It’s never too early to argue about the Tonys. In this episode, Matt is joined by Broadway obsessives Richie Grasso and Jeff Malone (Half Hour, Half Hour with Jeff & Richie ) to make wildly premature, deeply passionate predictions about the current season. Together, they size up contenders, clock narrative momentum, question voter behavior, and debate what actually wins awards versus what deserves to.

Broadway Breakdown Links

Broadway Breakdown Discord

Broadway Breakdown Substack

Timestamps00:00 – Welcome & ground rules for premature Tony takes05:10 – Best Musical: early frontrunners and dark horses15:40 – Best Revival: nostalgia vs. reinvention24:30 – Lead Actor & Actress races begin to form36:00 – Featured categories and scene-stealing performances45:20 – Director, score, and design categories55:10 – Critical buzz vs. box office reality1:03:30 – Industry narratives, snubs, and voter psychology1:12:00 – What could change everything before nominations1:20:00 – Final hot takes and disclaimers (because it’s January)

Listener discussion questions

Which category do you think is most unpredictable this year—and why?Do you prefer Tony voters reward innovation or execution?What early prediction do you think will age the worst by nomination day?

Matt revisits the Oscar-winning 2002 film adaptation of Chicago to unpack how it cracked the code for movie musicals in the 21st century. Joined by Casey Balsham (podcast It’s Broadway B*tch), the two explore why Chicago’s cinematic choices worked where so many others failed, how the film reframed Bob Fosse’s theatrical language, and why Chicago still looms large over every musical-to-film adaptation that followed.

Casey Balsham—comedian, performer, and longtime Chicago obsessive—is the ideal guest for this episode. With a deep appreciation for musical theater history and a sharp eye for performance, Casey brings humor, specificity, and genuine love for the material while interrogating what makes this adaptation so enduring.

Broadway Breakdown Links

Broadway Breakdown Discord

Broadway Breakdown Substack

Timestamps04:20 – From stage to screen: adapting Kander & Ebb14:30 – Plot overview and structural changes from the stage27:00 – Star performances and stunt casting done right40:15 – The film’s awards run and Oscar impact46:30 – Why Chicago succeeded where others failed58:30 – Legacy: can this formula be repeated?

Key people mentionedJohn Kander, Fred Ebb, Bob Fosse, Martin Richards, Rob Marshall, Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, Chita Rivera, Gwen Verdon

Listener discussion questions

Is Chicago successful because it’s theatrical—or because it resists realism entirely?Which performance anchors the film most strongly for you, and why?Do you think there’s been a movie musical since Chicago that has surpassed it?

The year has ended, but the season is still going. So we’re doing what Broadway Breakdown does best…reviewing and ranking!!! Matt saw nearly 30 shows so far this season both Broadway and Off-Broadway and he wants to gather his thoughts on how he feels about them all. Some good, a few great, a couple somewhat bad…let’s dig in!

BROADWAY BREAKDOWN LINKS:

Broadway Breakdown Discord: Here

Broadway Breakdown Substack: Here

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 - Housekeeping

7:05 - #27

10:00 - #26

14:00 - #25

18:12 - #24

21:25 #23

28:53 - #22

33:10 - #21

52:40 - #20

57:30 - #19

1:01:06 - #18

1:05:17 - #17

1:14:29 - #16

1:18:10 - #15

1:20:43 - #14

1:28:20 - #13

1:36:23 - #12

1:39:18 - #11

1:43:20 - #10

1:49:42 - #09

1:52:02 - #08

1:57:46 - #07

2:01:14 - #06

2:07:38 - #05

2:09:01 - #04

2:16:250 - #03

2:26:27 - #02

2:26:40 - #01

LISTENER QUESTIONS

* What show so far this season do you think history will be most kind to?

* What do you think is currently a front runner for the Tony Award and could a spring entry change that?

* What’s an example of a song in a musical where you felt “This song is only here because it’s a musical, not because it’s needed”?