Broadway Breakdown

As the 2025/2026 barrels towards the finish line, Matt is joined by Breakdown fave Sam Eckmann (Gold Derby) to discuss how this year’s Tony race has changed. From a surprisingly thin Best Musical field to a hyper-competitive Play Revival race, they explore how industry sentiment, voter behavior, and late-season openings could reshape the narrative in the final stretch. If you think you know where the Tonys are headed… think again.
Important LinksRevue-ing the 2025/2026 Season: Green Room 42 Tix
The (Slightly Early) Tony Awards Show: Green Room 42 Tix
Sam Eckmann: Gold Derby
Broadway Breakdown: Discord
Broadway Breakdown: Substack
Guest bioSam Eckmann is an awards expert and contributor at Gold Derby, where he covers Broadway, film, and television races with a sharp eye for trends and voter psychology. A frequent Tony Awards predictor, Sam brings both data-driven insight and deep theater knowledge to the Broadway Breakdown universe.
Timestamps
* 0:00 – Intro + framing the 2026 Tony race
* 2:00 – Best Musical: a weak frontrunner year?
* 6:00 – Why Two Strangers leads—but isn’t unbeatable
* 9:00 – The “original score vs. jukebox” debate
* 14:00 – Musical Revival showdown: Ragtime vs. Cats: The Jellicle Ball
* 29:00 – Play Revival: the most competitive category of the season
* 40:00 – Lead Actor (Play): crowded field, shifting frontrunners
* 45:00 – Director (Musical): why this race is wide open
* 50:00 – Will The Queen of Versailles still show up on nomination morning?
* 1:00:00 – Can comedy win? The Titanique question
* 1:08:00 – Lead Actress (Play): stacked, messy, unpredictable
* 1:14:00 – Final predictions in flux + shows to watch before nominations
* 1:18:00 – Closing thoughts + diva send-off
Listener discussion questions
* In a year with no clear Best Musical juggernaut, should voters prioritize originality, impact, or long-term viability when choosing a winner?
* Do you think Tony voters consciously avoid rewarding jukebox musicals—or is that narrative overstated?
* Which category feels most unpredictable to you this season, and what would genuinely surprise you on nomination morning?


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Few films blur the line between autobiography and spectacle quite like All That Jazz. In this Deep Dive, Matt is joined by Podmother Ali Gordon to unpack this fever dream of a film that acts as both a harsh backstage look of the world of Broadway and an ever harsher self-portrait of director Bob Fosse. Together, Matt and Ali explore how the movie captures the obsession, ego, and cost of making art, and why it remains one of the most daring—and unsettling—works in the musical theater canon.
Important LinksBroadway Breakdown at Green Room 42: Link for Tix
Broadway Breakdown: Discord
Broadway Breakdown: Substack
Ali Gordon is a writer, comic, and Breakdown fan favorite. Known for her sharp analysis and deep appreciation for the intersection of film and stage, Ali brings both intellectual rigor and playful curiosity to a piece as dense, messy, and brilliant as All That Jazz.
Timestamps
00:00 – Why All That Jazz still feels dangerous04:30 – Bob Fosse: myth vs. man10:15 – Plot overview: Joe Gideon as Fosse surrogate18:40 – Editing, structure, and breaking narrative rules26:00 – Choreography on film vs. stage34:10 – Performance analysis: Roy Scheider and Ann Reinking parallels42:20 – The “Bye Bye Life” sequence and theatrical death50:00 – Addiction, ego, and the cost of genius58:30 – Awards, reception, and industry impact1:05:10 – Why the film still divides audiences1:12:00 – Legacy: can something like this be made today?
Listener discussion questions
* Is All That Jazz a celebration of artistic genius—or a warning about it?
* How does the film change your perception of Bob Fosse as an artist?
* Could a film this stylized and self-critical succeed in today’s industry?


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bwaybreakdown.substack.com

It’s Matt’s birthday (almost), which means it’s time for the annual tradition: handing the mic (metaphorically) over to the listeners. In this wide-ranging, unfiltered Q&A, Matt tackles everything from dream casting do-overs and Broadway flops to industry gossip, personal reflections, and the future of Broadway Breakdown itself. It’s equal parts theater nerder-y, hot takes, and just enough chaos to feel like a proper celebration.
Important Links
Broadway Breakdown: Discord
Broadway Breakdown: Substack
Broadway Breakdown: May 3 Show
Broadway Breakdown: June 1 Show
Timestamps
00:00 – Birthday episode intro and Q&A format 03:00 – Dream recasting: can casting fix a flop? 10:30 – Spring season excitement and upcoming shows 15:45 – Broadway rumors: what’s coming next season? 21:30 – Personal questions (yes, he answers them) 26:00 – Favorite theater experiences that changed everything 35:15 – Shows that grew on him over time (Passion discourse) 42:00 – Alternate-universe composer birthday mashups 48:30 – Advice (or lack thereof) for young theater writers 55:10 – Flops that could succeed today 1:02:45 – Most “artistically successful” current musicals 1:10:30 – Broadway Breakdown future plans (Substack, monetization, more) 1:18:00 – Dream final show before the apocalypse 1:25:00 – Broadway books, docs, and backstage tea recommendations 1:32:30 – Rapid-fire questions, hot takes, and final thoughts
Listener discussion questions
* Which of Matt’s answers did you agree (or violently disagree) with the most?
* What Broadway flop do you think deserves a second life today?
* If you could ask one question for next year’s Birthday Q&A, what would it be?


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bwaybreakdown.substack.com

In this episode, Matt takes on The Wild Party at City Center Encores!, digging into its place in the musical theater canon, how this production stacks up, and whether the piece’s notorious decadence still hits—or just lingers.
Important LinkBroadway Breakdown: Substack
Broadway Breakdown: Discord
Time Stamps00:00 – Intro and framing The Wild Party in the musical theater landscape03:20 – The two Wild Party musicals: LaChiusa vs. Lippa context07:45 – Plot overview and the show’s central dynamics12:10 – First impressions of this production16:30 – Direction and staging: does the party feel dangerous?21:15 – Performances: standout turns and missed opportunities27:40 – Score and musical highlights (and where it drags)33:10 – Design elements: set, lighting, costumes, and atmosphere38:25 – Tone check: sexy, sinister, or just surface-level?43:50 – How this production compares to past versions49:30 – Final verdict: does The Wild Party still work?


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bwaybreakdown.substack.com

Backstage Pass is a special Broadway Breakdown mini-series taking listeners behind the curtain of the Off-Broadway production Marcel on the Train at Classic Stage Company. Across the season, we’ve explored every layer of the process—from producing and writing to design and performance—offering a rare, holistic look at how a new play gets made. This final episode turns its focus forward: what happens after opening night?
The GuestsProducers Mitch Marois and Maxwell Beer of Mix and Match Productions return to close out the series. Having shepherded Marcel on the Train from development through its world premiere, they’re uniquely positioned to speak to the realities of sustaining a new work—what comes next, what success actually looks like, and how a show builds a life beyond its first production.
Important Links:Mix and Match Productions
Time Stamps:00:00 – Introduction to the final Backstage Pass episode and the journey of Marcel on the Train 01:00 – Reconnecting with Mitch Marois and Maxwell Beer post-opening: immediate reflections on the run 03:30 – What defines “success” for a new Off-Broadway production today07:00 – The realities of extending a show’s life: transfers, licensing, and future productions12:30 – Lessons learned from the premiere process and what they’d do differently next time16:00 – Building momentum: how word-of-mouth and critical response factor into next steps19:30 – The long game: developing new work vs. sustaining existing projects23:00 – Producing as advocacy: championing stories like Marcel Marceau’s for modern audiences26:00 – Final thoughts on the future of Marcel on the Train and closing out the series
Listener Question
What did you think of our first BACKSTAGE PASS series? What did you learn? What do you hope to learn from it in future series?


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bwaybreakdown.substack.com