overall recap and would love to hear a conversation about why shows like Just in Time and Gypsy were shut out. You did not see Just in Time, did you?

[Rob Schneider]

I did not see Just in time.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay.

[Rob Schneider]

I called, I read Just in time, but I did not see Just in Time.

[Matt Koplik]

Like, you read the script? Yeah, yeah, I read the script after the fact too. They sent me a script after I saw it. They gave me and my mom very lovely seats. My thing I said on substack after the performance was Bobby Darin is still nowhere to be found in that building, which is true. And I don't appreciate how people have let it slide because we like Jonathan Groff.

[Rob Schneider]

Because, like, there's no resemblance whatsoever to Bobby Darin.

[Matt Koplik]

It's not even like. It's not even like, oh, you know, he doesn't have to put silly putty on his face. He shouldn't have to do all the things. Like, I'm not even. I'm not asking for a full transformation. I'm asking for something like, the essence. Yeah. Like, something to differentiate between Groff and him. And if you've seen the show, you know that there's a bookend where it begins with Groff being like, I'm Jonathan Groff and I'm going to be Bobby Darin for the evening. And then it ends with him being like, and here's why I love Bobby Darin. And that's all well and good. I'm a little convinced that they added that because Groff doesn't do anything to be Bobby Darin.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, interesting.

[Matt Koplik]

He's got the charisma of Bobby Darin.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, he's very good.

[Matt Koplik]

He's so good at bringing a room together. He's like. He's a genuine star in the sense of, like, that boy has, you know, just good energy coming out of his pores. Yeah, he's so talented out of his sweaty, sweaty pores. And he's a very lovely singer. And he's so enthusiastic and, like, is giving a very good performance in Just in Time. He is ultimately giving my third favorite performance in his category. My. My favorite is Jeremy Jordan and Floyd Collins, who's giving a career best stunning performance.

[Rob Schneider]

Who's number two Darren Criss. Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Who is wonderful. And maybe happy ending. And I think if one, if there's one thing that the Tony performance did, it actually kind of showed even further the details of his work in it.

[Rob Schneider]

So good, man.

[Matt Koplik]

So good. And then Groff is third. But that's also a very good category. Like, no one in that category was bad, but I think ultimately Just In Time just wasn't good enough enough. Like, it's, it's a very fun time, but they don't really do anything new or memorable with it. It's a fun time in the theater. And then I feel like with every block you walk away from it, your memories of it get more fading.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

You remember Gracie Lawrence singing the Absolute Bejesus out of who's Sorry now. You remember thinking like, oh my God, the marathon that Groff went through. But then when you're thinking about the craftsmanship of it, I feel like it gets a little fuzzier over time.

[Rob Schneider]

Did Bobby. Was Bobby Darin's life like, I don't say worthy of a musical, but was there enough there to like, oh, yeah, we can tell a story about this guy.

[Matt Koplik]

Absolutely. And I think they actually had the right attitude about how to approach his life, which was that it's very non stop from Hamilton of like the. Why do you write like you're running out of time? Because he died young.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And he was told from a young age that he was going to die young. And so he very much was like, I got to hit the ground running. So that was sort of the whole energy of the show. The thing is they kind of got away from that in the second act. But also I'm sure that he kind of got away from that as he. As his career kind of faded away from him. But that is. He's got meat in there. And also, like, he grew up thinking that his sister. That his mom was his sister and his grandma was his mom.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Which is a very late in the show. Dramatic reveal.

[Rob Schneider]

A little surprise.

[Matt Koplik]

It's a little. It's a little. Okay, which one of you bitches is my mother?

[Rob Schneider]

What? Let's imagine that the show goes other places. Like, is it a show that like, you're coming to see the show because it's Jonathan Groff or is it. Well, no, we could put anybody really in the show. It's Jonathan Groff.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. You would have to alter it for other performers. The. The thing I was told was that a specific major person on the team who had like major creative say over it said that they wanted this to be Jonathan Groff's Boy From Oz.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, okay.

[Matt Koplik]

There's a difference. I would actually would argue. I think Just In Time is a better constructed show than Boy From Oz.

[Rob Schneider]

Really? Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

I think Boy From Oz was not a good musical, but Boy From Oz was. That Boy From Oz was Hugh Jackman's funny girl. It was a bio musical that wasn't very good, but set him up for major success. And it wasn't watch Hugh Jackman be Hugh Jackman. It was Watch Hugh Jackman save this show. And this is not Watch Jonathan Groff save Just In Time. Just In Time actually kind of is. It's a solid piece, but it isn't that. It's watched Jonathan Groff be Jonathan Groff, and under the guise of her doing a Bobby Darin musical. And as I said, it's a fun time. It's sort of like Here Lies Love meets Jersey Boys in the way that it's staged and designed and put together. But ultimately, I do think that there just wasn't enough meat on the bone for. For people.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

And that Grof himself isn't do. What he's doing is a Herculean effort of a marathon of a performance. And he does almost everything under the sun a performer could do. The one thing he doesn't do is. Is do Bobby Darin. There's nothing he's doing in it. That's just a surprise. It's just impressive.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And I think that's a key thing. When we talk about performers going down this ceremony and the winners of, like, People who we thought could have been a contender and didn't win, it's like, well, what they did was impressive, but it didn't surprise us.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. I mean, and pretty early on, it's always been like, well, it's Darren Chris's Tony to lose. Right. Wasn't that pretty much the consensus or.

[Matt Koplik]

No, I think when the season began. Well, first of all, people had it out for maybe happy ending, which, to be fair, before anyone saw the show, they just had a. They couldn't beat the bad press of, like, they had to delay a month. They couldn't raise the money. Like, the show might not even come to prison previews. It was. It. It had all the makings of a disaster. And then people started watching and they're like, oh, no, this show is actually quite special. And then it became, Darren's absolutely getting nominated. Is he gonna win? I don't know. Tom Francis won the Olivier. Who's to say? And then there were shows coming down the pike that everybody just kept being like, well, let's see what happens. Oh, they announced Jeremy Jordan for Floyd Collins. Let's see how that goes. That could be Jeremy's Tony. Like, Darren was always in the conversation as a nominee. It was never like, darren's gonna win.

[Rob Schneider]

Interesting.

[Matt Koplik]

I went on Mike on this podcast last week to say that I thought Darren was gonna win.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And I. I will also say I had other predictions that day that when, like, two hours after we released the episode, I regretted, like, half of my predictions.

[Rob Schneider]

Like what?

[Matt Koplik]

I. I predicted Jasmine Amy Rogers was gonna win for Boop on Mike, and then, like, two days later regretted saying that.

[Rob Schneider]

Why'd you regret it?

[Matt Koplik]

Because I was talking to voters. I was getting the vibe. And I. And then what the ultimate thing that happened was. Is it Michael Paulson from the New York Times.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Released his voter survey that, I think the day after the episode came out, like, that Friday. And this was. And so he. So he had been polling 25% of voters, people who submitted stuff early because I would argue, like, 60% of voters submit everything like the. On the deadline on that Friday because they want to see shows multiple times. As many times as they can.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And the moment you submit your ballot, you can't get those comps anymore.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. That is true.

[Matt Koplik]

So there are a lot of people who wait till that Friday. And I don't know if you remember this, but a very specific profile came out in the New Yorker about who. About a woman who won a Tony for playing Rose. And her name's not Tyne Daily.

[Rob Schneider]

Tyne Daily says Keisha Lewis.

[Matt Koplik]

Tyne Daly called Keisha Lewis a bitch.

[Rob Schneider]

Tyne Daly. What an asshole.

[Matt Koplik]

And the. And the. And the. And the profiler was like, the world cannot know the things that Tyne Daily said. She's simply too precious.

[Rob Schneider]

She's. We'll say Patti LuPone. Believe that.

[Matt Koplik]

Which one did she play on Cagney and Lacy. She was Lacy.

[Rob Schneider]

She was. Oh, God, I should know. They're taking my gay card away as they speak on everyone she hov. That's. What was the husband's hov. Harv Lacey.

[Matt Koplik]

She was Lacy. Okay. Let's just say Tyne Daly was Lacy. And we'll say the profiler was like, the world cannot know what Lacy said about Audra McDonald.

[Rob Schneider]

Every middle aged gay man is yelling at me right now because I don't know who's Cagney and who's Lacy.

[Matt Koplik]

Whatever. They couldn't tell me all the names of the actresses in the original production. A smile. Everyone's gay. Cards are revoked. But the point is. So that profile comes out, and I said on mic, I said, rob is.

[Rob Schneider]

Still thinking she was Christine because the other one was Mary Beth.

[Matt Koplik]

So I'm gonna say it's Christine. Christine Lacy and Marybeth Cagney. I don't know, Rob, you're useless. Point. On. On the. On the episode. On the episode with Sam Ekman, I was saying that I had been to two different events. One for maybe happy ending, one for death becomes her. And I was talking to voters, and they were saying, oh, well, everyone's gonna vote for Audra now. Because that profile. And I said, oh, so are you all voting for Audra? And they said, well, no, but others will. And I was like, if that's how people feel. The last time that mentality was around was everyone thinking, well, Chadwick Boseman's gonna win the Oscar. I'm gonna vote for Anthony Hopkins, because that's who I liked more. And except for. Except for one person at the death becomes her party, who, for the sake of this story, I later learned that his nationality was not German, but he sounded German. And it's funnier if he's German. And so I'll just say we were in this group talking about it, because at every party, it became, well, who's. Who's your vote for Best Actress?

[Rob Schneider]

It would be Nicole Scherzinger.

[Matt Koplik]

No, what it was was. It was Nicole Audra. Nicole. Audra. Jasmine. Jasmine. And then this person goes, well, I've also. Megan.

[Rob Schneider]

Good for him.

[Matt Koplik]

But it was great. But then I was at another event later when I was talking about it, and I said it so flippantly, and everyone just said, say that again. Because it was the cadence and it was the accent. I was like, oh, yeah, everyone's voting for Audra or Nicole, and a couple are voting for Jasmine, except for one German who said, well, I'm voting for Megan. And at this event there, I just. It became the new catchphrase. Well, I'm voting for Megan.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm voting for Meghan.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm voting for Meghan.

[Rob Schneider]

That's. Okay. Great. Well, I'm sorry, Germany.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, he was. He's from Argentina, but he's actually from Iowa.

[Rob Schneider]

I just.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, listen, there are Germans in Argentina.

[Rob Schneider]

Trust me, I know. My family's been looking for them. I know.

[Matt Koplik]

Talk about Evita Peron. Am I right? But. So your Soprano sounds like Charlotte Ray.

[Rob Schneider]

No.

[Matt Koplik]

So. But. So. Yeah, but. So I would say, you know, people. If. If people in. In that first week post, the Patty article were the ones Submitting their votes while the, like, Audra love was palpable. And Michael Paulson says in his survey, it's neck and neck with Audra and Nicole. I was like, if that's how it was in the week when this was, like, hot.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

In the week where it's gonna simmer down, it's not. It's gonna tilt.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And that's when I went, oh, it's Nicole, of course. Well. And I'd said in previous episodes, this is why I should have always stuck with my gut. I'd said in previous episodes, Gypsy's not winning revival. Sunset is. And I don't think either. I don't think Sunset is a brilliant, perfect revival. It's the most fun I had of. Of between. Between that and Gypsy.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

But it was clearly going to win. And I just went, I don't know how you vote for Sunset and not for Nicole and how you don't vote for Gypsy but vote for Audra.

[Rob Schneider]

Correct.

[Matt Koplik]

It was one of those things where people were talking about it in theory.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

I was like, but when you. The moment its push comes to shove, how do you do that? I just don't understand it. And ultimately, that's what happened was people voted for Sunset. I would have voted for Floyd Collins, but also I would have voted for Jennifer Smard that said.

[Rob Schneider]

Not Megan.

[Matt Koplik]

Not Megan. I. I very much enjoy Megan.

[Rob Schneider]

Leave the house now, you trink.

[Matt Koplik]

But Jennifer Simard does this thing, and I. And listen, I love her, and I think we should always hold our divas accountable. She's great in the show. She's absolutely giving a special performance. There are times when her Helen, after the potion voice becomes a little bit of a. How would I describe this? Like a slutty frog on Futurama where.

[Rob Schneider]

She'S like, can you be more specifically right on future.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, what it. What it is, is. It's. It's. I come back to the. The let's Run Away Together song on the recording.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

And every time she does her, like, we walk off into the sunset together again, just spitballing. And Chris Heber says, okay, I need. You're gonna be Chris Eva for me.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

I need you to say Helen.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

Ready to go, Helen. Right.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, that was good.

[Matt Koplik]

Helen. Right?

[Rob Schneider]

That was very good.

[Matt Koplik]

Right.

[Rob Schneider]

Put that on your special skills.

[Matt Koplik]

I will. It hurts like, the. Like, I need to do it. Earnest. It's that. And I love it. I love it so much. It's so specific to her. But it is a bit of, like, I'm a little Slutty frog on the. On the show Futurama. What?

[Rob Schneider]

Ask her. I dare you to ask.

[Matt Koplik]

I will.

[Rob Schneider]

Where'd you find the voice?

[Matt Koplik]

And she'll be like, I was watching Futurama and I said, what if there was a frog on there who could just get plowed from every orifice?

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. And that's what I went with.

[Matt Koplik]

Yep. Thank you. What if there was a frog on Futurama who had a past life on Fire island and learned all the right things?

[Rob Schneider]

What a specific visual choice.

[Matt Koplik]

Right?

[Rob Schneider]

I'm writing that down.

[Matt Koplik]

Say it again. Say Helen. Helen Wort.

[Rob Schneider]

That was good, man. Thank you.

[Matt Koplik]

Ernest. I want you to know I never blamed you. Madeline pursued you. She. She's a woman. What were you supposed to do?

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, it's so nice to hear the dialogue with somebody talking over it.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. Right? And then. Yeah. When Rob saw Death becomes where everybody be talking. I also just love.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm not happy.

[Matt Koplik]

You're not happy. I also love. Whoopsie. Did I just say cum Trash. Another. I just can't get cum out of my mouth. I love it. I love it so much. But it is a slutty frog on Futurama.

[Rob Schneider]

That's. Listen, God love her.

[Matt Koplik]

God love her.

[Rob Schneider]

I think it's great.

[Matt Koplik]

That's why she's a talent alien.

[Rob Schneider]

So wait a minute. So the question was, why was Just In Time shut out?

[Matt Koplik]

And why was Gypsy shut out?

[Rob Schneider]

And why was Gypsy shut out?

[Matt Koplik]

People don't. People don't like this Gypsy. I've been saying. I've been saying this for months on the podcast, and I swear, guys, I'm not trying to take anything down. I didn't hate this Gypsy. I liked parts of it. I was severely underwhelmed by others. When I tell you that I get messages from people in the community, and if there's one thing I should also say as we continue with this, Social media isn't real. When people go, well, on Twitter, they're all exploding. On TikTok, everyone's saying this. I love theater fans. I really do. And, like, without them, nothing would be successful. Nothing would have outreach.

[Rob Schneider]

We are them.

[Matt Koplik]

We are them. We. We remain them. But when I tell you that ultimately this is. I have. I do. I have to give. I have to give a hard truth here, and I'm gonna pivot then with my own self. Social media theater fans are not in the room where it happens. They are online writing a narrative and bullying people into their narrative. And if there's one thing Tony voters hate being told, it's who to vote for.

[Rob Schneider]

Correct.

[Matt Koplik]

Do not. You do not. It's also like, the moment Ben Brantley decided to, like, throw his whole pussy into writing an article about Audra's rose's turn, I was like, she's. They're making her lose the Tony because they are telling people to vote for her. When the Patty thing happened. And then like a day later, Time magazine was like, guess what? She's gonna be on the COVID of Time. And it's the day after the Tonys, I was like, that's so presumptuous. And there are so many voters who are going to hate that. Don't tell me who to vote for. And like, if people just stopped doing that. If they were just like, if the. If the. If the promotion was, hey, she is one of the greatest performers we have right now. And what she is doing is so different for her and. And is capturing audiences all over. Like, and let's break down what her rose is. That would be getting voters on her side. It's the smartest thing that maybe Happy Ending's team did was like, they didn't go around going, it would be really important if Hugh park won because that would. For Asian representation. He would be the first Asian writer to win for score and book of a musical. Like, no, no. The team of maybe Happy Ending is going around breaking down the show to people being like, here's what the work we did and why we think the show works.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And voters go, that's craft. And I'm voting for craft. And that is what does it. So that's where I'm being a little harsh with social media fans. I mean, like, I love the enthusiasm. Social media isn't real and you're not actually there to experience it now also, I'm also not totally there to experience it. I'm sort of there. I'm like, I've got one foot in, one foot out. And when I tell you that I don't take myself as like, an influencer or as a person who's like, fully in the community, seriously, I have connections. I have a foot in the door. I, like, people know me, but I'm not huge. And there was no greater recognition of that than when I went to the maybe Happy Ending party afterwards where I got invited, because, again, I know people and I got there before my friends got there. I got there an hour after the party started because I was trying to wait until my friends got there, and it was another 45 minutes till they were there. And you wanna know what I did for those 45 minutes, Rob, you sat in the corner. Mm. I sat in the corner on my phone, nursing my bourbon because there was no one I knew. There was no one there who recognized me. And I. But also, I didn't sit there going, how dare they? I sat there being like, of course they wouldn't. I'm nobody. I'm like. I'm like nobody. Plus, you know, I'm not. I'm not the sex frog on Fire island that Jen Simard is impersonating, but I'm also not Jen Simard.

[Rob Schneider]

It's. That stuff is tricky. Those parties are always.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, but if it. But then the thing happened was, like, eventually my friend showed up, and then, you know, we were hanging out, and that led to conversations with other people where then I did meet people who I did sort of know or they knew me. But, like, for almost an hour, I'm, like, wandering around just, like, buying time till people I knew were there. And. And that was a party where everyone else knew each other.

[Rob Schneider]

I hate that.

[Matt Koplik]

It wasn't like I was alone with a lot of other people. Like, everyone was gathered, and I was like, the wandering orphan. So I'm not saying this to people being like, I'm from on high. I get it. But also, I'm sitting here going, like, I don't do this podcast saying that I'm gonna bully Tony voters into voting who I want.

[Rob Schneider]

No, you express your opinion and you hope somebody goes, oh, I agree with that. What a great way of saying it. Or somebody looks at it and goes, oh, I feel totally opposite. And that's what it should. That's what it should be.

[Matt Koplik]

It should be.

[Rob Schneider]

There's no. It's art. It's no right or wrong. It's no black or white. Like, but this the consistent.

[Matt Koplik]

Unless it's the opening number of boop. Then it is black and white.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, but, like, the consistent bullying. And also, here's the other thing. Not to be an asshole. I wish. Like, before you posted anything about theater, you are required to take a theater business class. So that way you're like, before I put this opinion out there, is it actually a valid opinion?

[Matt Koplik]

Do you know who knows almost nothing about the industry?

[Rob Schneider]

Who?

[Matt Koplik]

Theater fans on social media. Do you know who knows absolutely nothing about how the nominating process works, how the voting process works, how running costs work? Most theater fans.

[Rob Schneider]

Well, that's.

[Matt Koplik]

And they don't want to know. They keep spreading misinformation. It pisses me the fuck off.

[Rob Schneider]

Well, they'll say something, and then you go on To. To correct them. And they yell at you. And I'm like, that's. This is a fact.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Like, this is not an opinion. This is how this works.

[Matt Koplik]

People going, why did they choose six nominees for best actor and five for actress? That's sexist. I'm like, they didn't.

[Rob Schneider]

It's the percentages.

[Matt Koplik]

And literally this, this year onwards, they've made it so much harder for there to be more than one. More than that number of nominees in a category. It has to be an exact tie. And even then, I. From what I understand, if I read the rulebook correctly, because a listener sent it to me, they're like, I think this is what this means. They have to gather again the nominators and vote again. And if there's a tie again, then they will stick to the expanded category. But they want. They're trying really hard not to have that happen.

[Rob Schneider]

I heard what goes on in those nominating meetings.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, supposedly. Supposedly it's not about. I'm convinced it's not supposed to be about. I'm convincing you to nominate who I want you to nominate. It's supposed to be. Or talking about the work. But I'm sure there are.

[Rob Schneider]

That's what it's supposed to.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm sure there are opinionated people who then bully others.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Matt Koplik]

But that's also why nominators only get three years.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes. Which is good.

[Matt Koplik]

I know a few people who are going to be nominators this coming year for the first time. It's very exciting.

[Rob Schneider]

Good for them, good for them, good for them. Vote what you think is the best performance.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

The best director, the best writing. That's. That is what your vote should be.

[Matt Koplik]

And I was. I was at.

[Rob Schneider]

Put all the other crap.

[Matt Koplik]

I was at an event for, AKA the agency. Advertising agency, the Saturday before the Tonys. I was speaking to a few people, some friends, some people I didn't know. And they were producers, they were agents, people on shows nominated that year. And we were talking about, like, who they voted for. And it was a matter of. I was like, no, like, cone of silence. I'm not gonna say your name. And. And I want to emphasize I spoke to, like, 10 different people, so no one can trace.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, of course. Of course.

[Matt Koplik]

I never like to spill that. Something that only one person told me. I never wanted to get traced back to anybody who didn't sign off on their opinions being told. But, like, a lot of them said Nicole, and they're like, I just. That was the performance that stuck with me. Like, I still, like, I saw it in November. I went back to see it this past month and like, it's the one I'm still thinking about. And that's. That's why they voted.

[Rob Schneider]

That's what you vote. That's what you are supposed to vote for.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

I don't think this is just my opinion. It's the best performance, not who's. Who's the best person. Because listen, if we had to vote who the best person was, tons of people would not be having awards right now.

[Matt Koplik]

Radio City Music hall would have six people.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. You and I being six of us.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, you and I. Yeah, you and I both take up six seats.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, that's enough. I had a chicken parm for dinner.

[Matt Koplik]

With your waste and my ego.

[Rob Schneider]

We're going to take up a lot of seats, pals. Put them in the balcony.

[Matt Koplik]

A lot of hot air.

[Rob Schneider]

It's a lot of hot air, kids. But no, my feeling is it's like, you vote for the art, you vote for that. Yeah. That's your job. But to sit there and then go, well, she said this and he did that and I know she fucked this per. Like, that has nothing to do with it.

[Matt Koplik]

You know who does vote that way a lot of times are the Oscars. There is a narrative that Eddie Murphy would have won the Oscar for Dreamgirls, but he spent 30 years pissing off everybody.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And no. And everyone's like, I'm not gonna vote for that, man.

[Rob Schneider]

It's the same when Jim Carrey was not nominated for the Truman Show.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Because people were like, I'm so fucking sick of this guy campaigning for an award. We're not gonna give it to him.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

So, yeah, that stuff. I remember that.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. And again, people don't like to be told who to vote for.

[Rob Schneider]

Don't tell me.

[Matt Koplik]

And when you lean with like, well, this is the important choice. This is the one that's gonna hate that.

[Rob Schneider]

They hate it.

[Matt Koplik]

Hate it.

[Rob Schneider]

Don't tell me what's important. Yeah, I tell you what's important.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, and so, and this is actually the double edged sword of that. Because the other thing, I talked about this on the podcast last week. I still predicted Omari at the time. And then on Saturday I went, oh, shit. Purpose is winning.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And I said this on the podcast already, but it became more clear a few days later, which was the number of older white voters I spoke to who said purpose. Just some of the Nicole thing, like, purpose really stuck with me. And like, it just, it has so much to Say, and it's just so important right now. And then they would go, and I just don't know what makes Omari important.

[Rob Schneider]

What makes Omari important in this time.

[Matt Koplik]

When there are drag bands?

[Rob Schneider]

Okay, I'll tell you what makes Omari important. You liked it.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. You laughed.

[Rob Schneider]

That's what made it.

[Matt Koplik]

But the Tony Awards have a stigma against comedies, especially with plays. They don't take it seriously. The only times comedies have wonders do that too. They really do. The only comedies that have won, like straight up comedies that have won in the last 25 years, three, four have been musicals, okay? Three of whom were big tittied hits that were also critically acclaimed. One shouldn't have been. The fourth one wasn't a big titty hit, but it was critically.

[Rob Schneider]

What are they?

[Matt Koplik]

Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. Straight up comedy, okay. Which I do think is a solid show. And also when you look at that lineup, it was Gentleman's Guide versus Aladdin. Beautiful. After Midnight. Believe it or not, Gentleman's Guide was the artsy choice.

[Rob Schneider]

Beautiful. Should have won.

[Matt Koplik]

If you say so. Book of Mormon was. That was the one before that. And Book of Mormon, again, critically acclaimed, straight up big titty.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, Book of Mormon.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, the one. The next one was Spamalot. Shouldn't have won, but again, huge hit and got like a huge sign of approval from the New York Times.

[Rob Schneider]

Just remind everybody what was. What did it beat out? Would you remind them what beat out this?

[Matt Koplik]

It beat out Dirty Ron. Scoundrels, which was funnier.

[Rob Schneider]

Genius.

[Matt Koplik]

Brilliant spelling bee, which is perfect.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And Piazza, which is stunning. Once again, friends, Spamalot, the song with the Swedish face slapping fish.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Beat out Light in the Piazza. Dirty around Scoundrels and spells.

[Rob Schneider]

This girl got beat by a horse, not a fish. Look at what's going on at Lincoln Center.

[Matt Koplik]

Kelly o' Hara got kicked in the head by a horse and she still managed to grow up hot. That is bravery.

[Rob Schneider]

That is bravery.

[Matt Koplik]

That is a journey, damn it. And then before that was Producers, which again, like, critically acclaimed, huge, huge hit. The only play of the last 25 years that you could argue is a clown comedy. And one was God of Carnage. And that was because it was prestigious movie stars import from. From. From London. And I also say, like, I saw God of Carnage for that original cast. It was a fun, fun time. And they also then were like, but it also has something to say about society.

[Rob Schneider]

It had not it. Sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

I know, I know, I know, I know. But I was like, does it always have to have Something to say. God of Carnage was a tight hundred minutes. I laughed. I enjoyed my time. Really.

[Rob Schneider]

Were you watching something else?

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, I was watching your sex tape.

[Rob Schneider]

Well, that was not a hundred minutes.

[Matt Koplik]

Sorry. I was watching her sex tapes. Oh, I'm sorry. Over the years, it was.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yes. This is. This one lasts 99 minutes. It takes me a while to get the pants off.

[Matt Koplik]

It was Rob Schneider and Jerry Herm in this series Feud.

[Rob Schneider]

Brian Murphy.

[Matt Koplik]

Brian Murphy's Feud. Rob versus Jerry.

[Rob Schneider]

With Sarah Paulson as the poppers.

[Matt Koplik]

Bang the tight drum. Slowly, honey.

[Rob Schneider]

It wasn't tight. Oh, man.

[Matt Koplik]

God.

[Rob Schneider]

Carnage. That was a play. I like art.

[Matt Koplik]

It was written.

[Rob Schneider]

I like art.

[Matt Koplik]

The play or the thing?

[Rob Schneider]

Art the play. Yasmina Raise also.

[Matt Koplik]

Which is coming back, by the way.

[Rob Schneider]

Which I'm actually excited about because I remember seeing the original. Original of that Holy. With that cast. Oh, my.

[Matt Koplik]

You were in grad school at the time.

[Rob Schneider]

I was. My grandson was. I took him for a graduation trip to see Alan Alda and Victor Garber.

[Matt Koplik]

And you said Alan Alda. Said Alan Alda. You whipperstaffer. You got a career ahead of you.

[Rob Schneider]

I remember when I used to bounce you on my knee. Remember? God, what a good kid.

[Matt Koplik]

Anyway, so that's why. That's why Gypsy and Justin Timer shut out.

[Rob Schneider]

Because Alan Aldo's a whippers snapper.

[Matt Koplik]

And on that note, let's take a quick break.

[Rob Schneider]

Avuncular. That's what I would call Alan Alda avuncular. Billy, I beg to differ with you.

[Matt Koplik]

How do you me?

[Rob Schneider]

You're the top.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. You're an arrow collar.

[Rob Schneider]

You're the top. You're a Coolidge dollar. You're the nimble tread of the feet of Freddy.

[Matt Koplik]

This episode is brought to you by Selectquote. Life insurance can have a huge impact on our family's future. With Selectquote getting covered with the right policy for you is simple and affordable. Selectquote's licensed insurance agents will tailor your experience to find a life insurance policy for your needs in as little as 15 minutes. And selectquote partners with carriers that provide policies for many conditions. Selectquote they shop, you save. Go to selectquote.com Spotify Pod today to get started. And we're back. Next person on such writes was Oprah presenting best actress a sign that they thought Audra would win because it felt that way to me.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes. Yes. 210%.

[Matt Koplik]

Didn't they? Have Chadwick Boseman's widow come out to present best actor and. Or something like that.

[Rob Schneider]

She was there. Or something. Like, they kept. They kept mentioning she was in the audience the whole evening.

[Matt Koplik]

Never. If you. If you want the most egg on your face, set up your ceremony. Not knowing who the winners are, but thinking you know who the winners are, and then watch it backfire on you.

[Rob Schneider]

That was very clear, I think. Yes. Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

Although I will say so. At the maybe happy ending party, I was talking to a few different people, and then I cross referenced with some friends of mine today on Instagram who were also there because I was told that there were two awards where they all. This is their words. That it felt like the air was sucked out of the room. No. Oh, Nicole. Winning was not that.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, okay.

[Matt Koplik]

If you can believe it or not, it was Eureka Day winning a revival.

[Rob Schneider]

Can I. You go ahead, because I have a question for you.

[Matt Koplik]

The second one was purpose winning play.

[Rob Schneider]

As opposed to oh, Mary.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, Mary. Or John Proctor is the villain.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yeah. Also that I thought was gonna.

[Matt Koplik]

Another one where social media writes a narrative that's not true.

[Rob Schneider]

True.

[Matt Koplik]

And I had said on the podcast, John Proctor's the villain had a major surge in the last couple of weeks where I think people were taking a lot more seriously. It's also. It is a cultural hit. People are talking about it. People are excited for it. I really liked John Proctor a lot. I sold Tanya Taymor to her face that I'm signed up for everything she does now.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh.

[Matt Koplik]

After Jonah Outsiders and now John Proctor, I'm like.

[Rob Schneider]

She's really.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm like, you're gonna shit the bed. I didn't say this to her face. I'm like, she's gonna shit the bed at some point. I'm still gonna keep showing up.

[Rob Schneider]

I don't care. She's so good.

[Matt Koplik]

She's so good. Between her and Michael Arden, I mean, I have one. I have more faith. And then with Jasmine and Helen J. Shen in the. In the acting field, I'm. I'm. The future is looking a little brighter today.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, great. We're in good shape.

[Matt Koplik]

We're better. We're out of bed. We're on our feet. But this was to say. They said, purpose winning. The air was sucked out because everyone was like, clearly, oh, Mary or John Proctor. And then it was purpose, and everyone was like. And then Eureka Day. What they said was, it wasn't that people were mad. It was. People were like, oh. Because it felt like it was gonna be yellowface. And then when it was Eureka Day, everyone just kind of went, huh.

[Rob Schneider]

So I have a question for you, and I want. I wanted to ask you this. Eureka Day, it's. Was one best revival.

[Matt Koplik]

Yes.

[Rob Schneider]

Is it a play about COVID No.

[Matt Koplik]

Covid is the punchline at the end of the show.

[Rob Schneider]

How old is this play?

[Matt Koplik]

I think the play is six or seven years old.

[Rob Schneider]

How. How is this sort of a revival?

[Matt Koplik]

It's not. Eureka Day had a production in New York, I think, in 2018, maybe, and then petitioned to be considered a revival because of that. Under the classics rule, which they got away with. Which is another reason why I think people were a little miffed that they won, because they. They.

[Rob Schneider]

This is not a revival.

[Matt Koplik]

It's not. But also, neither is yellowface, but yellowface, at least has been around now for about 22 years.

[Rob Schneider]

You see, that, to me, feels more like a revival.

[Matt Koplik]

The classics rule was. Was implemented for shows that had been around for a good chunk of time, but just had never been on Broadway.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

That was what got Assassins nominated for revival, because Assassins had been around for 12 years.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, it's been around. Yeah. Oh, my God. Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

Eureka Day has not been around for 12 years. So it's. It's a. It's a bullshit nomination. Them winning is not their fault. They could.

[Rob Schneider]

They have petitioned to be best play, and they chose not to.

[Matt Koplik]

They petitioned for revival.

[Rob Schneider]

They were like, we don't want to be in the best Manhattan Theater.

[Matt Koplik]

Manhattan Theater Club petitioned them for revival.

[Rob Schneider]

Maybe there's a lot of competition. Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

I think they were very smart. They were being very smart and strategic and. Listen, hate the player, not the game.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And they. And they won. And it's not the fault of Anna D. Shapiro and her company that they put on a good production, but it's. It's a little bit of a win for a lot of people.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Nicole winning was not, apparently, one of those moments. Nicole winning, actually, from what I understand, was a genuine. People were very excited. She won. Internet was less excited. Kola Scola was a little less excited.

[Rob Schneider]

I saw. I actually would love to see a Tony's next year where it's Cole and Sam Pinkleton, and they're just sitting there like the Muppets.

[Matt Koplik]

I would love that.

[Rob Schneider]

Like, we're just commenting on the whole show.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. Well, the other thing is, if you watch the full clip, Cole then kind of backtracks when Cole says, huh? The clip we're referring to is when Cole and Sam Pinkleton are in the press room, and they find out that Nicole just won. And Cole goes, huh? Four more years.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, exactly. Got me so good.

[Matt Koplik]

And then everybody laughs, and then Cole goes I don't even know what that means. And I'm like, cole, you know what that means? I'm like, Cole, you know what you meant.

[Rob Schneider]

Cole, you're funny.

[Matt Koplik]

You know what you meant. But, like, I don't think that Cole said that, being like, oh, she's Maga. Cole said that. Because that's what people think now when they think of Nicole.

[Rob Schneider]

You know what I'm curious about with Cole? What's next, Cole and Nicole or Cole, Cole and Nicole? I would see that.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Like, what are they gonna do next.

[Matt Koplik]

Sideshow they're gonna do? I would say that, honestly, Nicole is Violet, because of course she is.

[Rob Schneider]

And.

[Matt Koplik]

And Cole, his Daisy.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, you see, I'm doing Arsenic and Old Lace with Patty and Keisha Lewis. That's my next one that I'm doing.

[Matt Koplik]

I hope you get to see Keisha is Arsenic and Patty's Old Lace. Arsenic and Arsenic.

[Rob Schneider]

You were saying? I'm sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, yeah. Eureka Day.

[Rob Schneider]

That was my question about Eureka Day.

[Matt Koplik]

Next person writes the oh, Mary shocker of not winning Best Play, which we just discussed act one, meaning the pre show. The pre telecast was much better this year since one of the hosts wasn't completely unlikable. Who was one of the hosts for the pre show last year?

[Rob Schneider]

I don't know. Or did they mean, like, Cynthia Erivo's unlikable?

[Matt Koplik]

No, I think they mean. I think they mean compared to the pre show last year.

[Rob Schneider]

Who hosted pre show last year?

[Matt Koplik]

That's a great.

[Rob Schneider]

Friends, we're gonna find out the answer to who hosted pre show last year.

[Matt Koplik]

Who hosted the pre show in 2024?

[Rob Schneider]

It was screaming it at us.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, I didn't watch the television. Well, Ariana DeBose was the host overall.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Did she host the pre show, though?

[Rob Schneider]

I think no.

[Matt Koplik]

Julianne Huff and Utkarsh. Who's this person? Oh, that dude.

[Rob Schneider]

Who?

[Matt Koplik]

From the Mindy Project and Pitch Perfect. What? This guy?

[Rob Schneider]

What? Who is he?

[Matt Koplik]

He was on the Mindy Project. No, no, he. Yeah, he was theater. No, it was a very random co host, and he didn't look like he wanted to be there. I think that's who they meant. If that's not who you meant, I'm so sorry, but that's what I took.

[Rob Schneider]

You know, my favorite part of last night was what Cynthia Eriva was like, broadway's always home to me.

[Matt Koplik]

And I was like, you've done one show.

[Rob Schneider]

I was like, how many shows has she done? And I looked. She produced, like, fat ham, I think. And then she.

[Matt Koplik]

Which is kind of Cynthia Erivo had a good team of gay men writing for her because.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

I don't know what. How felt for you when with us, we were watching it and on our bingo card, because you were playing Tony bingo, one of the tiles was, cynthia Erivo lands a joke, and then she landed one in the first two minutes and then she continued to land a whole bunch of them.

[Rob Schneider]

That's great.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. We forget all the time she's so good at what she does because then she'll do an interview and we're like, oh. But then she'll perform and we're like, oh, you have the voice of a generation and you're a very gifted actress.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, she's very. I mean this in the best way. Like, there's a slyness to her that I love when she hosts.

[Matt Koplik]

And there's also. She's. There's.

[Rob Schneider]

She's enjoying it. She's.

[Matt Koplik]

There's an ease to it. Yes.

[Rob Schneider]

She's relaxed.

[Matt Koplik]

She's. It's very. Tada. Still got it.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. I love it.

[Matt Koplik]

I love it. Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Fabulous.

[Matt Koplik]

In a weird way, she's kind of like a Streisand of our times.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. And I'm sure. And I'm sure she's very meticulous about everything she does, but there's a slyness to it. What word would you use to describe last night? Mine would be safe from the performances picked up like death becomes where Operation Mints meet. And the way the voters voted, like purpose winning and maybe happy ending sweeping. I don't think maybe happy ending sweeping was safe. And then the only thing that didn't seem safe to them was leading actress Oprah being the one to make an indirect LuPone joke. Do you remember what the LuPone joke was? People were talking when. When she did it, it was something.

[Rob Schneider]

Along the lines of she was coming out, she's going to announce best actress. And I know you've all got opinions on that. And I. And everyone started laughing. She goes, no, I've been reading. So I was very. It was very clear what she was referring to.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm glad that she didn't say anything about it being a beautiful day. That was very. Was very. What's. I'm looking for classy of her.

[Rob Schneider]

Listen, those women have more class in their little fingers.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Then I don't even want to get into that.

[Matt Koplik]

No, that's the thing I will say the, the one thing I will say about the Patti labonte thing, and it actually should be indicative of the community at large is yes, it is a. In a lot of ways, collaborative. Yes, it's a lot of ways accepting, but it is also quite mean. Girls. Very Plastics, very Heathers in a lot of ways.

[Rob Schneider]

You mean. You mean the comments or what?

[Matt Koplik]

No, I mean. No, it's Broadway in general.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Because for. No. And what I'm saying is, for decades, Patti LuPone was at the top of the food pyramid food chain. Whatever the is, it is. And when this happened, the way that people turned. It wasn't that people always loved her and then had a massive about face. It was a lot of people who haven't liked her for years and couldn't say anything, getting their opportunity to finally say what they wanted to say. And as far as Patty's aware, she probably thought all those people, if not, like, were her best friends. She was like, oh, we had a. We had a fine time. I was a perfect person around them. And then being like, no, that whole show, you were a monster. And I know people who've had lovely experiences with Patty, and I also know people who've had. Have awful experiences with her.

[Rob Schneider]

I just don't understand, like, in this business, like, where it's so hard for everybody, why do you gotta say that stuff?

[Matt Koplik]

She doesn't. And she's never any. But any of the stuff she's ever said. And I know.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, but she's so honest. You know, I don't think so.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, we're. Well, she is. I don't think she's lying about anything, but I think. But we're fetishizing it because it's. There's a. You can talk about the stuff you feel deeply in a way that's respectful, that there are other people in this world you're speaking on. And the problem is that she ultimately eventually came for Audrey, which became the straw. The book's camel's back. I thought it was classless of her to openly say on Mike that Angelo Webber was an alcoholic. That's not her business to share.

[Rob Schneider]

Listen, kindness is kindness. And my feeling is. Is I don't think it's right to say, well, she called this person a bitch, but she's this. But you can't call that person a bitch. You don't call anybody a bitch. No, you just don't do it. Anybody.

[Matt Koplik]

Unless you're like, hey, bitch, what you.

[Rob Schneider]

Do all the time.

[Matt Koplik]

To my own mother. Yeah, but, like, leave that woman alone. If I did, she'd be very sad. If I greet my mother in the morning and I just say, good morning, mother. She'll go, what's up? What's wrong? What's happening? What is this?

[Rob Schneider]

She'll go, which one are you exactly?

[Matt Koplik]

She goes, what avatar is this?

[Rob Schneider]

Are you the morning shift? Water Wabu.

[Matt Koplik]

I have to walk in every morning and go, morning, slut. And then that's how she knows it's a proper morning.

[Rob Schneider]

I don't know why, but I picture your mom sleeping with Auntie Mame with, like, the silk sleep mask on, like, in the ruffled bed.

[Matt Koplik]

We both sleep like Idina Menzel in redwood. Just, like, tangled up in the knots of trees.

[Rob Schneider]

I didn't say that, but sorry. Going back very quickly.

[Matt Koplik]

Yes.

[Rob Schneider]

Kindness. Kindness doesn't kill anybody. And I don't know. I don't. I don't like that you can listen. That's great that she has opinions about these people and that's what she thinks. That's amazing. Why do you gotta tear people down?

[Matt Koplik]

She's also not always been right.

[Rob Schneider]

Well, that's a whole other story.

[Matt Koplik]

That's another story. Nevermind. Anyway, I mean, I think I thought that everyone should have had their antennas up when she went in print multiple times to tear down Sherry Renee Scott for Women on the Verge. I'm like, I'm sorry, That's a bitch move. And I know it's not supposed to call people bitches, but that was a. That wasn't to her being a bitch. That was a bitch move.

[Rob Schneider]

It's being an ass. It's being an asshole for no reason.

[Matt Koplik]

He's an asshole.

[Rob Schneider]

Except. What's that from?

[Matt Koplik]

Isn't that from Back to the Future?

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, that's right.

[Matt Koplik]

He's an asshole.

[Rob Schneider]

That's right. I like that. That's good.

[Matt Koplik]

Thank you.

[Rob Schneider]

Good old Back to the Future. What if that's a musical?

[Matt Koplik]

It was a musical. Yeah, it got. It got someone mad at me for writing because I wrote a bad review for it on Instagram.

[Rob Schneider]

And someone's angry at you because of a bad review? Yeah, see, I couldn't. I don't know about listeners. Hello. I don't know if you could do this. I can't do this. Like, you and I have different tastes sometimes.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, we disagree, like 20% of the time.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. But I would never once go, oh, I hate Matt because he likes this and I don't like that. Like, I can't. I can't understand that this was.

[Matt Koplik]

That I had the audacity to write it and put it out on Instagram because they felt that theater was. Broadway was still in a sensitive spot and we needed to support Everything to get audiences back. And I said, you want to know what doesn't need support on Instagram? Back to the Future, three months into its Broadway run. But that's a story for another day.

[Rob Schneider]

That's the point of art. The point of art is for somebody to look at it and then give their thoughts and feelings and opinions on it.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

But to yell at. Yeah. I could never look at you and be like, our friendship's over because you liked Eureka Day and I did it. You know what I mean?

[Matt Koplik]

Also, tell me how Back to the Future success helps theater. How does that help future artists? How?

[Rob Schneider]

I don't know. I haven't gone back to the future yet to tell you.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, it's like a lavender marriage. I'm like, who does that actually help in present day?

[Rob Schneider]

I can't say who. I was gonna say. There's a couple of people.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm thinking of Diana Van Furstenberg and.

[Rob Schneider]

Her man, the 90 year old guy, Right.

[Matt Koplik]

He's like, I'm a homosexual, but I still have sex with my wife.

[Rob Schneider]

Of course you do.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, her name's Diane Van Fistanbergh.

[Rob Schneider]

Is it Diane Van Fistanberg? So you said. Yeah, she's the grand marshal at the Eagle. Diane Van Fusten Fistenberg. Anyway.

[Matt Koplik]

And you know who she's voting for?

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, no.

[Matt Koplik]

She's voting for Megan.

[Rob Schneider]

Get the fuck out. You just. No, stop, Stop. Okay. So, yes. So, yes. That was the joke Oprah made.

[Matt Koplik]

Yes. About that as best actress. People were talking at my party, so we didn't hear it. I'll be that person. I'm upset they didn't parody the Sunset Walk. I thought that. I thought Cynthia's opening before the actual song. That felt a bit like it was parodying the beginning of Sunset.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

When he's walking through all the backstage.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, I get that.

[Matt Koplik]

That's what I got. Especially. It even started with her looking at.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. There was no outside, but that's okay.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. My favorite part of the whole night was the camera person accidentally giving Jennifer Simard the spotlight when Nicole won.

[Rob Schneider]

Sure.

[Matt Koplik]

I don't remember that.

[Rob Schneider]

I don't remember that.

[Matt Koplik]

I didn't think the ceremony was safe. I thought the ceremony was actually kind of. I wouldn't say classy, but, like, I thought it was very tasteful.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes, it was very. It was very well done. It was very. It was very polished.

[Matt Koplik]

Like.

[Rob Schneider]

Like I said nothing to me except Audra's number felt like that visceral charge.

[Matt Koplik]

We'll get to that.

[Rob Schneider]

But that was just me.

[Matt Koplik]

I Would also love a discussion as to why maybe Happy Ending still swept the major awards they were nominated for despite it being such a strong season. Made complete sense to me. But seeing a lot of disappointment from people who thought something else would get score or book right.

[Rob Schneider]

Like what?

[Matt Koplik]

Well, here's the thing. Once again, people going online and they want to make things a whole tizzy.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm gonna say this was a pretty solid season.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, God. Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

But I. When it comes to this, this year for musicals, it was an improvement for me from last year. Major improvement. Yeah, I don't think it was. I don't think all five nominees were across the board, stellar. Like, where anyone could win book. Like I have.

[Rob Schneider]

Correct. That is correct.

[Matt Koplik]

I've been very open on this pod that I. That Operation Minceme doesn't work for me.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

I would not give them Best book. I enjoyed Buena Vista Social Club, but I have said that script is held together by Scotch tape, which leaves Dead Outlaw, Death Becomes her, and maybe Happy Ending. Dead Outlaw, I think, is a smart show that ultimately has too much weirdness and slow passages, I think, for it to win. And Death Becomes Her, I actually think does a really good job with material that I don't. With an IP that I don't love.

[Rob Schneider]

Correct.

[Matt Koplik]

But ultimately, I also think that, like, Death Becomes her, it's not. While my tune has improved on it, I still don't think it's quite tight enough. I don't think it goes quite far enough. It does. It does it far better than a lot of other shows have, and I'm gonna give them those flowers. But it also doesn't quite get there to be, like, undeniable for a best musical, best book. Whereas maybe Happy Ending ultimately was just the best of the lot.

[Rob Schneider]

It was, I think, honestly, just down.

[Matt Koplik]

The ballad is the libretto. A libretto that we watch the show and go, oh, my God, the cleverness, the crazy twist. No, but everything supports each other in the way that a good musical is supposed to.

[Rob Schneider]

It's really well structured. It's really well structured. I think with really charming.

[Matt Koplik]

And the. And the songs come in when they're supposed to. Everything just blends together again in a way that a musical is supposed to.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

And I think the score is beautiful. People are like, oh, well, you. You know, they all sound the same. I'm like, what are you talking about?

[Rob Schneider]

Who said they sound the same?

[Matt Koplik]

People online.

[Rob Schneider]

What? Like the book, the dialogue.

[Matt Koplik]

People want a mean girl score where every song has a new personality. And I'm like, okay, maybe you love whiplash, but I don't love sex. That rocks me up against the bedroom wall. I need to sometimes stay on the ground for a second.

[Rob Schneider]

Is that from Mean Girls or are you just telling me that in general?

[Matt Koplik]

I'm just talking in general.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay, folks, Matt made really, like, hard eye contact with that, and now I'm uncomfortable. Is there an HR person?

[Matt Koplik]

There's nothing hard. There's nothing hard about me.

[Rob Schneider]

Except my arteries.

[Matt Koplik]

Except my arteries.

[Rob Schneider]

Except my arteries.

[Matt Koplik]

My cold, cold heart.

[Rob Schneider]

But no, I agree with you. And also, friends, maybe happy ending. It's totally original. Yeah, it's totally original. And I. And I think it's marvelous. And voters, I will say you flash that little original carrot in front of them, and they really like that.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. I would say voters do fetishize original, but Mincemeat Outlaw.

[Rob Schneider]

As original as they are. True stories. They're both based on true stories. Maybe happy ending when, you know, Buena Vista's a documentary. And maybe Death becomes There's a movie.

[Matt Koplik]

But also, that aside, you look at just the craft of it, and. I'm sorry, I just think it's undeniable. I called pretty early on that I was gonna get musical book score, director and actor.

[Rob Schneider]

And you did beautifully.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. And. And scenic design. I think I. I think I said maybe. Sound tube. I might have.

[Rob Schneider]

Why didn't she get a nomination?

[Matt Koplik]

The Moment Death Becomes her was a lock for best musical. I knew Helen J. Shen was not getting in because. Because Jennifer and Megan were both gonna get in, and that knocked Helen out.

[Rob Schneider]

Really?

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. I think Helen's performance is so intimate. And she does. She gets one, like, big powerhouse number, which is like, the. What I Learned from Humans or whatever. But overall, like, because the show is so delicate, there's always a vulnerable nomination somewhere. And I think hers was the most.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And I would listen to a lot of people say, like, well, now Darren's not gonna win because people are gonna be so bad about Helen. I'm like, actually, no. This actually kind of improves it because he becomes the focus now.

[Rob Schneider]

He becomes the factor. Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And he. And everywhere he went, there she was. And it very much became, like, if you're mad that Helen's not nominated, vote for Darren.

[Rob Schneider]

Yep.

[Matt Koplik]

Because this is a vote for the both of them.

[Rob Schneider]

Correct.

[Matt Koplik]

And her performance is gorgeous. And I told her so. And she's 25, 24, have a big career. She's above her. Making her Broadway debut. Above the title. And the best musical winner, like, Girl is on a good.

[Rob Schneider]

She's great.

[Matt Koplik]

Doesn't yeah, no, she's very. She's very special.

[Rob Schneider]

That's the other thing. At the end of the day, what are the awards really mean?

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. But also, like, when people say, oh, it's boring that it swept, I'm like, is it boring?

[Rob Schneider]

How is that boring? That it swept?

[Matt Koplik]

Was it boring that A Chorus line swept in 76? Is it boring that, you know, I don't know. Fun Home got the quintuple crown in 2015.

[Rob Schneider]

People want more things to complain about.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, and I think people want drama. And we got a couple of, like, weird, interesting wins. But I think with maybe Happy Dining, it's just like, I don't want to a dramatic win if it's not the right winner. And I'm sorry, but, like, I do think maybe Happy Ending is the best musical of the season. And if it's the best musical of the season, why wouldn't you then vote for the material as well?

[Rob Schneider]

Correct. It doesn't admit it's not just a title you're voting for.

[Matt Koplik]

It's not that Michael did not spin Magic out of dog shit. He took what was already good and made it better, which is why he should still win. In addition to his. In addition to his beautiful imagery and stuff and the details of the acting, work with Beautiful. Felt like the material strong.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, it's good material.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. I'm like, why? Like, people were trying to tell me that something rotten was going to upset Best Book at the Tonys instead of Fun Home. I'm like, what? I'm like, Fun Home doesn't have an ounce of fat on it. And it is weird and smart and dark and moving and. And beautiful. That is a fucking tightrope to walk. And you're going to reward that. And people do, and they did.

[Rob Schneider]

Good for you.

[Matt Koplik]

I love. I love telling people to stop it. There was somebody at. There was somebody at our viewing party who made a very bold prediction right before the envelope was open for a category. I wish I could tell you which one it was, but it was such a. Like a. They said, oh, this thing could upset. And something that was just so clear to me wasn't gonna ups. Okay. And I remember turning to this person and I said, did you just take a whiff of poppers? The person knows who they are. I don't remember what category it was, but, like, it wasn't this, but let's say it was score. And they were like, oh, real women could really upset here. And I went, did you just take a whiff of poppers? Again, that wasn't the category, but it was something like that.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay, moving on. The order of awards was Wild thoughts on Yellowface losing. Even though Francis Jew won. When Francis Jew won, which I was thrilled by.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

I was convinced Yellowface was winning.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, really? You thought that was gonna be the. Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

I didn't realize that was a spreading of the love Francis drew. Ultimately, what we have here is a pearly victorious repeat where the PBS broadcast.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

Benefited its supporting player who stole the show, but the show itself did not win Revival.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes, you're right. You're absolutely right. Yeah. My gut was. I mean, once again, I don't agree that Eureka Day should be revival, but I was like, I think it is gonna be Eureka Day.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, well. And people kept talking about its relevance because of the vaccine stuff.

[Rob Schneider]

That. That was the thing. And I was like, well, if it's. If it's relevant because of vaccines, how's it a revival? Because we're still dealing with the disease they're talking about in the show.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, they're not talking about COVID They're talking about, like, mumps or something.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

It's a mumps outbreak.

[Rob Schneider]

Also, where was the love for left on 10th, your favorite play of the season? So it was called left on 10th.

[Matt Koplik]

And the love for it was left on 10th. That's where it was.

[Rob Schneider]

Matt Koplik said his life was changed after seeing left on 10th.

[Matt Koplik]

Yep. I wanted to take it away after that by.

[Rob Schneider]

With Juliana Margulies and Peter Gallagher's eyebrows.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. And honestly, Peter Gallagher could still get it.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, 120%.

[Matt Koplik]

I thought you were about to say 120 years old.

[Rob Schneider]

I don't care how old he is.

[Matt Koplik]

No, he's. If I look half as good as Peter Gallagher when I'm half his age, which will be in two days, I will be. I will be thrilled.

[Rob Schneider]

He's still sexy.

[Matt Koplik]

He's. Of course he's still sexy.

[Rob Schneider]

Gorgeous.

[Matt Koplik]

He's. Yeah. Good. Good. Good for him. Oh. Are Daddy Schneider and Daddy Sondheim related, or do they just share similar formal titles? You and Stephen Sondheim. We both call you Daddy.

[Rob Schneider]

What do you. What do you mean, you call me Daddy?

[Matt Koplik]

I just called you Daddy of the pod. Rob Schneider.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, my. Is that how you always refer to me sometimes? Oh, that's really sweet.

[Matt Koplik]

It's been a more recent occurrence, but it just kind of came out of my mouth.

[Rob Schneider]

God, it used to be so hot when I wasn't Daddy age. And now that I'm Daddy age, it makes me really Sad.

[Matt Koplik]

Lean into it.

[Rob Schneider]

Really?

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

I can't lean with my hip.

[Matt Koplik]

That's what makes you Daddy.

[Rob Schneider]

What did he say? Is Daddy Sondheim and Daddy Schneider related?

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, God, no. We shared a basement once.

[Matt Koplik]

You were at the same party?

[Rob Schneider]

We shared. We were at a couple of parties together. We shared Jerry Herman. You can see it on feet.

[Matt Koplik]

You broke a couple of arms together. God, was this year the first Grinder reference at a Tony's looking for grand, historic firsts? I mean, every. Every. Every time Moulin Rouge won a Tony in that ghastly Kovic year, that was a Grinder reference as far as I'm concerned.

[Rob Schneider]

I forgot about that year. That was something.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, that was something. That was the year that Aaron Tveit won in an all white suit.

[Rob Schneider]

I also love it when the person announcing, please welcome Tony Award winner Aaron Tveit. Was the announcement like he won a Tony Award?

[Matt Koplik]

Aaron Tveit.

[Rob Schneider]

Aaron Tveit.

[Matt Koplik]

Aaron Tveit has a Tony.

[Rob Schneider]

I like him.

[Matt Koplik]

And Paul Alexander Nolan doesn't have a nomination.

[Rob Schneider]

I think he's so good.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. No, that's a fact.

[Rob Schneider]

I think Paul Alexander Nolan, that's not something.

[Matt Koplik]

That's not something that you think. That's just something that is. Paula, Alexander Nolan is so good.

[Rob Schneider]

He never got a nomination.

[Matt Koplik]

No, he's had the misfortune of being a couple of duds, but, I mean, he's always the best or second best thing in everything.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, he's so good.

[Matt Koplik]

The only time he was the second best thing was Bright Star, and that's because Carmen Cusack was on stage.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, my God, I love Bright Star. That was the same year as Hamilton, right?

[Matt Koplik]

It was. Oh, yeah. No, that was the first time I realized that you and I were gonna have words someday.

[Rob Schneider]

Why?

[Matt Koplik]

Because I was at your home with another friend of ours, Brian, and Bright Star came up and you're like, oh, I love Bright Star. And then I think Brian just, like, went on this tirade about how the lyrics of Bright Star are actually really good. And I did let him speak, and he finished, and I thought, okay, Mr. Smith, you can get out of Washington now.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, wow.

[Matt Koplik]

Mr. Deeds, you are not allowed in town.

[Rob Schneider]

Really?

[Matt Koplik]

Mrs. Miniver, the. This is not your.

[Rob Schneider]

You don't like the show?

[Matt Koplik]

No, I don't. I love the music.

[Rob Schneider]

The music, the score, I think the.

[Matt Koplik]

Composition, the compositions I think are great. I thought Carmen was stunning. I thought the transition from. Of her from 45 to 18 was gorgeous. I thought Paul was lovely, and they had wonderful chemistry. And everyone else showed up.

[Rob Schneider]

Wow. Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

And I, I, I don't, I'm not mad about saying that.

[Rob Schneider]

You don't have to be mad about saying it.

[Matt Koplik]

Especially in a year where we had Shuffle along, which brought all the piss. I'm like, you don't get to tell me that Bright Star with its all white cast, which I'm not that person usually, but I'm like, I remember that that was a big thing. That their casting notice was like, whites only.

[Rob Schneider]

Is that what it's. Oh, get out.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, it's like the breakdown for every role was like, Caucasian, Caucasian. Caucasian. And their argument was like, well, this is like 1950s Alabama.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, my God. Friends, as soon as they start bursting into song, we're not in a reality.

[Matt Koplik]

As soon as Michael Mulheron. Is that who it was?

[Rob Schneider]

A man's gotta do. Man's gotta do.

[Matt Koplik]

As soon as he threw that doctor's bag out in the air, up in the air, and it flew in slow mo. And I thought to myself, self, that baby's gonna live.

[Rob Schneider]

Self, I thought to myself, self, that baby's gonna.

[Matt Koplik]

That baby's gonna live.

[Rob Schneider]

Friends 92 shirt that says Friends. I thought to myself, self, that baby's gonna live.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, not, not. Not since Vera Drake. That's a deep cut.

[Rob Schneider]

That's. Wow. Michael Mulhern was up for Vera Drake.

[Matt Koplik]

Michael Heron didn't play Vera Drake.

[Rob Schneider]

No, No, I don't think so. I could be wrong. Oh, my God. Wow.

[Matt Koplik]

I didn't know that was Imelda Staunton. But, but fun fact, that wasn't Demetha Staunton in Gypsy. That was Michael Mulhard.

[Rob Schneider]

Wasn't he great, kids?

[Matt Koplik]

I love it when Gollum is Madame Rose.

[Rob Schneider]

How dare you? How dare you.

[Matt Koplik]

My precious. Why isn't best book a part of the main awards broadcast? Because none of the craft categories get to be on the main teleconference. Because who cares about the one time. The one time it was. Was when they thought Tina Fey was going to win for Mean Girls and then she didn't.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, that's right. Yep, that's right. Again, Stop doing on the face.

[Matt Koplik]

Egg on the face. Question for both of you. Favorite awkward or unplanned moment of the evening. This person's favorite was Andrew Lloyd Webber thanking Jamie Lloyd for their quote, interesting interpretation of my piece. It felt like a cat marking its territory by pissing on everything. That is pretty fucking great. My favorite moment is if you watch the Dead Outlaw performance early on when they have the cast member in the aisle doing, like, the. It's a Man.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yeah, that was my favorite.

[Matt Koplik]

And he's running away. You can see Jeremy Jordan in the aisle. Just go, oh.

[Rob Schneider]

That was a choice to have that poor actor in the aisle.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, and I will say in the show.

[Rob Schneider]

I remember it was effective.

[Matt Koplik]

It was so effective. I understood why they did the isle thing. They wanted to. I get it. It was totally. It's fine. I don't think they needed to do it. They should have kept it on stage, but whatever. But the problem is when you have that actor who's doing it exactly as he does it in the theater, and it's effective, but the rest of the audience doesn't. Hasn't seen the show.

[Rob Schneider]

They don't know what the hell's happening.

[Matt Koplik]

So you have cameras on not only the actor, but the audience. So you see Jeremy Jordan as this guy says it and like, runs off going, it's a man. Jeremy Jordan just going, oh. Oh. Well, like, he's. It wasn't like a. It wasn't a yikes face. It was like a. Oh. He was like, oh, we're. We're doing it.

[Rob Schneider]

Jeremy Jordan was every stray dad you bring to the theater. He's like, oh, why is it gonna happen?

[Matt Koplik]

There's a story here.

[Rob Schneider]

Here's a story here.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay, I'm gonna do two more, and then the next one we're gonna talk about is rankings of performances. It'll be after this break.

[Rob Schneider]

Amazing.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay, Thoughts on the shows? On the shows, who did and didn't get a performance lot. And if there was any reason beyond not being able to pay. There is a QAnon theory about why just in time and Real Women have Curves performed and no other non nominated shows.

[Rob Schneider]

I wanted to ask you about this.

[Matt Koplik]

Did you. Have you heard this theory? No.

[Rob Schneider]

I want to ask you the question, like, what allows them to perform with just a. Allow them.

[Matt Koplik]

The theory is, and I have no way to confirm this, so I'm not telling anyone this actually happened, but it's an interesting one.

[Rob Schneider]

It's a theory.

[Matt Koplik]

It's a theory. I've got a theory. It could be bunnies. That's. That's Buffy once more with feeling. Bunnies aren't as cute like everybody supposes. Okay, enough. They also got the mustard out, but. So that's another Buffy line. So the theory is that because this was the 10th anniversary of Hamilton and they really wanted a performance of a reunion number one of the things that Lynn wanted, or I guess what that they did to sweeten the deal was let real women have Curves perform because Lynn is Supposedly an angel investor in the show and is one of the reasons why it's been able to run for the last two months, losing money every week, which is a noble thing for him to do. And that they included Justin time to extra sweeten the deal for Grof.

[Rob Schneider]

What?

[Matt Koplik]

Really?

[Rob Schneider]

I don't.

[Matt Koplik]

Listen. I don't think that Grof would have refused to perform if Just In Time wasn't allowed to. It seems to me if this theory is true, that Real Women of Curze was the first brick and that Just In Time was the second, I have no confirmation. I don't have receipts.

[Rob Schneider]

That's what you're thinking.

[Matt Koplik]

It's not what I'm thinking.

[Rob Schneider]

You're just. You're repeating what the theory is.

[Matt Koplik]

I don't think about Hamilton anymore. There was one part of the Hamilton performance where my mom and I texted each other because. And we'll talk about this after the break. Like, overall, I thought the Hamilton performance was very good. There was one moment, and I won't say which one it was, where we both texted each other and we went, wow, it really has been 10 years, hasn't it?

[Rob Schneider]

Somebody not look good for you?

[Matt Koplik]

Somebody. There was a moment of it where it wasn't maybe as tight as it had been 10 years ago.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, the gifts.

[Matt Koplik]

The gift or gifts were still there.

[Rob Schneider]

We get a little bit, but it.

[Matt Koplik]

Had been 10 years.

[Rob Schneider]

Takes a while.

[Matt Koplik]

Speaking of Shishu, she who people don't want to name anymore. It's why I hated the narrative. Anytime Patty would sing Evita in concerts and people be like, oh, my God, she sounds exactly the same. I'm like, she doesn't. She's 70, and she sounds incredible for 70. But what she's doing with Rainbow High is not what she did when she was 30 years old, coked out of her mind and scared for her life.

[Rob Schneider]

No. We do a lot of things differently when we're 30 years old, coked out of our mind, and scared of our lives singing Rainbow High on a Broadway stage.

[Matt Koplik]

But enough about your first marriage, Rob.

[Rob Schneider]

That's true. It was a good marriage. Lots of Rainbow High. That was funny.

[Matt Koplik]

I was.

[Rob Schneider]

Put that in your little play.

[Matt Koplik]

That'll be for the next play.

[Rob Schneider]

Put that in your little play. Wait, what was the original question, though?

[Matt Koplik]

The question?

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, this is what I wanted to ask you. I'm sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. Reason why people perform.

[Rob Schneider]

So let me ask you a question. So let's say I'm. I'm. Death becomes right and I'm nominated. Do I have to pay to be on the show.

[Matt Koplik]

Yes.

[Rob Schneider]

So if I got a nomination, I could be like, well, I don't want to pay for it, so don't play, don't play a clip for my show. Don't do.

[Matt Koplik]

I think, I think you can play a clip. But like that's why.

[Rob Schneider]

But I'm paying for this.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, that's why. For example, I think Big river did like a minute filmed montage because they didn't have. They didn't want to pay to perform because the show had been closed and they weren't going to win.

[Rob Schneider]

So. Stupid question. So let's say you're something like real Women have Curves where you're not nominated for best Musical. Not only do you still have to pay to get on, obviously, but then like, so here's a stupid question. Could the people of Boop have been like, we're paying to put Jasmine Amy Rogers on.

[Matt Koplik]

This is as. This is what I was.

[Rob Schneider]

I really don't know the answer.

[Matt Koplik]

No, this is what I was meant to believe happen. If you are nominated, it guarantees you a slot. You then have to pay to perform because you have to pay your actors. You have to pay for transportation.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, of course, of course.

[Matt Koplik]

It's also, it's needs airtime. Like I get it. So you do have to, you, you do have to pay to perform, no matter who you are. It's just that if you're nominated, you're guaranteed an invitation to perform. After that, it's okay. What do we have time for? And so it used to be that only if you were nominated could you perform. I think Jesus Christ Superstar was the first non nominated. Or maybe it was Golden Rainbow, first non nominated piece to perform, even though it wasn't up for best Musical. And after that, it was very, very infrequent.

[Rob Schneider]

Golden Rainbow's fabulous, by the way, if anyone's ever listened to it.

[Matt Koplik]

It's a thing. No, Some good music. Good music.

[Rob Schneider]

I love Golden Rainbow.

[Matt Koplik]

Some good music. But then I want to say post like 2010, maybe 2011, they started incorporating other shows that were nominated if they were willing to pay. That's how we got J. Hud singing Finding Neverland. A year before Finding Neverland came to Broadway. That's how we got Lisa Howard doing that song from it should have been you. Yeah, that's how we got Matt Morrison coming back again, Back, back, back again to threaten us with Finding Neverland. And then I, from what I understand, they eventually cracked down on that and were like, we don't have enough airtime. We're pushing more Awards off camera, like, we're gonna keep it to the nominees. And then this year, they were like, which then just opens the floodgates. And then people are like, well, why not? Boop. Why not? Boop. Why not Smoosh.

[Rob Schneider]

Why not?

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. What? Why not last five years?

[Rob Schneider]

Because they don't want. Is it basically because. Well, the producers just don't want to pay for it.

[Matt Koplik]

What I was told was that they. The only shows that were invited that were not nominated were just in time and real women have curves. Boop offered. They were told no.

[Rob Schneider]

Boop said, we will pay. We will do this.

[Matt Koplik]

Boop is like, we want to go on. We want to show off Jasmine. We got the 300K. And they said, no, we're not. The Tony said, absolutely not. They said, oprah is presenting best actress to Audra, and Audra alone. And we've already planned it out. And they said. And then Boop said, oh, what's this in my hand? Oh, it's egg. Would you like it on your face?

[Rob Schneider]

Black and white or yellow?

[Matt Koplik]

And that's on, period. In fact, Rob, if you look behind you, do you see who's on the.

[Rob Schneider]

I was wondering. There's a little dog behind me. Is it the Boop dog?

[Matt Koplik]

It's the boob dog. It's Pudgy.

[Rob Schneider]

Is that his name?

[Matt Koplik]

His name is Purgy.

[Rob Schneider]

Hey, Pudgy.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, that's. That's the thing about the Tonys and the. And the paying thing was with the boob stuff was. Was they. From what I understand, they were. They offered and Tony said, no, thank you. They said, good night and thank you, Migaldi.

[Rob Schneider]

Wow.

[Matt Koplik]

And then another one was. While most were expected, were there any surprises? Winner wise, nothing was out of left field. There were a couple of things that I had predicted on the pod that I already said that I regretted. The next day. I regretted saying Jasmine, and I would have loved it if Jasmine had won. I woke up the next day after we released that episode. I was like, I'm wrong. And then two days later, I was like, oh, it is Nicole. I don't regret saying oh, Mary on mic. It was just like three days later, it became very clear to me that I was wrong. I am disappointed that Stranger Things did as well as it did. Tech wise, I would have loved it if Tony voters didn't always go for most and went for best. Hills of California should have a Tony for best set design, not Stranger Things. I also think that picture of Dorian Gray should have won for sound design, but incredible. Stranger Things was very Loud. Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

I think Patty's already complaining about it.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. I know that on the substack, and I'm sure on Discord, people were interested in the beginning when Buena Vista Social Club was winning a bunch of stuff, and they're like, oh, is Buena Vista Social Club about to be a best musical winner? And I said, I think we're just seeing all the awards that it was bound to win all at once.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

Correct. And that's exactly what happened.

[Rob Schneider]

Correct.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. Because they won sound, they won orchestrations, and they won choreography, all within an hour. And I think at that point, maybe happy ending had won score, book, and set.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And so. So everyone's a portion. Well, but, you know, like, everyone's like, oh, my God, three for three. Three and three. And I was like, guys, I think we just now have to wait for, you know, director, actor, and.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. Nothing really surprised me. I was. I was pleasantly surprised to be right about Francis Chu. I was a little disappointed that Eureka Day beat Yellow Face, but I liked both.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Listen, it was more of a political thing for the Eureka Day thing and, like, the whole revival ish thing.

[Rob Schneider]

I mean, I will say this has been, like, a year for me. Like, and it was probably one of the first years where I was like, oh, I kind of want A to win, but if B wins, I'll be happy.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

And that happened, which does not happen every year. My God.

[Matt Koplik]

There were a couple of categories where I was like, A, B, or C could win.

[Rob Schneider]

Absolutely. And I would have been like, oh, I feel good about that.

[Matt Koplik]

There was not a single nominee and featured actress in a play that I would have been mad about. Not a single one.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, no. They were fabulous. Fabulous.

[Matt Koplik]

That might be my favorite group of nominees of the year.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. And there are women who were not in there who I. Who I would have killed to have in there. So I was like. Like Hecht Young, who. I didn't. I didn't see Kara in Purpose. And my big complaint was like, I love Kara Young, and I'm sure she brought her Kara Young into that role. But when I saw Purpose, I was like, I'm thinking about Alana Arenas. And I was thrilled that Kara mentioned her in her Tony speech. I'm like, yes, Alana Arenas brought it to the stage. But then Finestrasa and then Tala Ash and Marjan Deshet, I was like, this is a phenomenal cast category. They're all great.

[Rob Schneider]

It's a good year. Listen, a lot of good stuff this year.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm trying to think of, like, the only category where literally my last place winner won was purpose. Okay. My category, best play for me, as I would personally rank it, would be Hills of California. Oh, Mary English. John Proctor's the villain. And then Purpose.

[Rob Schneider]

Wow.

[Matt Koplik]

And listen, Purpose for me is like an 8 out of 10.

[Rob Schneider]

These are all still great plays per.

[Matt Koplik]

Like, Purpose would be, like, number three for me in another season. My biggest issues with purpose is I think it's 25 minutes too long. They need to cut a lot of that narration. But overall, like, I did still really like it.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

John Proctor is the villain was my biggest surprise of the year, and I would probably make it a 9 out of 10. English for me was like a 9.9 out of 10. Oh, Mary, 9.9 out of 10. And then Hills, California, 9.9 out of 10.

[Rob Schneider]

Wow. It was great.

[Matt Koplik]

It was just, like, great preference. Yeah, it was a best play. Was a phenomenal lineup. That was the winner's wise. We will do our personal rankings of all the performances after this break. And we're back. We're being asked about the rankings of the performances.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay. So I have my rankings.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, he has a list. He pulled up a list.

[Matt Koplik]

You think I'm gonna go off of my old, old, old memory?

[Rob Schneider]

Wait, I'm gonna. You're not old. Let me. Wait, can I look over your list?

[Matt Koplik]

To be clear, when I do this rankings, as I said, I don't think any of these performances were bad, but I also don't think any of them were great. So it's for me, as I. I think. I don't know if I said it on Mike, but I definitely said it to Rob earlier today. For me, the performances were mid mid minus and mid plus.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes. And so you said that about seven hours ago when we were on mic.

[Matt Koplik]

Fantastic.

[Rob Schneider]

We're still going.

[Matt Koplik]

We're still going strong.

[Rob Schneider]

Millennium approaches.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay, so at the bottom of my list, unfortunately for me, is real women have curves, which, again, it's a.

[Rob Schneider]

That's the bottom of your list.

[Matt Koplik]

The bottom of my list, and I'll tell you why.

[Rob Schneider]

And we're just talking friends about the proof performances, not the shows, just what you saw in that broadcast.

[Matt Koplik]

Let me also, let me say this as we continue down this road, as your friend wrote about saying, like, oh, they all botched it. They, they, they. What was he said? Like, they did a bad job. They shot the bed.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

They messed. They missed their shot or whatever it was. I think it's actually becoming harder and harder to deliver a good Tony performance. Because what it is is the time constraints now make it really hard. The longest performance from a show this year of the night was, I believe, Dead outlaw at like 4 minutes and 5 seconds.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, it was long. Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And people are like, well, it's no Dream Girls. Like Dream Girls was an almost nine minute performance.

[Rob Schneider]

Dream Girls was a whole fucking first act.

[Matt Koplik]

Dream Coco was the whole first act can wait till.

[Rob Schneider]

Well, okay, go ahead. Because I have questions about this 20 minute.

[Matt Koplik]

Coco, I do have a question for you.

[Rob Schneider]

What can it be Red?

[Matt Koplik]

What song is that? Because I don't know what song that is.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, Mademoiselle. Isn't it called Madam? Was that.

[Matt Koplik]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Rob Schneider]

Coco, you ever see the drag queen who does it?

[Matt Koplik]

You mentioned this on Broadway Bound and I don't know the drag queen, but I need to find it out.

[Rob Schneider]

Can I tell the story?

[Matt Koplik]

No, no, we got the range.

[Rob Schneider]

No, he's got something.

[Matt Koplik]

So with shorter time constraints, you have to. It now becomes harder to sell because everybody's just trying to sell, right. And you have to think, okay, what am I going to do? Am I going to do a slice of pie from the show? Am I going to try to throw the whole, like, vibe of the show in a four minute medley? And it's really hard to do. I would argue the best performances tend to be a little slice of something. Like Fun Home, I think is an amazing Tony performance. And it's literally just that, the simplicity of that. I think Hadestown did a really good job of building a story in four and a half minutes, but, like, the shorter and shorter it gets, like, it's hard. How do you sell Floyd Collins in three minutes? You really don't.

[Rob Schneider]

You can't.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, you can't. And so with real Women have Curves. They took a section of the show that actually is like probably six minutes in the real show and had to do it in 2 minutes and 40. So it had no build. The story didn't really land. It was just very. And so I don't begrudge the performers who did their best. And like, that's actually a number I like a lot. Juggling, juggling, juggling, juggling. But it lands a lot better in the show because it has time to breathe. And I wish that they had done a different slice than that. Rather than try to throw everything in the kitchen sink on stage, just go for the slice. Sometimes throwing the kitchen sink on stage works. If it's a chaotic show like Spring Awakening.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

But other shows don't get away with that. Actually, you know what I'd argue a year where all four performances were good was.05 the Spanish.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, genius. Genius.

[Matt Koplik]

I think that Piazzas goes down in the history books. I think Spelling Bees. We're on vacation.

[Rob Schneider]

What did Spelling Bee do?

[Matt Koplik]

They did a little bit of a medley. No, they did the title song at the 25th annual. And then they went into a speller. A spelling section.

[Rob Schneider]

That's right. That's.

[Matt Koplik]

They did Marcy Park Barfay, and then Al Sharpton was the third one.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And then they ended with a goodbye song.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, okay. That was. Right.

[Matt Koplik]

It was really good. Dirty Round Scoundrels did great. Big stuff.

[Rob Schneider]

Great.

[Matt Koplik]

And then Spama did Find your Grail.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, great.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, it was.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

But so that's like, why, again, when I'm doing this ranking, nothing's terrible, but it's harder and harder to really do a great performance these days.

[Rob Schneider]

I'll also throw in 1982, which.

[Matt Koplik]

That's the Dream Girls year.

[Rob Schneider]

Dream Girls, Dream Girls. Nine.

[Matt Koplik]

Nine Joseph and Pump Boys.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. Talk about chaotic. The Joseph performance is every song from the show. I'm pretty sure in order. I know it's 10 seconds a song.

[Rob Schneider]

It's so good.

[Matt Koplik]

I just love the. The beginning into the Pharaoh song. The Pharaoh, he was a powerful man. And you can hear Laurie Beachman in the back of the theater above everyone else.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, it's so good.

[Matt Koplik]

So good. Oh, Lori Beechman, we miss you every day, girl. So that's at the bottom for me, unfortunately.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

Next up for me is Operation Mincemeat.

[Rob Schneider]

Thank God I had my closed captions on.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, Well, a lot of people were like, I don't know why they did that number. They should have done Making a Man. They did Born to Lead on the Oliviers. Like, that's why they did it. They're like, we know this. Yeah. And it's introductory number. I don't think Born to Lead is a bad song to do in theory, but when I saw the show, I was like, oh, if we were in. I mean, the golden is a larger theater than the Fortune, which is the West End show. I'm like, the moment we're in a theater that's 10 seats bigger, this number doesn't land anymore because, like, there's not a lot of inventive staging. It doesn't build in any kind of way. Like, you need to be properly on stage with them to feel it.

[Rob Schneider]

You saw this show in London, right?

[Matt Koplik]

I did.

[Rob Schneider]

And you. But you didn't.

[Matt Koplik]

I hated it in London and in America. Hated it less, but didn't love it.

[Rob Schneider]

Why do you think that is?

[Matt Koplik]

Didn't have jet lag. That helped.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

I saw the original company in America this time, which also helped. I only had a couple of them in London. And I do think that the chemistry of that cast, who also just knows that show inside and out, helped a lot, and I was able to recognize the craft of some of the show, I don't think. I used to think Operation Mincing was bad, and I hated it.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

I no longer think it's bad. I just don't like it.

[Rob Schneider]

I think I remember you telling me this, because I remember it got big buzz over there.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

And you were like, it's not.

[Matt Koplik]

I hated it. I hated it so much when I saw it over there. And I thought I. At the time, I thought it was gonna bomb here. And it's doing fine here.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, it's.

[Matt Koplik]

It's actually selling quite nicely. Tony wise. They did what they did, and they got solid reviews. They got a couple of really raves, a couple of negative ones, a mix from the Times, which is better than I would have thought a year ago.

[Rob Schneider]

But it's.

[Matt Koplik]

But it's worse than I think a lot of their fans expected. Like, when. When they started previews, everyone's like, guys, this is coming from maybe Happy Endings dinner.

[Rob Schneider]

And yes, I kind of remember that. I remember that people.

[Matt Koplik]

But also people said the same thing about real women have curves. They're like that.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Like this is coming for everyone's dessert.

[Rob Schneider]

Yep.

[Matt Koplik]

And then sometimes the thing that perseveres is the right thing. You know, we get. We get distracted by the new a lot, which is we should be looking for new. But, like, new doesn't always mean better.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes, continue on. Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

So real Lemon. Operation Mincemeat. Next up, I have Pirates, which, again, for me, wasn't bad. It was just sort of there.

[Rob Schneider]

I kind of liked it.

[Matt Koplik]

Here's my.

[Rob Schneider]

That day. Take me to the pirate Mardi Gras.

[Matt Koplik]

You sound like Gene Hagen in Singin in the Rain. Well, I liked it.

[Rob Schneider]

Well, I liked it.

[Matt Koplik]

Not Charlotte Rae.

[Rob Schneider]

Jean Hagen. Owen.

[Matt Koplik]

Charlotte Rae is.

[Rob Schneider]

Who do you think I am? Dumb as something.

[Matt Koplik]

There it is. Charlotte Rae has hated it. Hated it.

[Rob Schneider]

Hated pirates, hated mincemeat. I can't eat mincemeat. I have rosacea. Charlotte. What does that have to do with anything?

[Matt Koplik]

Nothing.

[Rob Schneider]

I just needed to share if I flake. Thanks, Charlotte.

[Matt Koplik]

God damn it.

[Rob Schneider]

Real women have curves. That's why Joe's not a real woman. Okay, Charlotte.

[Matt Koplik]

Jesus fucking Christ.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay, Charlotte. Okay, Tootie.

[Matt Koplik]

Stop it. Stop it, stop it. I'm gonna kill you. I'm gonna kill you.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm done.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm sorry. No, the pirate's performance wasn't bad. I thought that it started a little mid, and then the washboard thing was the best thing, and then it kind of just sort of ended.

[Rob Schneider]

I still have not seen this yet.

[Matt Koplik]

You don't need to, really. I love.

[Rob Schneider]

I actually love Pirates of Penzance.

[Matt Koplik]

I do, too.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, do you really?

[Matt Koplik]

I love Pirates of Penzance.

[Rob Schneider]

And I kind of was like, oh, this sign's kind of fun. Like a Mardi Gras theme.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, but the songs don't sound exciting anymore. Oh, the zaniness is gone. Really? Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, you see, that's fun. I would think it'd be Zanier because you would think. I see. Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

But no, they should have done Modern Major General and the Tonys because it fucking nails in the theater.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. But, yeah, I was kind of surprised.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. And like, Holmes has come up with some solid jokes in the book. Act two fully lost me. And the finale made me want to get violent. And this is the finale of the show, but they cut out the first part where they all clap around and go, we're all from different places. We're all from different places. We're all. The ending of the show. Because granted, Pirates has always kind of had a messy ending.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

But in this version, because it's also a show within a show.

[Rob Schneider]

What?

[Matt Koplik]

This version of Pirates, Gilbert and Sullivan come out at the top, and they're like, we are Gilbert and Sullivan. We are the knights who say, Nate. And we have had massive success with Princess Ida.

[Rob Schneider]

We've all had success with Princess Ida.

[Matt Koplik]

Hey, hey, do like. We wrote the Mercado.

[Rob Schneider]

What's wrong with them?

[Matt Koplik]

We. We. We wrote HMS Pinafore. And everybody has been fucking stealing from us and doing unlicensed productions of our shows. So we are getting ahead of all of you.

[Rob Schneider]

Are they from South Park? Are they the two kids from the Canadians from South Park? That's what they sound like. Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

It's the. It's the. It's Terrence and Philip. It's Terrence and Philip. During the night, you say Nate, and they're going, we have decided to set Paris of Penzance in New Orleans for you Americans, but also it stops you from trying to steal our copyright gays. Let the games begin. And then the show begins. And then it just stays that way for the Whole rest of the show.

[Rob Schneider]

What? Wow.

[Matt Koplik]

Really? Yeah. Well, I think they close it at the end where they're like.

[Rob Schneider]

And now the show's over.

[Matt Koplik]

But then in Act 2, at the very end of Act 2, they're doing the fighting. The pirates and the policemen and the sisters. They're all like, you go home. No, you go home. You go home. David Hyper stops everyone. He goes, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. None of us can go home because this isn't our home. We are on stolen land and we are all from different places. This country is a melting pot. And then everybody comes to the front of the stage and they go, we're all from different places.

[Rob Schneider]

Are you joking?

[Matt Koplik]

Nope.

[Rob Schneider]

They sing it like that.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, it sounded that way to me.

[Rob Schneider]

Fabulous.

[Matt Koplik]

That was the ninth time my mother turned to me and went, huh? What?

[Rob Schneider]

Can't wait to see it. Yeah, I like the washboards.

[Matt Koplik]

The washboards were the best part about it, and I'm glad they did that. And not the different places.

[Rob Schneider]

Washboard and dinging. I loved it. The little bell.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, it was cute. Again, we're not talking about bad performances here.

[Rob Schneider]

We're talking about. No, you're just what you thought was effective.

[Matt Koplik]

We're now in the mid here for. For me. Next up is Death becomes her. I thought this was the wrong choice for them. They've done for the gays on late Night, and they did a much fuller version of the song, and they. Because of time, they had to cut a lot of stuff out. And that is a one joke song. And what makes it funny is how it just keeps building. Yeah, it just gets more and more ridiculous. It's like the joke is just the one thing. But, like, we're gonna keep adding on it. And I get why it's. This number can sell. I wish they did something else.

[Rob Schneider]

Me too.

[Matt Koplik]

I can't necessarily tell you what it would be. Maybe some version. Sort of the fall with the. With the fight or the. Or the. Even Alive Forever. I don't know.

[Rob Schneider]

I also. This is gonna sound so weird. I also don't think the way it was blocked for camera.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Helped.

[Matt Koplik]

Sure.

[Rob Schneider]

I know that's such a weird thing to say, but I felt like what the camera was doing was so different than what the story telling me.

[Matt Koplik]

Again, we're not talking about anything embarrassing.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, God, no.

[Matt Koplik]

Just. You watch. You're like. That doesn't. That didn't land as well as it should have.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Megan also, I believe, had a lyric fumble.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, really?

[Matt Koplik]

She did. She. She. Listen, she's Carnegie Mellon. She Fixed it pretty quickly, but yeah, she like, had to figure it all out.

[Rob Schneider]

She's genius.

[Matt Koplik]

Next up is my hot take, Gypsy.

[Rob Schneider]

I had a dream. Take it away. Matt Koplik.

[Matt Koplik]

I dreamed it for you.

[Rob Schneider]

You love it. You love it.

[Matt Koplik]

And if it wasn't for me, where would you be? Miss Gypsy Rose Lee?

[Rob Schneider]

That's Charlotte Rae.

[Matt Koplik]

Charlotte Rae. And the nights you say nee. Imagine the nights you say ni Doing Rose's turn. And if it wasn't for me, where would you be? Miss Gypsy Rose Lee.

[Rob Schneider]

I would love to see that.

[Matt Koplik]

I would love to do it.

[Rob Schneider]

They're fun in the forest.

[Matt Koplik]

Here's the thing. The narrative of how that number went is all over the place.

[Rob Schneider]

You mean the cutting of it? No, truncation of it.

[Matt Koplik]

The narrative online.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh.

[Matt Koplik]

Is all over the place.

[Rob Schneider]

Tell me more. Tell me more.

[Matt Koplik]

Like, does he have a car?

[Rob Schneider]

Shoe bub up. Shoe, bub, bup, Shoe bub, bup.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. So here's the thing about Rob Schneider. He can't actually sing.

[Rob Schneider]

No.

[Matt Koplik]

But if he pretends to be Robert Goulet, he kind of can. Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Maybe happy ending depend if she's got a hand cramp. I'm kidding. Nominees for best Sound designer. This is Robert Goulet's eighth drink of the evening. All right, so lay it on me, Gypsy. What didn't you like?

[Matt Koplik]

Well, so the Internet will have you believe two things.

[Rob Schneider]

Great.

[Matt Koplik]

It was incredible. Why does she not have nine Tonys for it? And. And another narrative of like, yikes, what was that? And granted, I tend to receive a lot of comments from people privately who don't like things because they think I'm a safe haven for negativity. I'm not a safe haven for negativity. I'm a safe haven for truth. Tell me your truth.

[Rob Schneider]

Your truth.

[Matt Koplik]

My truth only. No, but, like, no, no, but. Yeah, yeah, yeah. People coming to me and be like, can I be honest about something? I'm like, yeah, absolutely. Cone of silence, safe space. I'm not really a safe haven for dickotry. I. I have a couple of friends who are raging in a way that's fun and I'm. And I love them dearly and they're actually good people and sometimes just gotta get the bile out. So, like, we have like, I have a special relationship with like three people that way. I'm like, hey, can I be an for a second? I need to just get this out of my system.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Like, they're like, you're. They're, you're screaming pillow. But I had a lot of people reach out to me, be like, the was that. And then I did privately go on my own Instagram in Close Friends for a second that I eventually deleted. And I didn't say anything mean. I just was like, wasn't for me. And the truth is that it's still not for me. But then I also would have people be like. And we were talking about this off mic, I had a lot of people go, that's not what I saw in the theater. And then I have other people who are like, no, that's exactly what it was in the theater. And it's gorgeous. And I'm like, that's kind of what I saw in the theater. And I didn't like it then. The only difference between what I saw in the theater and on stage at the Tonys is a. It's shorter. It was cut down a bit, but I'm pretty sure it's the same cut that Bernadette Pierce did 22 years ago. Oh, okay. And the tempo was faster because she. Everything she did in the Tonys is similar to what I saw on Broadway. It's just that in the theater, she's at death tempo. That. That tempo in the theater is so slow. It actually made me angry.

[Rob Schneider]

Really?

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. Because that. That number is a mental breakdown. But it's got. Gypsy has a motor to it. Mama Rose has a motor going. The meter's running outside. And it doesn't have to be three lines of cocaine, but it can't be just some people. Got it and make it pay. That's Tova Felch's tempo.

[Rob Schneider]

Sorry, sorry, that broke me.

[Matt Koplik]

Cartwheel and all. But.

[Rob Schneider]

Here she is, boys.

[Matt Koplik]

Here'S my thing about Audra, and I talked about this in my review of Gypsy. What Audra does better than any performer, especially in musical theater right now is she is so good at getting to a space of raw truth.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

That woman can't be false on stage if she could help it.

[Rob Schneider]

Correct.

[Matt Koplik]

She can't play a helper about it. Maybe happy ending. She doesn't know how to be anything that authentic. Like, that woman is human to a fault. Where a director and a night and structure has to come into play is like, okay, how do we honed this? Because you can't let it all out all at once. Which, when I saw it both times, was kind of what she did the whole show. And so for Rose's turn, both times I saw it, I didn't think she had anywhere to go. And so all it just became was floundering. It wasn't False. It was raw. But I was sort of spent by then of watching her already be having her nerves on stage already.

[Rob Schneider]

You mean prior to that number or do you.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay, okay, prior to that number. And because like that has to be the culmination of everything. It's like, okay, well, she's already like tearing herself apart during Everything's Coming Up Roses. She's already having half a breakdown during Grant Singer's office. Like Rose's turn wasn't for me the breakdown. It was just, well, now I've melted. And it didn't even build that way. It just started as melting and became a puddle. And for some people that was effective. And I understand not having seen Audra on stage and seeing her do that for the first time being like, holy fuck. Because, yeah, it's impressive. I don't think it was applied great. And I don't think that's a mean thing to say because this is a six time Tony winner who has given amazing performances in the past. And obviously this performance lands for a lot of people. Landed for you. It doesn't land for me. And this performance was the same. It wasn't, I'll say. When we saw it last night in the room, the vibe was a little yikes. I watched it again today. I watched everything a second time today to be like, okay, fresh brain clean. But what do I think? And on a second view I'm like, it's not a yikes, but it's still a no for me. There was a moment where I go and it's representative of how I feel about this whole gypsy. There's a moment in her performance where I'm like, there it is. And it's right before she does. The mama's gotta let go in the silence. And her face is coming to terms with that. She has to say it out loud. And she's holding it back. It's only for two seconds, but she's holding it in and then says it out loud. And then her face again right before she says the why did I do it? And I'm like, that's what I want. And I need that for the first half of the this number. I need you to not be sloppy right now. I need you to have. I need you to think you're selling it, but you have to control it. This is where the actress and the saleswoman have to blend. You gotta build this thing, girl.

[Rob Schneider]

Do you think it's gonna be a weird question? Do you think like when you go in to see this because you're so familiar with the show that in your mind you're going, I know how this thing is supposed to go because I know all the verses and I know all the lyrics, and I know what the structure of it. It is supposed to be. And she's not matching what I'm seeing in my head. It's supposed to be. Does that make sense?

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Or are you able to abandon it and go, okay, she's. This is not how I've always seen it. Or this is not how I've imagined it. Let me go on this ride with her. Does that make sense? Yeah. That's a genuine question.

[Matt Koplik]

No, I know. I know. People like to think that if you don't like this Gypsy, and if you don't like Audra in it, it's because of your own preconceived notions of the show, which is entirely fair. I like to think of myself as someone who's open to interpretation. It's more that I go in and I just experience it. And as I'm experiencing it, I start asking myself, why am I feeling or not feeling a certain kind of way?

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm. I don't give two shits on. Well, the. The emphasis is on this line. There's a. Here. I. If there's one thing I actually do have issues with, it is sluggishness of tempos. We'll talk about Sunset Boulevard in a second. Well, 10 seconds. But I went in actually ready to have my mind altered by Gypsy with this one because it was George C. Wolfe and because it was Audra. And I actually was surprised how little surprise I felt from it. It just felt under baked. So I was like, if. I think. If I thought it was more bold, I think I would have been more forgiving of sloppiness or messiness. But it wasn't really bold. To me, it was a rather safe production, if. I mean, very honest.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And thus I was like, well, if you're gonna be safe, like, be tight as a fucking. As a drum. Be Rob Schneider and Jerry Herman, babies.

[Rob Schneider]

Barbara Bil Getty's tight.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, not anymore. Well, Barbara Bil Getti's circa Cat in the Haunted Roof.

[Rob Schneider]

Now that's fascinating. Okay, cool.

[Matt Koplik]

But again, that's just me. But also, I know people who were obsessed with it, and I. It's just this. That was not my performance. And I know people like, I thought it was brilliant. It was messy, but it's brilliant. What she does as an actress is something so many people can't do, and especially in this era where we are raising Disney Channel acting and musicals. Which is the mom, I gotta get into college.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Or. Or. Or the dad. You don't understand. I saw something. Something bad, and I just. I don't have to deal with it. Wading through a window.

[Rob Schneider]

Like, it's.

[Matt Koplik]

It's that. It's like, why does nobody understand me?

[Rob Schneider]

Because you talk like that.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Talk like a real person.

[Matt Koplik]

There was that reel from that comedic actor who's like, why do all strangers.

[Rob Schneider]

I loved it. I love it.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

I love it. And it's so true.

[Matt Koplik]

It's so true. So when you have someone like Audra who, granted, like, is taking a big swing that I don't think hits, but I am thrilled that she takes the swing. I'm like, guys, this is what it is to be organic on stage. I don't think this performance works. But, like, my God, look at all of herself she throws into it. But, you know, do I think the performance is successful?

[Rob Schneider]

No.

[Matt Koplik]

What is that?

[Rob Schneider]

Matt has spoken.

[Matt Koplik]

I have spoken, and we're moving on. Moving on to maybe Happy Ending is above Gypsy for me. I thought this was also a bad choice for them. It was very sweet. It was very pretty. I thought this was the wrong song. And, you know, they presented it well. The good news is that people who buy tickets and see that number in the theater are gonna be blown away at how much better it is in the theater.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yes. Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

After maybe happy ending. So we have real women have curves, then it's Operation Mincemeat, then it's Pirates, then it's death becomes her, then it's Gypsy, then it's maybe happy ending, then it's Dead Outlaw, which I thought was solid.

[Rob Schneider]

I think it's good that straight people get to do musicals too. I think that's good for them. Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Where would we be without David Yazbeck? After Dead Outlaw is just in time, which I thought was just in time, which I thought was fun. It was fun. It didn't blow me away, but it was fun. Again, none of these blew me away. After Just in Time is Floyd Collins, which I thought considering that show is. Considering the show is weird and considering that what Jeremy Jordan does in the call you can't replicate on Radio City Music hall stage.

[Rob Schneider]

So, friends, once again, Matt has ranked. Floyd Collins is number three, and Gypsy is down at seven.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay. Once again, friends, that is Floyd Collins at 3, Gypsy at 7.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, they're not surprised because in my rankings of the season overall, Floyd Collins was at number seven, and Gypsy was at number 20.

[Rob Schneider]

Really? Wow.

[Matt Koplik]

It was above mattress.

[Rob Schneider]

Wait, what was at the bottom of the list? Mattress.

[Matt Koplik]

No, bottom of the list was left on. Mattress wasn't garbage. It just. I thought it was mayonnaise and. And a copy paste job for encores and everybody knows it. That's not me being mean. That's. Everyone knows that.

[Rob Schneider]

No, no one said you were mean.

[Matt Koplik]

Left on 10th was bottom the list.

[Rob Schneider]

Really?

[Matt Koplik]

Yes. Are you kidding?

[Rob Schneider]

I didn't see it. I don't know. I don't know what the hell goes on.

[Matt Koplik]

Left on 10th had the audacity to have a line on stage where someone says, actually, I had aids.

[Rob Schneider]

Are you joking?

[Matt Koplik]

Would I joke to you about Delia Ephron?

[Rob Schneider]

The seriousness. Would I joke to you about Delia Ephron?

[Matt Koplik]

Nora Ephron's sister?

[Rob Schneider]

Nora Ephron's sister. Don't. It doesn't matter who. Nora Ephron.

[Matt Koplik]

Just.

[Rob Schneider]

I would not be joking about it.

[Matt Koplik]

A play that pontificates about the glories of seven brides for seven brothers.

[Rob Schneider]

I don't like that show.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, I hate the movie.

[Rob Schneider]

Bless your beautiful hide. Like, what is that?

[Matt Koplik]

Is calling women cows.

[Rob Schneider]

I saw the show once at a high school, and the girl fell off the stage and broke her neck. Like, she sprained it.

[Matt Koplik]

Lucky girl.

[Rob Schneider]

And she did the next performance in a neck brace. And to like, make it look like everything was normal, they stuck a huge, like, cameo brooch in the middle of the neck brace to make it look, like, integrated to the costume.

[Matt Koplik]

That's how Chenoweth did a lot of performances of Wicked.

[Rob Schneider]

Actually, that's what I heard.

[Matt Koplik]

She had a bejeweled neck brace.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, she does it a lot. Never mind.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, but Floyd Collins I was actually impressed at. I mean, it wasn't perfect. And like, the camera operator, that poor camera operator was probably told, like, you have to keep it.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, God bless whoever that was.

[Matt Koplik]

They were like, you have to keep it above Jeremy's waist at all times. And he's like, how. Like, he's slipping around this whole stage. How do I do this?

[Rob Schneider]

No.

[Matt Koplik]

And I'm sure watching the Radio City Music hall, you're like, I'm watching Jeremy Jordan slip and slide on the Radio City Music hall stage. What is this?

[Rob Schneider]

On camera, it looked great. CAMERAMAN 7 Leo, great job.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, because if you saw Floyd Collins Friends, you know the way that set works, and that set came under a lot of scrutiny during previews, and I think the set is actually really nice. That deck has pockets in it where platforms will rise and lower and like, it can be a ladder, it can be a slip and slider, like all these things. And like, Jeremy's going all over the place in the dark with a single spotlight on him. So at any given moment he's on the deck and then all of a sudden he's just like rising 10ft in the air and it's gorgeous. It's my favorite number of the year.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, that's so cool.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, but you can't do that on Radio City Musical. They don't have that.

[Rob Schneider]

Do you think that? Well, no, you ranked it pretty high, so I won't even ask you.

[Matt Koplik]

No, it's. I don't think it's selling any tickets. Next up, number two for me was Bonavista Social Club, which I thought the only thing that this suffered from was bad camera work. I thought the number itself was quite good, but I thought they just didn't. They didn't capture well on camera. For me, number one was Sunset, which I don't even think was a great performance. I just think it was the best performance of the lot. And because they took a slice and just presented it. Wow. They're like, the show is Nicole. That's what this is. We're not going to do the title song, which I understand why people want them to. That would have been, you know, a super television worthy moment. But I think ultimately they wanted to celebrate Nicole in a way that they didn't celebrate her at the Oliviers. They celebrated Tom in that number. So for the Tonys, it's like, it's Nicole.

[Rob Schneider]

Wow. Okay. She's number one for you.

[Matt Koplik]

Yes, but she's not an A or A minus. She's not even a B. I would.

[Rob Schneider]

Say she's a B. Yeah, Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

I would say Sunset, Buena Vista and Floyd Collins are B's. Just in time. Dead outlaw maybe Happy ending are B minuses. Gypsy death becomes her are Cs. Pirates mincemeat and real women have curse are Cs. Wow. And listen, a C is still a passing grade. It's actually two steps above a passing grade. But, you know, I. I think we're talking C to B here.

[Rob Schneider]

Did you see Mandy Gonzalez do this?

[Matt Koplik]

I've listened to Mandy Gonzalez.

[Rob Schneider]

So good. Her son is so good.

[Matt Koplik]

That's actually probably a low sing for her.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, she's so good.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

And that was hard for me because I was watching Nicole and I was like. I kept thinking, Mandy Gonzalez.

[Matt Koplik]

I wish I could have. I wish they would look up the keys for Mandy. If they could do Patty's original Keys.

[Rob Schneider]

For Mandy the Beast, the Beef. That's what they call something called good rankings. Oh, my God. Thank you.

[Matt Koplik]

What were your favorite numbers of the Night Pirates? Gypsy. The things you had. And real don't have curves for your top three.

[Rob Schneider]

Matt is literally packing up my bag for me and asking me to leave his house.

[Matt Koplik]

Every bag under your eye, I'm packing.

[Rob Schneider]

What?

[Matt Koplik]

Why?

[Rob Schneider]

I loved. I loved Gypsy. I loved Gypsy. I love Nicole. Nicole. Nicole and Audrey were my top two, honestly. Because what this is from an academic perspective, so please forgive me. Watching Nicole navigate a lyric I think is really good.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

And I was like, kids, are you watching this? Like, are you watching how she's doing this lyric work? And I was like, this is incredible.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

It's not a mood, it's not an aura. It's. It's like she is going moment to moment with these lyrics. She is my kids. Watch this. Yeah. Now watch. Audra. I'm gonna be honest with you. Is Audrey the definitive Mama Rose? No. Is Nicole Scherzinger the definitive Norma Desmond? No. But there were things that were really intriguing with Audra. I was like, look at the rawness. Look at that. You can say, I don't like it. It's not right for the amazing, fantastic. Just look at what she's doing. Look at that. Look at that. She's leaving it all fucking. She ain't marking. She ain't holding back. Like, she's not afraid. And I don't mean this in a pejorative sense to be emotionally ugly. And so those two. I was like, that's exciting to me. Is that the best production of Sunset I'll ever see? No, it's the best production of Gypsy I'll ever see. No. But I was like, that's exciting for me. That's exciting. And Pirates was joyous. Pirates was silly and stupid and joyous.

[Matt Koplik]

Rob said that to me with the most shit eating grin on his face. And Pirates was joyous.

[Rob Schneider]

And I will say what was hard for me on map, maybe happy ending, which I fucking loved.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

I saw it in the theater and I was like, I was on cloud nine. I was like, this is not selling, this show. But I was also like, I don't know what the alternative would be.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. I think them winning six very major awards.

[Rob Schneider]

I hope that would be enough for people.

[Matt Koplik]

I think it will.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. That show made me feel all the feels.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. I think ultimately that show has proven to be a word of mouth hit.

[Rob Schneider]

I think the best use of like, hey, we're going to be on Camera now.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Dead Outlaw.

[Matt Koplik]

Sure.

[Rob Schneider]

Hands down, Dead Outlaw looked fun and raw and vis. And it looked like it.

[Matt Koplik]

I hate.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, God, it's going to sound so horrible.

[Matt Koplik]

And your homophobic uncle probably wants to see it.

[Rob Schneider]

That's what. Yes. I was like, this is your straight. My. My. My. I'm a woman. My boyfriend. My husband doesn't want to go to musicals. That's what. I'm going to take him.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Every straight guy I know loves Dead Outlaw.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

They all fucking love it.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. It's the new Floyd Collins in the last five years, baby. Okay, somebody said, oh, Matt, someone at your Tony party tagged Jennifer Simard. Did she go there after the telecast or something? No. The host of the Tony party that I was at that Rob Schneider was supposed to go to was being hosted by one Patrick Hines, who hosts the True Crime Obsessed podcast, but more importantly, the Golden Girls Deep Dive podcast. And his. His co host is Jennifer Simard. So she wasn't there, and she wasn't going to be there, but she was there in spirit. And so it was him and his husband, Steve Tipton. Hi, Steve. Steve listens.

[Rob Schneider]

Hey, Steve. I love Steve.

[Matt Koplik]

Steve is great.

[Rob Schneider]

I love Patrick, too, but I love Steve.

[Matt Koplik]

But we got a lunch coming up with Steve soon.

[Rob Schneider]

We do. We're gonna go to Joe Allen's.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

And gossip.

[Matt Koplik]

Yep. Steve has been informed that there is no chess poster there. So we don't. We can't sit under a chess poster.

[Rob Schneider]

So we will bring our own.

[Matt Koplik]

We will bring our own. Yes.

[Rob Schneider]

Of the new production, I'm gonna bring.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm gonna bring the. Oh, yeah. The new. The new production of Chess.

[Rob Schneider]

We were great. Matt's face.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, just. Can Chess ever really be great?

[Rob Schneider]

Yes, if you listen to the cd. Yeah. You don't see it. Yeah, I'm hoping it. Listen, who's directing this? I don't know.

[Matt Koplik]

Michael Mayer is.

[Rob Schneider]

Michael Mayer is doing it.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay, cool. And Lauren Lotaro is doing the choreography.

[Rob Schneider]

Look how friends. I wish you could see how happy Matt is right. Right now.

[Matt Koplik]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[Rob Schneider]

He's. He's ecstatic.

[Matt Koplik]

I simply said two names he signed.

[Rob Schneider]

Who plays the other girl?

[Matt Koplik]

Svetlana.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

No one knows yet. Nobody knows who's on Svetlana. Yeah. There were rumors, and I don't believe any of them, really. And to quote Lindsay Lohan, I'm tired of rumors starting. I'm sick of being followed.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, God. I want to know who they're. Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

I don't know who it is. Okay. Okay, next question. Already discussed on this discord, but I want to hear Matt Koplik's take. They were underwhelmed by Gypsy's performance. Might be the fact that the camera was up in her pores, not. I mean, not just for the second half when it got really intense. And if it wasn't for me, you loved it.

[Rob Schneider]

You love it.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, my God. And where would you be, Miss Gypsy? Rosie? I'm also. I'm like, I'm dragging it up, and it's now become a. Could I be right? Could it be right? I think this performance will work better for me once I see the preceding two and a half hours of Audra's take on Rose. It's entirely possible that you will like it more once you see the full show. For me, this is exactly what I saw at the theater, and I was whelmed at the time. Some speculation here. Grain of salt. Someone said that they thought maybe Hat Biennie's performance was stunning and it convinced me to buy tickets to the show. So great. Fuck our drag, sir.

[Rob Schneider]

Great. I love that. That's exactly what I want to hear.

[Matt Koplik]

I. You think I'm ever gonna be mad that someone's like, that convinced me to buy it? I know.

[Rob Schneider]

I love that. That's exactly great.

[Matt Koplik]

If 10 people are like, I don't care what you say, I bought 30 tickets to Realm and have curves.

[Rob Schneider]

Go.

[Matt Koplik]

You think that makes me angry?

[Rob Schneider]

Go. Support my God.

[Matt Koplik]

It don't make me angry. It make me angry. If you're like, I watched the real women have cursed performance, and it convinced me to go to my local theater and buy two tickets to the national tour of Back to the Future, then I would go, why?

[Rob Schneider]

Then Matt gets angry. No, that's wonderful.

[Matt Koplik]

Cole and Nicole were both dressed impeccably. Yes. They were both stunning individuals in stunning outfits. You know how Nicole Escola was dressed, right?

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, like Bernadette Peters and Annie get your gun.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, when she wanted. When she won her Tony for Annie get your gun.

[Rob Schneider]

I was hoping they'd have medals on too.

[Matt Koplik]

That would be great.

[Rob Schneider]

Take the Tonys and make medals.

[Matt Koplik]

She should. He should have won. They should have been dressed as Bernadette when Bernadette was nominated for Gypsy the last time. So they could accept the toning the outfit that Bernadette could have accepted it.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, that would have been. Have been great.

[Matt Koplik]

That would have been great. But Cole and I don't know each other yet. Yet they and I will be knowing each other quite nicely.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm so curious to see what they do next?

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, yeah, I'm. Sky's the limit as far as I'm concerned. Also, I love Tar's speech about his tux and everything. Yeah. Yeah. That was a nice thing. Yeah. Okay, we're gonna take a quick break and then we will get to the rest of these after this break.

[Rob Schneider]

Billy, I beg to differ with you.

[Matt Koplik]

How do you mean?

[Rob Schneider]

You're the top.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. You're an arrow collar.

[Rob Schneider]

You're the top. You're a Coolidge dollar. You're the nimble tread of the feet of Fred Astaire.

[Matt Koplik]

And we're back.

[Rob Schneider]

Do it again. Do it.

[Matt Koplik]

You know, you have to say Helen. Okay.

[Rob Schneider]

Helen.

[Matt Koplik]

We're.

[Rob Schneider]

I wanted Josh Layman to have a full song.

[Matt Koplik]

He has that one reprise.

[Rob Schneider]

I want him to get the whole thunking thing. I love him.

[Matt Koplik]

I know. He's got a great voice.

[Rob Schneider]

He's so talented.

[Matt Koplik]

He's so freaking talented.

[Rob Schneider]

I can't stand talented.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

And I loved him in the prom. I love him. Yeah. I just kept thinking about how good Audra was. I'm sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

Adam Feldman just wrote on Facebook today that history will be on his side, that Audra's Tony performance is one for the record books. And listen, maybe I'm wrong. I have seen performances that people have claimed will go down in the record books and we don't talk about them anymore. I've seen performances that people like that was mid and like, surprise, surprise, they're playing it every week at Musical Mondays. The biggest. The biggest homopho pas was Jesse Green's live commentary last night where he said doing Rose's turn on the Tony Awards is a rite of passage. Bernadette did it. Patty did it. Now Audra. And we all went, jesse, Patty didn't do Rose's turn. She famously chewed her way through Everything's Coming Up Roses where she, like the over actress she is, went up to that cart and started shaking that cart. And I went, arthur, you have the audacity to ream Sam Mendes. And you let Patty do that. They let you do that your first class freshman year, and then you have to put it away.

[Rob Schneider]

I will go on record. The Bernadette Peters Sam Mendes version was fabulous. Fabulous.

[Matt Koplik]

Guess what, Rob Schneider?

[Rob Schneider]

What?

[Matt Koplik]

I agree.

[Rob Schneider]

We agree.

[Matt Koplik]

We agree.

[Rob Schneider]

It was fabulous.

[Matt Koplik]

Fabulous, fabulous. Baby, we sound like. We sound like Sex and the City. Everything will be fabulous. It's fabulous, fabulous.

[Rob Schneider]

And fucking Arthur Lawrence can suck it.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm so glad he's dead.

[Rob Schneider]

Arthur Lawrence can suck it.

[Matt Koplik]

And he did many, many, many times, many times. Listen, if there's one thing I'll tell. I'll give that man credit for is that he had the decency to pass away.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, my God.

[Matt Koplik]

He understood when the party no longer.

[Rob Schneider]

It's time to go another day.

[Matt Koplik]

And he left this mortal coil about the same way in which he entered, which is that everyone who had loved him in this world died.

[Rob Schneider]

Is that true?

[Matt Koplik]

His parents and his partner, Matt. The bitterness of what?

[Rob Schneider]

God? You don't like this man.

[Matt Koplik]

Talk about a man who was vicious for no reason.

[Rob Schneider]

That is true. That is true.

[Matt Koplik]

This is what I will give Arthur Lawrence credit for. He wrote the book of Gypsy, which is a phenomenal libretto. He wrote the book for west side Story, which is also a really strong libretto. Does its job. He directed the OG La Cage, which you have thoughts on. I think that he. I do think he is personally responsible for reshaping Gypsy's reputation as a musical because it was always considered a good musical.

[Rob Schneider]

I will give you that.

[Matt Koplik]

And then with Angela. With Angela and Tyne, it became. No, no, no. This is the role for women. Give him credit for that. He wrote the screenplay for the Turning Point.

[Rob Schneider]

He did.

[Matt Koplik]

Which is fun.

[Rob Schneider]

And that concludes Matt's.

[Matt Koplik]

He wrote. Well, you know, he wrote another screenplay that actually didn't hate. It wasn't rope, because that thing is stupid.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, you don't like Ro.

[Matt Koplik]

I didn't say that. I like rope. It's stupid. It's so fucking stupid.

[Rob Schneider]

The acting in that is something.

[Matt Koplik]

It's so script.

[Rob Schneider]

The script. Actually, the screenplay I like. It's the acting that bothers me. Me.

[Matt Koplik]

You know what I like is Time of the Cuckoo. You know what I like more?

[Rob Schneider]

Summertime with Katherine Hepburn.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Can it be red?

[Matt Koplik]

Can it be red?

[Rob Schneider]

Can it be red? And Communion Dress. Daddy.

[Matt Koplik]

Daddy. But, yeah, for a man whose collaborators all went on to be greater giants than he, he had a lot of vicious opinions about everything they ever did, about everything anyone else did. And I'm like, you need to sit the fuck down.

[Rob Schneider]

See, if I were him and I created Gypsy and then somebody like Sam Mendes came along and, like, totally directed in a different way, I would be like, hey, good for me. I created something that can have like 90 different interpretations to it.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Like, how cool is that?

[Matt Koplik]

And it does nothing to your legacy?

[Rob Schneider]

No. It just is like, look at what a great book you wrote, man. It's like Shakespeare, you know, who was.

[Matt Koplik]

As rigid about their legacy as Arthur Lawrence was for gypsy. J.K. rowling in Harry Potter.

[Rob Schneider]

Are you joking? Are you serious?

[Matt Koplik]

No, she's so rigid about her legacy. She won't allow fan fiction because she's a giant.

[Rob Schneider]

Let people enjoy you create something.

[Matt Koplik]

Let people like things.

[Rob Schneider]

Let people.

[Matt Koplik]

That's why when I. When I talk about the things I don't like that someone else might like, I really don't want to talk about in a way where I'm like you for liking this. No. Unless it's finding Neverland. Jack. A little pill. Paradise Square, Back to the future.

[Rob Schneider]

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

[Matt Koplik]

We know. We've talked about the. The jacket little pill before. We're not going down this road again, Rob.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay, we.

[Matt Koplik]

I know you saw it in its infancy.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay? Okay. I'm not gonna talk about it. You.

[Matt Koplik]

You went on one date with Jackie Little pill, and you went, maybe marriage material. And then you found out that it never actually went to therapy and did the work.

[Rob Schneider]

I know. I'm sorry. Isn't it ironic?

[Matt Koplik]

It's like rain on your pain. I was about to say if it makes you happy. But that's not her, is it?

[Rob Schneider]

No, that's if it makes you happy. Who is.

[Matt Koplik]

That's another one.

[Rob Schneider]

It's Arthur Lawrence.

[Matt Koplik]

That's Arthur Lawrence.

[Rob Schneider]

That was his. That's the other screenplay you're thinking of.

[Matt Koplik]

Arthur. Arthur Lawrence's catchphrase. It's like, I was so proud of the work I did. Well, if it makes you happy.

[Rob Schneider]

Makes you happy.

[Matt Koplik]

Yep.

[Rob Schneider]

He wrote the screenplay, I think, to 10 things I hate about you, Connie and Carla. Do you remember that one you did?

[Matt Koplik]

Connie and Carla, the Arthur Lawrence wrote the first draft to 10 Things I Hate about you. And it was called all the Things. And then when we gotta limit this, it's 90,000 things.

[Rob Schneider]

Fine, 10.

[Matt Koplik]

10. And then they gave it to somebody else.

[Rob Schneider]

Bitter man. You were saying. I'm sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

I don't even know what I was saying. Oh, someone wrote. Okay, wait.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm so sorry. I kind of forgot we were on the air.

[Matt Koplik]

That's been this whole episode.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

What did you think of Nicole's acceptance speech? Honestly, I thought it was cringe. I love her and was happy she won. I also was not. Matchy won. But her speech was a bit Norma Desmond in real life. Yeah, no, she's. In a lot of ways, she's Norma in real life, which a lot of people are like, well, where's the acting then? To which I say, why are you rooting for Jonathan Groff to win Best Actor when he literally, openly was playing Jonathan Groff? Said so himself. That's the double standard. That I was talking about. Also, why must Audra turn herself inside out to show us how much she can be like Billie Holiday just to shut up the haters. And Jonathan Groff gets away with not doing any Bobby Darin at all.

[Rob Schneider]

That's a very good point.

[Matt Koplik]

It makes me a little furious. And it's not his fault. He benefits from the double standard, but he didn't create it. But I'm like, guys, no, I don't. I don't like this. This is what we should be talking about. Not the. Oh, you liked Tyne Daly and not Audra? Racist.

[Rob Schneider]

How can you not hate you? Like, everyone loves Dying Daly.

[Matt Koplik]

Just about everyone loves Tyne Daily.

[Rob Schneider]

You know who said she played Mary Beth, by the way? Mary Beth leave. I just remembered.

[Matt Koplik]

So she was Lacy.

[Rob Schneider]

She was Lacy.

[Matt Koplik]

Fantastic.

[Rob Schneider]

Christine Cagney was sharing Glass. Shannon. Glass. Sharon Glass Sharon or Shannon? Shannon Glass. Shannon.

[Matt Koplik]

You know what? Doesn't matter today? Knowing if it's Sharon or Shannon. I keep seeing people online slam Nicole for her political views or her alleged political views. That's the other thing I will say. No one actually knows her political views.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm gonna. Okay. Can I tell you something that really bothers me?

[Matt Koplik]

Yes.

[Rob Schneider]

People that are going, oh, I'm don't go see the show because she's a Trump supporter. Do you all realize that one of the biggest owners of Broadway's theaters is a massive Trump supporter and probably one of Trump's best friends and consistently gives money to his campaign.

[Matt Koplik]

Is it Nederlander or Drew Jemsen? Oh, yeah, Nederlander. Yeah, yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, I'm not. Nederlander was not the name that I was thinking of.

[Matt Koplik]

You're thinking of Jordan Roth's father. Yeah, yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

That money that you're spending at the theater has more of a chance of getting in Trump's pocket than anything else.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, yeah, Than. Than for queer rights. Trans rights. Absolutely.

[Rob Schneider]

You know what I mean? So. So, like, don't. Don't give me ironic.

[Matt Koplik]

That Cabaret is playing at. Well, it's now atg, but they're. Don't they co own it with Drew Jamson now?

[Rob Schneider]

I believe they do. Don't quote me.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, it's a. Yeah, it's a co ownership. And also, by the way, lest we forget that. Boop. The show that you all were writing petitions to be performed on. The Tonys. Their composer. Oh, yeah, their composer. I'm just saying it's selective.

[Rob Schneider]

It's select. It's selective.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, she's a woman. That helps in terms of being a target.

[Rob Schneider]

Nicole.

[Matt Koplik]

You mean Nicole's a woman.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, she's a woman. And so it's easier to have her be a target. She's also an actress and as a public figure in that respect. And it's easier to be a target that way, because the person who we actually hate we can't do anything about right now.

[Rob Schneider]

Correct.

[Matt Koplik]

And so it's easier to focus all that energy on someone like Nicole.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And people think that they're supporting Audra by tearing her down. And I'm like, it's as if none of us saw John Proctor as the villain. This is literally. There's literally. There's literally a line about this in John Proctor is the villain where one of the boys tears down Sadie Sink and the other girl said, why did you do that? He's like, well, I was trying to show you all that I was supporting you. By tearing her down.

[Rob Schneider]

It's a weird time, man. It is a weird time.

[Matt Koplik]

All I can do is be perfect. And let me tell you, it gets easier every day.

[Rob Schneider]

Think. Let me ask you a question to Tony Award Question. When you go in to vote for a Tony Award, like, let's imagine you. I mean, you come up with a ballot. Like, do you know what I mean? Our votes don't count, but like, well.

[Matt Koplik]

You do it online now. Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

But, like, do you feel when you. Do, you go, what is the best performance? Or do you take into account all the other things?

[Matt Koplik]

I have to find that person so hateful for me to do that. If the person gave an undeniable performance and I don't like them as a person, I would go, you know what? I can't. I can't.

[Rob Schneider]

Even bigger. There's like five acting nominees, and one of these nominees, boy, if they won, they would be the first in this demographic or this ethnic group to win the Tony Award for. Does that. Does any of that play a part when you vote, or do you just go. The best performance for me is this. What do we leave at the door and what do we take with us?

[Matt Koplik]

I think about history and I think about outside context. If I. If it comes down to two people and I can't make up my mind.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, interesting. That's when the other factors come and.

[Matt Koplik]

That becomes less of a. What's more political and more just, like, what would excite me to win now? Like, if I. If you were to. If. Let. Let's. Let us say that it came down to Jasmine and Nicole. For me, as a voter, and I'm like, I genuinely can't decide. I Loved them both equally for very different reasons. And I. I, like, I thought about this for a week. I can't make up my mind. I would then have to ask myself what win would excite me more in terms of the landscape of the Tonys. Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Not even, like, who they are as a person, but, like, to know. See this win happen.

[Rob Schneider]

Yep.

[Matt Koplik]

And then I would go from there. But, yeah, I don't. I don't listen. So many fucking people on Broadway have baggage or tied to baggage. And so many of them, you'll never know.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, God.

[Matt Koplik]

Because they have really good teams and they're very smart about how much they show you. I want to say this again, guys. So many of us do not actually know these people. We see them on stage, we see them on Instagram, and we think, I know them. You don't know them. You really don't. You don't know what goes on at those theaters. You don't know how those casts are. You really don't. Some shows that have had very public. We all get along faces have had some of the worst backstage cultures you could think of.

[Rob Schneider]

Yep.

[Matt Koplik]

That's all.

[Rob Schneider]

For example, well, Broadway Breakdown.

[Matt Koplik]

Broadway Breakdown. Everybody hates Broadway Breakdown. No, there was. There was a show put on a face of we all get along. It's all a happy family. Famously not so. Ask any single person on Broadway. Like, do you know what the vibe was like at that theater? And everyone's like, oh, girl.

[Rob Schneider]

Really?

[Matt Koplik]

Yep.

[Rob Schneider]

I wonder what show can you. Malvet. Oh, yeah. Oh, that's. Yeah, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Rob thought I was about to, like, give him tea, and he's like, oh, her. Everyone knows that.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, that group was.

[Matt Koplik]

But on. But on social media, you would never.

[Rob Schneider]

Social media, everyone's best friends.

[Matt Koplik]

Absolutely. No, I know, I know.

[Rob Schneider]

Get them off stage and you hear what happens.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, they hit that stage with the fire that they feel.

[Rob Schneider]

Rehearsal. We don't need rehearsal.

[Matt Koplik]

Rehearsal. Where we're going, we don't need rehearsal. Views below. I am conflicted uncomfortable by the online discourse around Nicole's political views. Yeah, no, I'll say people aren't having conversations anymore. And you'll never see it online. You won't see it on Twitter. You won't see it on Instagram. You won't see it on chat rooms. You can only have it in person. Because also, once people go online and they are faceless, they imagine you as faceless, and they don't have conversations. They just speak. And even. Let's. Worst case, let's say Nicole did vote for a certain man with tiny hands. Ask yourselves, is she brainwashed? Is she evil? Is she a single issue voter, which a lot of people this last election were.

[Rob Schneider]

That is true. That is true.

[Matt Koplik]

I also say there are people I know who did not vote for that man with the little hands who voted for the very accomplished woman. People who I can't stand.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

People who are just awful human beings. But they voted how I voted politically. Does that make them saints? Now? There are people who could have been me too, by the New York Times on Broadway and weren't because that article got killed. They all voted for Kamala.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm just saying you speak the truth, my friend.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, speak the truth, everyone knows. It's fine. I saw a video of Cole and Sam from a Mary. When Nicole won. We talked about that. Is she ever gonna be able to live down the hat thing? No. Someone was asking, will Nicole ever be able to live down the hat? No, she's never gonna be able to live that down. Not on Broadway anyway. Do we think. And that's why Broadway is, in a lot of ways, still mean girls, Even though it is accepting in a lot of ways, it also is just mean girls. Do we think it was all a mistake, Misunderstanding? I think it was a mistake. I don't think it was misunderstanding.

[Rob Schneider]

Ah, that's interesting.

[Matt Koplik]

I do think that she. She's in a lot of ways, her character. Not in the ways that she's not acting on stage. She is acting. She's giving a performance because she is giving Sunset Boulevard as it lives and Sunset Boulevard as Jamie Lloyd sees it. And she blends it in a way where it makes sense to me. And that's really hard to do because what Jamie Lloyd sees is not what Sunset Boulevard is. But she finds that balance. That's hard to do. Do you think if just in Time waited one more year, John could have gotten taken his second Tony next year if he inhabited Bobby Darin? A bit more cool thing. If Lea Michele wins a Tony next year, it'll be the fourth Glee alum in a row to win a Tony. That's true. Because we have gra. We have Groff and Alex Newell last. Sorry. Alex Newell won in 2023. Groff won in 2024. Darren won this year. And then if Leo wins next year.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, wow, that's kind of cool.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. But will Leo win?

[Rob Schneider]

It depends on what else is coming in. She'll be up against what, Kristin Chenoweth.

[Matt Koplik]

She'll be up against Kristin Chenowitz, Casey Levy for Bag Time, whoever's playing Janet. I Guess in Rocky Horror. And that's all. I mean, the word I have is that Cats is coming in, but that doesn't have the best actress. No category. There are other music. Midnight in Garden. Midnight in the Garden of Medieval Sierra, maybe. But also, I don't know how true that is that that's coming in. They want it to come in, but will it? Who knows?

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, I hear that's a pretty good.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Thing.

[Matt Koplik]

We'll see.

[Rob Schneider]

Coming in.

[Matt Koplik]

We'll see. Okay, moving on. How did real women have curves get to perform? We talked about that. I thought there were strict rules. Yes, we talked about that.

[Rob Schneider]

Is that all rules?

[Matt Koplik]

I voted for Megan.

[Rob Schneider]

I wonder if it was a Megan.

[Matt Koplik]

Thoughts on the opener and the Closer? I thought both were great. I enjoyed them a lot.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

I. I mean, did. I think that the opening number was, like.

[Rob Schneider]

It was classy. It actually set the tone, which I thought was nice. Which is like, this is gonna be an evening that's benign where the host wasn't like, look at me, look at me, look at me. And I appreciate it.

[Matt Koplik]

And didn't do jokes that were like, oh, she said it.

[Rob Schneider]

It was very pleasant.

[Matt Koplik]

Oprah was the only one who kind of went there. I would say. I think that again, I think Cynthia's team did a really good job of balancing jokes.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

Of making it a feel good celebration of the theater while poking some fun at some.

[Rob Schneider]

She's great. She was wonderful.

[Matt Koplik]

I love, like, when she's talking about leading actor in a play and she's like. And there's an up and comer. George Clooney.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

George Boy.

[Rob Schneider]

George Clooney got a lot of jokes.

[Matt Koplik]

He did. He was a good sport. Also, like, it was the day that his show closed. He was like, I got my Tony nomination. We made a buck ton of money.

[Rob Schneider]

Do you think he'll ever come? I got the impression that he's like, I'm never coming back here.

[Matt Koplik]

I don't think so. I think this was like a bucket list thing.

[Rob Schneider]

Good for him.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. I think he's done.

[Rob Schneider]

I hear only great things about him, by the way.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

No, he's never heard of bad.

[Matt Koplik]

He's genuine. Good people. Yeah. I haven't heard, like, bad things, but, you know, he's a prankster and he's.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yes. Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And like. And there was a time when he was only dating women, like, much younger than him.

[Rob Schneider]

And do you know the story about when he made Richard Kind audition for the Penguin?

[Matt Koplik]

No. I know that he and Richard Kind.

[Rob Schneider]

Are best friends because they Are besties.

[Matt Koplik]

My dad is very good friends with Richard.

[Rob Schneider]

I love Richard, kind of.

[Matt Koplik]

Who doesn't?

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, my God.

[Matt Koplik]

Every time my dad sees Richard for golf, Richard asks how I am, and that's how. That's how I know I'm important.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, Richard's the best.

[Matt Koplik]

Do you want. I don't think he's a voter, but if he was a voter, I could tell you which revival he would have voted for.

[Rob Schneider]

Really? What did he love?

[Matt Koplik]

He loved Sunset.

[Rob Schneider]

Did he really? Oh, my God. Oh, my. Amazing, amazing. Oh, God, do I love him.

[Matt Koplik]

If anybody's made it this far, God bless him. This is. This is the la. I've got my Call Me Izzy review after this, which will be like a day or two after this episode comes out. And then we're going on a bit of a hiatus. Oh, yeah. Well, it's been a long season and I'm tired.

[Rob Schneider]

Take a break. You deserve it.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. And I've got, like some reformatting of episodes I'm gonna do and I have to start recording for the next Deep Dive series.

[Rob Schneider]

What's your. What's your Deep Dive series?

[Matt Koplik]

It's Matt's picks from the Grab Bag. Matt's Picks. Matt's Picks. Actually, I don't think I've actually announced what the picks are. Maybe I take this moment. Hold, please.

[Rob Schneider]

While Matt is doing that, I will take the. The time to acknowledge that this has just been a wonderful podcast. And if you. If you like this, make sure to take a listen to what sounds mine called Broadway Bound, the musicals that never came to Broadway, also on the Broadway Podcast network. It's a wonderful documentary series that Matt is highly featured in this season especially.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes. Matt's done a lot of good work.

[Matt Koplik]

I think I'm on almost every episode.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. There's one episode actually where I just recorded it. I didn't use anybody's voices, so don't be be offended.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm not. And I don't think I'm in the Grover's Corners episode.

[Rob Schneider]

I don't think you are either, but.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm in everything else.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

So what's Grab Bag?

[Matt Koplik]

Okay, so the Grab Bag series was the last series you were on it for the three part Angels in America.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

That's when we did Sally Bowles and we picked things out of the Sally bowl the listeners submitted. And then this is the things that weren't picked at out of Sally bowl that I really wanted to cover.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, okay.

[Matt Koplik]

So these include the Bob Fosse film.

[Rob Schneider]

All that Jazz I love that movie.

[Matt Koplik]

The stage version of Cabaret.

[Rob Schneider]

Love that.

[Matt Koplik]

The movie version of Chicago. Great Dreamgirls stage show. Yeah. The Drowsy Chaperone.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

The Glass Menagerie.

[Rob Schneider]

God, that made.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay, the Goat or who is Sylvia?

[Rob Schneider]

Wait, I gotta tell you. Okay, go.

[Matt Koplik]

And that's one I actually don't know.

[Rob Schneider]

Do you know the rumor that this is coming back? Mm, yeah. Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

I don't know with who. Oh, it's Sarah Paulson, right? Sarah Paulson.

[Rob Schneider]

I heard Steve Carell and Sarah Paulson.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, that's. I was about to say Steve Carell.

[Rob Schneider]

This show changed my life.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm. I want to go to the library to watch it. I think it's Mercedes Ruel. Right?

[Rob Schneider]

You have no idea how this changed my life.

[Matt Koplik]

I can't. Made you want to fuck a goat.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. Made me want to fuck a goat.

[Matt Koplik]

Next up, Natasha Pierre and the great comet of 1812.

[Rob Schneider]

What?

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, wow. The Internet will hate you. Hedwig unt ze Angry Inch.

[Rob Schneider]

Fabulous.

[Matt Koplik]

How I Learned to Drive.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, good play.

[Matt Koplik]

One of my top five favorite places. Yep. Oh, the light in the piazza.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, beautiful ponies.

[Matt Koplik]

Ponies everywhere. Next to normal. She loves me. Oh, that's Gene Stapleton's saying she loves me on the 94 Tony Awards.

[Rob Schneider]

Do it again. Do it again.

[Matt Koplik]

When they're. When they're doing the. When they're announcing the lineup for best revival Play. And Gwen Verdon goes. Damn Yankees. Carousel. And Gene Simone goes. She Loves Me.

[Rob Schneider]

That's a niche impression.

[Matt Koplik]

She loves.

[Rob Schneider]

She loves.

[Matt Koplik]

She loves me. And then the final one is who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? It's a good lineup also.

[Rob Schneider]

Wow. Wow.

[Matt Koplik]

And I've got. I already know that Rob Schneider is gonna be on it, but I'm first corralling some people who either haven't been on the podcast before or haven't been on in a while getting their picks. And then I'm squeezing Rob W. Schneider into whatever the fuck I want.

[Rob Schneider]

That's. Hey, listen, I've heard that a lot. This is great. What a great list.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm very pleased.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. This is really. How did you pick these?

[Matt Koplik]

I went through, and I was like, what do I want to talk about for nine hours apiece?

[Rob Schneider]

Wow, these are great.

[Matt Koplik]

Let me. So quickly. All that jazz. Brilliant masterpiece.

[Rob Schneider]

Brilliant, brilliant film.

[Matt Koplik]

Everyone should know it. Everyone should love it. Cabaret, also a master.

[Rob Schneider]

And the stage version. The original.

[Matt Koplik]

The stage version. The stage version. Cabaret. We'll probably go among the three different versions.

[Rob Schneider]

Great. Genius.

[Matt Koplik]

Was it you I was talking to? No, it was David Chase I was talking to about how they were doing a production of Cabaret, and he asked John Kander, like, which version do you like the most? Or like, of all three versions, like, what do you. Which ones do you. What do you think each version got right and not right?

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, wow.

[Matt Koplik]

And like, do you want us to blend it together? And he said, yes. And they sort of found a way to combine all three.

[Rob Schneider]

I'd love to hear what that was.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, yeah. Chicago, the movie I picked because I think the movie is perfect.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes, it is.

[Matt Koplik]

I. I really love the podcast Blank Check. And I get mad when those very sweet, straight, indoor boys throw at shade. And I'm like, you guys don't know what you're talking about. Movie, movie. People. Who? And it's not just them, but it's also like, the people on the big picture will throw shade at that movie because they're like gangs of New York. I'm like, okay, okay, okay, calm down. We also had movie posters in our dorm rooms.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. No.

[Matt Koplik]

Chicago is a perfect movie, and anyone who disagrees can eat every inch of my asshole. The Dreamgirl stage show, because I think that show is fire. It kind of falls apart in Act 2, but I want to talk about it. The Drowsy Chaperone. Perfect metamusical. And also, I am man in chair.

[Rob Schneider]

I played man in chair.

[Matt Koplik]

You are man in chair.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, that's so sad.

[Matt Koplik]

This is our production of the Jozzy Chaperone. This is our site specific production of the Jozzy Chaperone. And like, A Chorus Line. It'll be shut down tomorrow.

[Rob Schneider]

How have we gone nine hours and not mentioned this Chorus Line thing? But go ahead.

[Matt Koplik]

What's there to talk about? It's not happening.

[Rob Schneider]

That's true.

[Matt Koplik]

God, they didn't get it. They didn't get it.

[Rob Schneider]

I saw cease 10 desist 3. That made me laugh. Really? Well, so how did it get this one or mic?

[Matt Koplik]

Well, they tried to do something for love.

[Rob Schneider]

And how, at no point did anybody be like, I don't think this is a good idea.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, not to say it's a bad idea.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm just saying, like, how did this a steak be like, hey.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, the irony is they're like, it's a site specific production of A Chorus Line.

[Rob Schneider]

In a Broadway theater.

[Matt Koplik]

No, in a stance studio.

[Rob Schneider]

That's not a specific production of A Chorus Line.

[Matt Koplik]

That's what I'm saying.

[Rob Schneider]

Sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

A Chorus Line takes place in a theater. It's literally in the script.

[Rob Schneider]

They're not updating it, were they? Oh, God. You can't even update it. The lyrics don't make sense. If you update it.

[Matt Koplik]

Robert Kolay. Robert Kolay.

[Rob Schneider]

Raphael Clay. Maybe that would be worth it.

[Matt Koplik]

Exactly.

[Rob Schneider]

Yep, I'm here. Say my name through.

[Matt Koplik]

My God. My God. The Steve McQueen. So sexy. Bob Goulet. Out.

[Rob Schneider]

Steve McQueen. And if Troy Donahue can be a movie star.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, you can't. You can't put that in 2025. So this is actually the first non site specific production.

[Rob Schneider]

Of course Lily Porter can be a movie star. Can he though? Can he?

[Matt Koplik]

Okay. He is what he is.

[Rob Schneider]

How dare you continue to remember that. Continue.

[Matt Koplik]

Glass Menagerie Because.

[Rob Schneider]

Makes me cry.

[Matt Koplik]

It's a beautiful piece. I love the last revival. Go. Who is Sylvia? Because it's. It was just. That's a play that I don't know well enough and I really wanted the opportunity to get to know it. Great comment. Because I loved it off Broadway. I liked it on Broadway and I kind of want to talk about why.

[Rob Schneider]

Great.

[Matt Koplik]

Hedwig. Because Hedwig. How I Learned to drive. One of my favorite plays. That's why I want to talk about her. Landing the Piazza. One of my favorite things. And was like a formative musical for me, really. And that original production was so stunning. And I want to talk more about why. Especially because the Encores production I found to be very cold and misguided. Not bad.

[Rob Schneider]

I didn't see it.

[Matt Koplik]

It wasn't bad, but it was cold and misguided and not as well sung as people like to think. And I want to talk about that more Next Normal. Because I think it's a beautiful, brilliant show. And we had the West End production just happen with the broadcast. And I want to talk about that. She loves me because it's a perfect show. And I want to talk more about that. But I also have issues with the Roundabout revival recently, which David Chase, by the way, who did the 93 production, agreed with me on just saying. And then who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Because it's a masterpiece and. Perfect.

[Rob Schneider]

I. This is great. This is fantastic. So will you pick? Like, will every one of these things get discussed or you just put in.

[Matt Koplik]

A. Oh, there's gonna be an episode for each of them.

[Rob Schneider]

Wow, that's great. What a great list.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Shit. Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm excited.

[Rob Schneider]

Cool. Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

My hole is wide open, baby. Okay. It's almost big enough for one of your fingers.

[Rob Schneider]

Remember, we're talking about the Tony Awards four hours ago. Billy, I beg to differ with you.

[Matt Koplik]

How do you mean?

[Rob Schneider]

You're the top.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, you're an arrow color.

[Rob Schneider]

You're the top. You're a Coolidge dollar. You're the nimble tread of the feet of Fred Astag.

[Matt Koplik]

We actually got through all the sub stack questions.

[Rob Schneider]

Great.

[Matt Koplik]

Any thing in particular about, like, winners that you really loved? Didn't love takeaways?

[Rob Schneider]

No. I mean, listen, I. I'm happy that purpose won. I wish. I really wish it was. Oh, Mary. Just because, like, I'm like, come on, guys, like, celebrate comedy. Comedy is so tricky. Comedy is so difficult to like. No offense to the people that do drama. But I'm like, come on, man. A comedy, well, that's fucking hard.

[Matt Koplik]

And somebody was like, listen, purpose is very funny. And I went like, actually, some of the best dramas are funny.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf Is hilarious.

[Rob Schneider]

Hysterical. Hysterical.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, my God. Streetcar Named Desire makes me laugh. Good. Stop. But we talked about this with Angels in America. Like, that show fucking funny. And it un. Need that humor because it disarms you before it goes in for the kill.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And I do think purpose has a lot of jokes in it. But I ultimately found purpose to be interesting. I nuanced. But also it needed another draft.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. Oh, Mary for me would have been a. A big win for. Important win for a couple of reasons. One, not only because, yes, it's. It's queer and all that wonderful stuff, but I'm just like, comedy. Like, respect comedy. You know what this motherfucker did?

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

This person sat in their room one day and said, what if Mary Todd Lincoln's a cabaret star?

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

And. And created this brilliant fucking fantasia. No. No pun.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, it's not on national themes. Because she doesn't know what a nation is.

[Rob Schneider]

No, that's. That is true. That is. And just was like. And this is what it's gonna be. And everybody gets on board. Yeah. In this bizarre. To me, I'm like, come and it's fucking funny.

[Matt Koplik]

It's funny. It's. Yes. Because your parents were siblings. It's so. It's so dumb. It's so delightful. Listen, I know people who were underwhelmed by it, and I get that it's. It's hard to maintain prestige when you have nothing but buzz around you.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

Eventually the hype will kill you.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

But also, this show has maintained relevancy and success for a year.

[Rob Schneider]

They've done an amazing job.

[Matt Koplik]

A straight play did that. That.

[Rob Schneider]

That's the other thing. Friends. A straight play did that.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

And not a drama.

[Matt Koplik]

No.

[Rob Schneider]

Not the Ferryman or some, you know, like, nine hour yeah. Epic drama. This is literally a comedy.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

That has sustained itself for this long. This is the little engine that could.

[Matt Koplik]

And again, I listen. Purpose one, they have their flowers and it's great. We can't. Nothing we say or do will take that away from them. So it's more of us talking up to Tony voters right now and begging them. Because I had this conversation with people at parties where I'm like, but what did you enjoy? What is like, what is on the pulse? What is of the moment? What are people excited about? And while I think a lot of voters are patting themselves on the back for voting for purpose, I do think that we are going to look back on this season historically and go, oh, the cultural play didn't win. The thing that overcame a lot of side eye and skepticism in a. That still managed to flourish the first year of an administration that is actively trying to dismantle queer rights, trans rights, that is trying to banish drag everywhere. And this show was like, you look how much money we're making, how all the awards we got, the. The reviews we got that people are. Are banging down our door to see us. Like, that's fucking important in a major amazing. All while not saying to the world, look how an important, amazing. We are just being like, want to have fun.

[Rob Schneider]

And I think that is so important. It's so important, so necessary.

[Matt Koplik]

Absolutely.

[Rob Schneider]

That's. That's my thing. Like, Tony voters, please, next year. Comedies are just as hard to write and perform and direct and design as dramas, if not more so.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. I would also beg that of Oscar.

[Rob Schneider]

Voters, but I know that's a whole other.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, that's a losing battle.

[Rob Schneider]

Oscar Oscar voters. No, Oscar voters is how much can you cry and throw yourself against the wall? Oh, great, we'll love that.

[Matt Koplik]

How much World War II can we have?

[Rob Schneider]

They want to see the acting.

[Matt Koplik]

They do.

[Rob Schneider]

They want to see it.

[Matt Koplik]

They really do. Which I would also argue there's been a lot of talk about this year. It's acting I wanna. It's acting I want to see and go, that was acting.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. You mean in the Tony Awards?

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, yeah. Show me act. Show it to me.

[Matt Koplik]

Yep.

[Rob Schneider]

Nothing subtle.

[Matt Koplik]

No.

[Rob Schneider]

Well, like you said with Stranger things, like that set for Hills of California was fabulous.

[Matt Koplik]

It was art. Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

But no, give me the flashing and the lights in the.

[Matt Koplik]

Give me all the money.

[Rob Schneider]

So I know what it is.

[Matt Koplik]

Yep.

[Rob Schneider]

So I know what a set design is.

[Matt Koplik]

Ironically, with choreography, they have been guilty of awarding most choreography a lot. But there are a couple choreographers who have yet to be nominated. Who tend to do most like. No, not saying who.

[Rob Schneider]

That's curious.

[Matt Koplik]

Maybe their reputations precede them.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, I think I know who you're talking about. Okay. Yeah, I got stories about him then.

[Matt Koplik]

I don't even know if we're talking about the same person.

[Rob Schneider]

I think we are. Oh, no, I was saying, oh, no, that person's one.

[Matt Koplik]

That person has one.

[Rob Schneider]

They did.

[Matt Koplik]

And yes, I have stories about them too.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. Yeah. That. That one's a. That's a jack off. The other one you're talking about also jack off. Also jack off. And dull.

[Matt Koplik]

Bad. Does bad work.

[Rob Schneider]

Like the first one, I'm like, well, you're an asshole, but at least I can watch this.

[Matt Koplik]

You've done good work in the past.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes, I can watch this. The other one, I'm like, you're an asshole, and your work's not good.

[Matt Koplik]

You're an a. He's an asshole.

[Rob Schneider]

He's an asshole.

[Matt Koplik]

She's an asshole. They're an asshole. We're trying to throw all the pronouns out because we really don't want anyone to know who. Who we're talking about. This is what I will say. If you've been in the room where it happens, you most likely know two of the three names we're talking about.

[Rob Schneider]

And I bet you anything people are going, oh, it has to be this. And it's somebody we're not even mentioning. Not even thinking about.

[Matt Koplik]

Someone's like, it has to be Michael Bennett. And it's like, sweetie. Yes. But she's dead.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes, I remember.

[Matt Koplik]

Okay, okay, okay, Leroy. But listen, being an asshole is nothing new. The Broadway is littered with assholes. We still got them. But. But to be an asshole and not do great work.

[Rob Schneider]

That's the thing. You can be an asshole.

[Matt Koplik]

I'd rather you not be.

[Rob Schneider]

I know same. And be a genius.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Or you can be a really good person and maybe the work isn't the best. Like, you can be one of the. But to be an asshole whose work is bad. Yeah, fuck off.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, that's what I'm like. Why are you wasting my time?

[Rob Schneider]

Why are you like.

[Matt Koplik]

Why?

[Rob Schneider]

What is wrong with you?

[Matt Koplik]

You exactly.

[Rob Schneider]

Like, aren't you happy? Can't you be happy?

[Matt Koplik]

Exactly. Tom Hanks.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. Tom Hanks is a real asshole. Nicest man who ever lived.

[Matt Koplik]

Famously. Biggest asshole of all time.

[Rob Schneider]

Bigger than Jimmy Stewart. Can you imagine?

[Matt Koplik]

Jim Stewart?

[Rob Schneider]

God, you know, I hate it. So. Wonderful life.

[Matt Koplik]

Of course you do.

[Rob Schneider]

Is that okay to say?

[Matt Koplik]

Well, you're pro. Assisted suicide.

[Rob Schneider]

You're Pro Israel.

[Matt Koplik]

Yes. It's a Wonderful Life.

[Rob Schneider]

It's a Wonderful Life of Fantasia on Euthanasia. Yeah. This wasn't like one man by himself. I'm like, how did this all go down?

[Matt Koplik]

All the way down.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, that was a rough one.

[Matt Koplik]

All the way down, yeah. Oh, wait, what are you talking about?

[Rob Schneider]

Cats.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, I thought you were talking about the play all the Way.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, the LBJ one. Yeah, I saw that.

[Matt Koplik]

I did too.

[Rob Schneider]

Do you like it?

[Matt Koplik]

No.

[Rob Schneider]

See, I'm a political science mate. I was a political science major, so I just love, like, these political plays.

[Matt Koplik]

So you did love Boop then.

[Rob Schneider]

I loved Boop. It was.

[Matt Koplik]

And you loved Smoosh.

[Rob Schneider]

And I love Smoosh. And I love. I can't wait for the Dwight Eisenhower musical at some point to come in.

[Matt Koplik]

I can't wait. I do believe by the time this episode comes out, Smoosh will have announced. Will have announced.

[Rob Schneider]

I heard.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, you can tell me off, Mike. The word I was told was that Chess's has a Shubert theater for a show that's yet to be announced, but it's not Smoosh's theater.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, really?

[Matt Koplik]

Well, the Shuberts are planning on doing a renovation on the Imperial. Whether that's after Smoosh, Whether that's after Smoosh or after another show, who's to say? But that is the plan.

[Rob Schneider]

Interesting.

[Matt Koplik]

But, yes, choose has. They don't. I don't know if the theater is locked and loaded, but I believe it is.

[Rob Schneider]

Wow. Okay. Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

And Cats is coming in, to wit.

[Rob Schneider]

To Circle in the Square.

[Matt Koplik]

No, they're going into a theater owned by the MAGA guy. Oh, really? Yes. The show has not announced yet.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay, okay. And Ragtime's at Lincoln Center. Mm. Okay, cool.

[Matt Koplik]

For. You know, because that's where Lear's at now. Makes sense. It's called Synergy.

[Rob Schneider]

Mm. And then is there anything.

[Matt Koplik]

There's no sin in synergy.

[Rob Schneider]

I heard something that was at Manhattan Theater Club last year. Might be coming in this year.

[Matt Koplik]

Eureka Day.

[Rob Schneider]

No Purpose.

[Matt Koplik]

No Purpose is on Broadway right now.

[Rob Schneider]

The women. The women. They were summer 1976. No shit.

[Matt Koplik]

Not that one judges African hair braiding.

[Rob Schneider]

No, there's something else. Damn it.

[Matt Koplik]

Was it off Broadway?

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Primary Troost. No, that was Roundabout. The Brooklyn Laundry.

[Rob Schneider]

No, damn it. There was something coming in from Manhattan Theater Club.

[Matt Koplik]

Oh, liberation.

[Rob Schneider]

That's it.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes, that's coming in.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, I heard.

[Rob Schneider]

I heard that was coming.

[Matt Koplik]

If that's coming in. I'm just so happy.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, that I heard was coming in I can't wait. Kowalski's coming in.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, they say it's coming in.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm curious. I had no idea that was such a big thing.

[Matt Koplik]

A friend of the pod told me that they have their theater, which is. I don't think. I think. Apparently they have a name attached, but I don't.

[Rob Schneider]

Different than the actors who are in it now.

[Matt Koplik]

Yes, There's. There's a name. There's a name who I believe is going to be playing Tennessee Williams.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, okay, great.

[Matt Koplik]

Take it with a grain of salt, because things change all the time.

[Rob Schneider]

I know.

[Matt Koplik]

And. And anything can happen. But as for. That was. What I was made to understand was that a name was going to play Tennessee. And we'll see how that goes.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Cool. Very cool. Okay, great.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. Well, we shall see. And Lost Boys is going into the palace.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, my God. I forgot that was even a thing.

[Matt Koplik]

Arden's gonna have two shows back to back. He has.

[Rob Schneider]

Good for him.

[Matt Koplik]

He has Queen of versailles at the St. James and then Lost Boys.

[Rob Schneider]

I love him. He's great. He can do whatever he wants at this point. Yeah, let him.

[Matt Koplik]

Rob, Final thoughts on the Tony wins this year.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, Matt, first of all, thank you so much for having me. I so wish I could have been with all of you to experience the joy of the Tony Awards.

[Matt Koplik]

I don't know if you would have loved it.

[Rob Schneider]

Why?

[Matt Koplik]

I had a blast. But I imagine you. I imagine you loving it for an hour and then having a moment where you go. I think I'd rather be at home now.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm a homebody.

[Matt Koplik]

I know you and I are very similar. We love being alone. We're good with other people, but it takes a lot out of us.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. I don't know. I just, like. Kind of just like. Like sitting at home, chilling on the sofa. I mean, I missed everybody because I love everybody that was there.

[Matt Koplik]

I'm surprised you let me see you as often as you do.

[Rob Schneider]

What does that mean?

[Matt Koplik]

Considering, like, you and I, you and I both enjoy our alone time, but I find that I'll be like, hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Can we hang out? And you just let me.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah. I like you. Why wouldn't I want to hang out with you?

[Matt Koplik]

Because I'm a lot. And you. And you like your alone time.

[Rob Schneider]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Like, that's different. That's different. You're not. You're not. He's not a lot friends, by the way. He's not a lot. You're smart. You're opinionated. In A good way. Not. That's not opinionated in a pejorative sense. You're smart, you're opinionated, and you're funny. Oh.

[Matt Koplik]

Actually, people asked this once in a. In a. In a Q and A, and I couldn't answer because I didn't have anybody here for it. What would you say, as a friend of mine, having seen me in private. Into the wild.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

What is a misconception you think people might have of me as a person? And then what is something that might surprise them about me as a friend?

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, what a great question. Well, first of all, you're very warm and you're very giving. Like, there's no. There's no pun intended, friends. There's no. Like, there's no.

[Matt Koplik]

I have a very warm and giving apple pie.

[Rob Schneider]

No, it's gross.

[Matt Koplik]

No, man, I didn't make a pie last night. I wish you could.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, I wish I could have had some. No, you're. No, you. You're very warm and very friendly. I probably. I'm assuming. And I could be totally wrong, I'm assuming because, like, you're so erudite and intellectual. Like, when you're on the podcast, I'm assuming a lot of people will probably construe that as, oh, he's probably cold or standoffish or maybe, like, there's a sense of superiority because he's so smart, but that's totally not the case. You're very. No, you're very. Yeah, I think that would pro. I'm not a. I'm not like. Like, I know you as a friend. I don't know you as a listener, so I can't be like, oh, I'm assuming that's what the perception is. But I would assume that when you're as smart as you are, that some people might be. They might misconstrue that as, like, oh, he's cold or he's standoffish. Not. Not the case at all.

[Matt Koplik]

Thank you. Yeah, I definitely get that sometimes from. Sometimes from listeners, sometimes from people on Instagram. I get told sometimes in DMs, like, oh, I saw you at a show, but I was too nervous to approach you because, like, I. I thought I might say something stupid. I was like, go ahead.

[Rob Schneider]

No, no, no. And also, I think because you are so smart, your mind is always working. So I think that if somebody sees you out and about, I think they're probably going, oh, he looks like he doesn't want to be bothered, or he looks like he's not enjoying himself. And I no, no. Seriously.

[Matt Koplik]

No, no.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm just guessing.

[Matt Koplik]

No, I. My. My face often looks angry, and so I think probably.

[Rob Schneider]

And so to me, that would probably be the biggest, like, misconception about you. Sure. That would probably surprise people. But I'll be honest with you. I didn't know Matt very long, and he was like, what are you doing for your birthday? And I was like, well, probably nothing, because I'm not a big, like, birthday celebrator. And he was. And Matt was kind enough to ask me what my favorite cake was, and he made me a cake. Like, that's. That's. That's something that somebody that's warm and friendly does. That's not this. That's not somebody that's cold and austere or anything like that.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, no. You were like, I'll probably do nothing. And I said, that's unacceptable.

[Rob Schneider]

He did say that was unacceptable.

[Matt Koplik]

I said, what's your favorite cake? And then we got some of your friends together.

[Rob Schneider]

He did. He was. Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

We had a party at your place twice two years ago.

[Rob Schneider]

So. Yeah. So friends. So just. So if I would say that's probably like them. I don't. But that's the thing. I don't know what a misconception about you is, because I only know you as a friend.

[Matt Koplik]

Would you say that's the thing that would surprise people about me?

[Rob Schneider]

I would say so. That you're probably a lot warmer and softer than. I think people get credit. I mean, listen, when you do a show like this where it's. It's not criticizing to, like, knock somebody down, because there are a lot of shows that do that and that drive me up the wall. I don't listen to any of those. This is to say, this is such a powerful, wonderful art form. We can do better. That comes from a place of great love.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

And so that means you have a very open heart. This isn't like, you know, oh, I'm gonna. I'm gonna sit here and. On everything because I don't like it. It's. No, this is a wonderful thing. And I want everybody to feel the same magic I once felt. Can we all get on the same page? That's a beautiful thing.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

So I think. So. I think that also might be a misconception. Some people might go, oh, you know, it's a snarky. Whatever. Whatever. It doesn't come from a place. I mean, maybe there is snarkiness to it, but, like, it comes from a place of. I love this so much, and I want everyone to experience the same love that I feel. To me, that's not a negative thing.

[Matt Koplik]

I think that's very fair and very sweet, and I disagree with all of it. Thank you. I. That's.

[Rob Schneider]

Now, here are some misconceptions about him that aren't misconceptions. Let me be. And. And what would mine be? That, you know, I'm taller in person.

[Matt Koplik]

No one would ever think that. Well, yes, that. The thing about you, Rob, that's wild to me. And we'll wrap things up very shortly because now we're no longer talking about the Tony words, but we are wrapping up a long stretch of Broadway breakdown, so. Oh, you know, we're winding down from the season. We're winding down the pod for a second as I take a hiatus, so I like to sort of get it all out. You and I have only known each other for a little under two years.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah, that's true.

[Matt Koplik]

That's crazy to me.

[Rob Schneider]

That is true.

[Matt Koplik]

And I've told you this many a time. We've spent many a night at rob's apartment watching YouTube and eating takeout and drinking until, like, three in the morning.

[Rob Schneider]

Yes.

[Matt Koplik]

And we've said to each other, like, it's crazy that I haven't known you as long as I've known other people, because I feel like you and I clicked very fast.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

In a way that didn't feel weird. It was sort of like, I get you. I. I know you. I understand you. You're. You're. You're. You're now, like, one of my people. And, like, I just, like, genuinely enjoy hanging out with you. And I always feel a little territorial when we're at parties together because I'll not see you for, like, three months. And then we'll be at a party, like, Patrick and Steve's party, and, like, we'll be talking to somewhere. Like, you'll be talking to someone, and I'll just, like, come across the room, like. And they just come right into your.

[Rob Schneider]

I love it.

[Matt Koplik]

I just, like, start hugging you in front of somebody else as they're talking to you. And I think people who don't know us either assume I always wrap my.

[Rob Schneider]

Arm around you, too. I know. I'm never like, get the fuck away.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, no, you never do. But I think people who don't know us either see that and assume we're a couple or fuck buddies or that I'm a very territorial friend. And the truth is that I'm the latter. If I'm anything but I'm not even that I just sort of like, it's sort of, hey, I'm about to go to there in 30 seconds. But for 30 seconds.

[Rob Schneider]

I love it.

[Matt Koplik]

It's just when you, when you have favorite people in this world, it's like, it's. It's not a hardship to be like, Hey, 30 second hug. I'm going over there now.

[Rob Schneider]

I love it. Listen, it literally always puts a smile on my face. I think probably the reason, like, we. We probably click so well is because we both have the same knowledges and passion and like, we. We collect the same useless, not useless information. We collect the same.

[Matt Koplik]

It's pretty useless.

[Rob Schneider]

The same useless information. So, like, for. For Matt to be like, oh, yeah, well, I've got these four Hal Prince books on my shelf. I'm like, oh, I bet you I can name all four. Do you know what I mean? And that's kind of so what's nice in a friendship like that is it's like you. You both are coming at it with a shared history that you both gained independently. And I think that's kind of. Of that's kind of cool.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. I think that's how real connections are made. And that's why I'm so happy that listeners are on the Discord Channel, finding each other and talking to each other.

[Rob Schneider]

That is so important.

[Matt Koplik]

It's really cool. And I'm really. And I. I actually had someone message me about the Discord Channel today as we were recording. Looking at the messages about people being, like, confused about the substack and what that's going to be and, oh, do I have to learn a new thing? I. I don't want to do that. And I'm. I totally hear everybody about that, but, like, I don't want anyone to feel overwhelmed. I'm not taking away any avenues for people. I love that listeners have found each other. That was the whole reason why we started the Discord Channel. Yeah. It's just. That's sort of what makes me go from cynical to warmed in like a heartbeat. Right. Because I. I genuinely love theater and I love Broadway. I don't always love the community because now that you and I both have seen how the sausage gets made a lot.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And we see a lot of people who make the sausage.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And not everyone's great. No, not everyone does great, but sometimes they do.

[Rob Schneider]

And.

[Matt Koplik]

And a lot of people do mean well. And you want to believe that we're all in it because we genuinely love it. And so that, like, when you see some. When you see a kindred Spirit, where it's like, we both love this. We both believe in this, and, you know, even if we don't always agree, we can talk about in a way where it's like, safe space. I felt this, you felt this, and we can just sort of chat it out. And you're so smart and you're so articulate with a voice that sounds sexy. When you're playing Robert Goulet, that.

[Rob Schneider]

Thank you.

[Matt Koplik]

Is not a hardship. Talking to you, baby.

[Rob Schneider]

God love you.

[Matt Koplik]

You do Robert Goulet, and I do Jennifer Simard's Sex Frog.

[Rob Schneider]

We could. Listen. We could. We could take this whole act on the road and think about very quickly, like, what you've created with your discord and with your substacks and stuff like that. Hopefully I'm using these terms correctly, because substack meant something different in my day at the Eagle. Just get another one off the stack.

[Matt Koplik]

That sub is pretty stacked.

[Rob Schneider]

That stack is pretty stacked. You've created a community of people that love this, and I think that. Listen, very quickly, this is his last compliment, and I promise there's a lot of people out there that have podcasts. There's a lot of people out there who want to talk about Broadway, but there's a lot of people that don't do it with intelligence, that don't do it with the history behind them. And I think that's what makes your show stand out from everybody else's, which is it's actually. It's critical in the best way possible, which is it's holding people onto a higher standard. But two, it's coming from a place of extreme intelligence. You're not just some random fan that's like, I love newsies, and so now everything's going to be about newsies. You. That's great.

[Matt Koplik]

Or, like, so you have met my grandmother.

[Rob Schneider]

Or like, I saw. I'll make it up. I saw Picture Frame, the musical, and it was the best, brilliant thing ever. No, it wasn't. It was a musical, but it was the most brilliant thing. There's such a need of, like, immediate joy like this. It's not good. It was perfect.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Everyone gets so territorial about these adjectives. And what I love about you is you're like, hey, hey, hey, hey.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

What does perfect really mean? Yeah, like, breathe and look, explore and listen.

[Matt Koplik]

We make jokes.

[Rob Schneider]

I think that's healthy.

[Matt Koplik]

We make jokes about my love of Sally Murphy and Judy Kuhn. And I do love them. But, like, I can also name you some performances I've seen them give that were not My favorites. And they are not actually my personality. My personality is constantly coming back to them as, like, punchlines of my. Objection. Of course, I don't have nine headshots of Judy Kuhn. I would be embarrassed to say that I was on a zoom call today where.

[Rob Schneider]

With Judy Kuhn.

[Matt Koplik]

Judy Kuhn would not be on. On camera. She refuses to make eye contact with me anymore. No, I was on. I was on a zoom call today, and somebody was pitching, like, well, why don't you go into your storage unit and, like, digitize your playbills that you collect? And I went, all of my playbills. And they're like, well, yeah, like, how many do you have? Like, a hundred silence. 200 silence. 400 silence. And then she goes, matt, how many do you have? And I go, I'm not proud of this.

[Rob Schneider]

No.

[Matt Koplik]

1 Tony win last night that you really were thrilled by.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, Sam Pinkleton and was number one for me.

[Matt Koplik]

You stole that from me.

[Rob Schneider]

Hands down.

[Matt Koplik]

Loved that.

[Rob Schneider]

Hands down.

[Matt Koplik]

So happy about that. I. Okay. If I can't have Sam Francis. Jew for also.

[Rob Schneider]

Great.

[Matt Koplik]

Thrilled. So happy.

[Rob Schneider]

So Sam Francis, Michael, the three of them, I was like, this feels really good.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

I mean, everybody else I love, but, like, those three especially just did something where I'm like, that's it.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Well, it's been a good season.

[Matt Koplik]

It's been a very good season.

[Rob Schneider]

And congratulations on all the wonderful things that's happening to this podcast. This is exactly what should be happening.

[Matt Koplik]

And congrats on your wonderful season at J2 Spotlight.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, thanks, man.

[Matt Koplik]

I have spoken highly of Smile and Zorba, and I could not see dread to the coot because I was. I was in London.

[Rob Schneider]

You were in London.

[Matt Koplik]

I was in London.

[Rob Schneider]

You were in London a lot. I feel like twice in a year.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Okay.

[Matt Koplik]

Which I. I Wish it was 10.

[Rob Schneider]

But, yeah, it's so great over there.

[Matt Koplik]

It's. I love it there.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

And we had a really, really good lineup of shows this past time.

[Rob Schneider]

Yeah.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah. Better than last year. Robert, where can people find you if you want to them to find you?

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, my God. My Instagram is robwschneider and my website is www.robwschneider.com.

[Matt Koplik]

If you want to find me, I'm on Instagram at Matt Koplik. Usual spelling. You can find the subs. How You've been on this podcast so many times. I always say that.

[Rob Schneider]

I know. It always makes me laugh.

[Matt Koplik]

The usual spelling. If you want to. I will have the links for the substack and the Discord Channel in. In this episode Description. If you like the podcast, give us a nice five star rating and review. I hope this episode was delightful for you guys. It was delightful for us. I know we went off topic so many times.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm sorry.

[Matt Koplik]

No, I don't fcking care. Like, I. This is. This is the one time where, like, I don't care how long it is, I don't care how off tangents we go. Because I've been very on topic for so many weeks and I think I just finally cracked and I am with like one of my best friends who I love speaking to and it's like, I'm sorry, this is. We had a great time. We had a lot. We had a lot of jokes.

[Rob Schneider]

I love you. I know that.

[Matt Koplik]

I don't remember a single thing we said. I just remember laughing so much tonight. So.

[Rob Schneider]

Hey, listen, that's half the battle.

[Matt Koplik]

It's half the battle.

[Rob Schneider]

That's half the battle.

[Matt Koplik]

I think I made you laugh a few times.

[Rob Schneider]

You did make me laugh a few times. What do you think? You know, you make me laugh. You know I think you're funny.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, yes, but I think it's because I'm so beautiful. You're so surprised anytime I say anything slightly funny that you just go, oh, my God. Knock, knock. Yes.

[Rob Schneider]

No, that's not it. Helen Rart. It's so good. It's so good.

[Matt Koplik]

I was doing it all last night.

[Rob Schneider]

Does Jen Simard listen to this?

[Matt Koplik]

No.

[Rob Schneider]

God.

[Matt Koplik]

She did say hi to me on the Golden Girls podcast. Patrick had her give me a shout out.

[Rob Schneider]

I'm obsessed.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, she went. She said, hi, Matt.

[Rob Schneider]

I want a shout out from Jen Simard.

[Matt Koplik]

Well, show up at the next Tony party and Patrick will remember you.

[Rob Schneider]

I am sorry that my ceiling caved in.

[Matt Koplik]

We joke because we love.

[Rob Schneider]

We do. I love you.

[Matt Koplik]

Last one, last one. Say Helen again.

[Rob Schneider]

Helen.

[Matt Koplik]

To do it Earnest. I need to do it Earnest.

[Rob Schneider]

That's it. That's it. That's it.

[Matt Koplik]

I need to do it. I need to do it Earnest. We can't close out with Jenna because we closed out with her last week. Who can we close out with as our diva today? Don't look so scared. Right.

[Rob Schneider]

Wait, does it have to be a female contemporary or classic?

[Matt Koplik]

Whoever you want. I mean, we've had, I think, two males in the past, but we try not to.

[Rob Schneider]

Lilia Swipe.

[Matt Koplik]

Yes. Love it.

[Rob Schneider]

Lilia Swipe.

[Matt Koplik]

It's gonna rain on my parade.

[Rob Schneider]

That's it. That's it.

[Matt Koplik]

Before Cynthia Erivo's battle cry in Wicked. There was Lillia Sweit's parade.

[Rob Schneider]

Lilia Swight walked so Cynthia Erivo could run those tits.

[Matt Koplik]

Before. Jennifer Simard's tits were barely supported by her costume. Death becomes her. Lily as white in that pink dress in the Funny Girl concert was like, hold my cleavage.

[Rob Schneider]

Are those. Can I ask a horrible question?

[Matt Koplik]

Sure.

[Rob Schneider]

In. Death becomes her. Are those gens.

[Matt Koplik]

They're her real. They're her real chesticles.

[Rob Schneider]

Obsessed. Wow.

[Matt Koplik]

According to Patrick, she is taped in for Jesus.

[Rob Schneider]

Love it.

[Matt Koplik]

But they. The way that the costume is designed, they want you to think she's barely contained by it, but she is truly strapped in.

[Rob Schneider]

So good. Yeah, it's so good.

[Matt Koplik]

Another reason why Paul won. Because, like, genius design.

[Rob Schneider]

Oh, listen, as soon as she came, not. Not her. The Michelle.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Williams. Is that her name? Yeah. As soon as she can. No, not Michelle Williams.

[Matt Koplik]

In the bedazzled vagina. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Rob Schneider]

Soon as she came, I was like, that's it.

[Matt Koplik]

Yeah, she won.

[Rob Schneider]

That's it.

[Matt Koplik]

They put a hole in Jennifer Simard. They put a hole in Jennifer Simard.

[Rob Schneider]

Honey, I put a hole in somebody once.

[Matt Koplik]

But Michael Bennet's dead.

[Rob Schneider]

And that was Edwin Booth. His brother John later went on to fame for something. I don't remember. Ah, yes. He was in the first road company of Blossom Time. That's what he's remembered for.

[Matt Koplik]

I myself went on to do Bloomer Girl.

[Rob Schneider]

I did the original choreography for the Civil War Ballet. It was taught to me by Agnes DeMille and a little person who was intoxicated on schnapps. We don't have hojos anymore. And I really wish we did. They had wonderful flapjacks.

[Matt Koplik]

Damn that. No, we're closing out. Lilias White. Thank you so much for listening, everybody. Enj, we've got the review episode coming out in the next two days. And after that, enjoy your summer hiatus from us. We know it's been long. I hope it's been delightful. I've enjoyed it. Have a good one. Take it away, Lilias. Bye. My drum. And if I F out your.

[Rob Schneider]

Turn it back, sir.

[Matt Koplik]

At least I didn't fake it. I guess I didn't make it. Get ready for me, love.

[Rob Schneider]

Cause I'm a. I simply gotta march my heart to drama Nobody?

[Matt Koplik]

No, nobody. Can you identify an Elphaba Just from her defying gravity war cry?

[Rob Schneider]

Can you name every actress in the.

[Matt Koplik]

Wicked to Waitress pipeline? Or does the phrase witch switch mean anything to you?

[Rob Schneider]

Well, then, good news. My name's Quincy.

[Matt Koplik]

And my name's Kevin.

[Rob Schneider]

And we're the host of Sentimental Men.

[Matt Koplik]

We're here to talk and maybe scream about our favorite women in musical theater, the Witches of Wicked. So if spending a Friday night in a no good deed Rabbit hole on YouTube sounds like your idea of a good time, then Sentimental Men is the podcast for you.

[Rob Schneider]

And with guests like Jessica Vosk, Lucy Jones, and Stephanie J.

[Matt Koplik]

Block, chances are we've already got an episode with your favorite Elphaba or Glinda, like Laura Bell Bundy, Brittany Johnson, and Mackenzie Kurtz.

[Rob Schneider]

So pause your Riff compilations, put down your copy of the Grimory, and give Sentimental Men a listen.

[Matt Koplik]

You can find us on the Broadway Podcast Network or wherever you listen to podcasts.