Broadway Breakdown

In this first installment, Matt and Tony nominee Tom Pecinka (Stereophonic) unpack one of Broadway’s most endlessly reinvented—and debated—musicals: Cabaret. From its roots as a radical concept musical to the ever-evolving interpretations of the Emcee and Sally Bowles, this episode explores why Cabaret refuses to sit still—and why that’s exactly the point.
Guest IntroductionTom Pecinka is a Tony–nominated actor best known for his acclaimed turn in Stereophonic, with additional stage credits spanning theater, film and TV. A thoughtful theater brain with a deep appreciation for gritty material, Tom brings an actor’s perspective to Cabaret—especially when it comes to performance style, character psychology, and what makes a revival feel urgent (or not).
Timestamps05:00 – Experiencing the latest revival: immersion, spectacle, and fatigue14:30 – Plot overview and historical context of Weimar Berlin18:45 – What is a “concept musical,” and why Cabaret changed everything27:45 – Kander & Ebb, Hal Prince, and writing the score with Liza Minnelli in mind36:30 – The Emcee as symbol: Nazi threat, victim, puppet, provocateur41:00 – The Sam Mendes revolution and the rise of immersive Cabaret47:00 – The impossible role of Sally Bowles (talented? delusional? both?)53:30 – “Cabaret” (the song): Elsie, denial, and choosing the wrong moral59:30 – Queerness, Cliff Bradshaw, and playing house in a collapsing world1:06:00 – Revivals, retreads, and whether Cabaret can reinvent itself again
Key people mentioned
John Kander & Fred Ebb (composers/lyricists)
Joe Masteroff (book writer)
Hal Prince (original director/producer)
Christopher Isherwood (source material)
Jill Haworth (original Broadway Sally Bowles)
Joel Grey (original Emcee)
Liza Minnelli (film Sally Bowles)
Bob Fosse (film director/choreographer)
Alan Cumming (Sam Mendes revival Emcee)
Natasha Richardson, Michelle Williams, Emma Stone, Jessie Buckley, Gayle Rankin (notable Sally Bowles)
Eddie Redmayne (recent Emcee)
Sam Mendes & Rob Marshall (1998 revival directors)
Listener Discussion Questions
Do you prefer a Sally Bowles who is secretly talented or openly unraveling—and why?
Has Cabaret reached the limit of reinvention, or is there still a version we haven’t seen yet?
Should revivals aim to shock audiences anew, or simply let great material speak for itself?


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

Matt takes Broadway Breakdown across the pond with a candid, opinionated rundown of his January London theatre trip—covering big-budget spectacle, prestige revivals, crowd-pleasing comedy, and one very lovable bear. From roller-skating Andrew Lloyd Webber excess to a visually inventive Into the Woods and a genuinely joyful new musical, this episode digs into what’s working on the West End right now, what isn’t, and what might (or should) make the leap across the Atlantic.
Important Broadway Breakdown Links
Sondheim. Webber. Koplik: A Birthday Threesome - Link for Tix
Broadway Breakdown Discord Channel
Broadway Breakdown Substack
Timestamps
* 00:00–09:30 — Housekeeping & live show announcements; framing the London trip
* 09:30–25:30 — Starlight Express
* Plot refresher and campy, queer-forward energy
* 25:30–45:00 — A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong
* How this version expands the “Goes Wrong” formula
* Comedy structure, recurring gags, and British vs. American humor sensibilities
* 45:00–1:05:00 — The Playboy of the Western World (National Theatre)
* Plot overview and why this “comedy” plays thorny and uneven
* Thoughts on tone, pacing, and adaptation scale
* 1:05:00–1:40:00 — Into the Woods (Bridge Theatre)
* Comparisons to the recent Broadway revival and the original production
* Where spectacle elevates the show—and where transitions slow it down
* 1:40:00–End — Paddington: The Musical
* Why this was Matt’s top show of the trip
Listener discussion questions
* Which of these London productions feels most primed for a Broadway transfer—and what would need to change for it to succeed with U.S. audiences?
* When reviving a well-known musical (Into the Woods, Starlight Express), do you prefer bold reinterpretation or a cleaner, “trust the text” approach?
* Is there a difference between theatre that’s “important” and theatre that’s simply joyful—and do we undervalue the latter?


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 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?


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

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?


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

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”?



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