Broadway Breakdown - Podcast Rankings and reviews

SoCal fan of the podcast. Broadway lovers out there need Matt Koplik’s honest, informed, and enthusiastic criticisms of new and old shows. What I love most about his reviews is that he spends time explaining the reasons why a show does or doesn’t work. His analyses are detailed, witty, fun, razorsharp, and you know that he, whether you agree with him or not, will give you well-thoughtout arguments. Koplik handles his critiques with care and fairness, which is what discerning fans of theater deserve. I don’t think his episodes are too long or rambling; if anything, I wish they were longer. And I wish he would revisit shows after having seen them a second or third time and compare his first critique with subsequent ones. Also, fans will appreciate Koplik’s honesty. We need honest critics like him, and I’m glad he is out there for us to learn from. What a resource. We need critics like him to keep putting pressure on Broadway producers, creatives and performers and fans to create and appreciate excellence and to distinguish the excellent from the mediocre. Okay, enough “heavy breathing”. Love your hard work, Matt.

As someone new to the world of theatre, I’ve found this podcast incredibly helpful and fun. Matt does such a great job explaining what works in a show—and what doesn’t—in a way that’s easy to understand without being overly technical. Are there shows I still like just because I had a good time? Absolutely. But I love how Matt helps me see how they could have been even better. His full season recap was my favorite episode, and I seriously look forward to his yearly rankings. Highly recommend for anyone who loves theatre!

I so appreciate Matt’s care and attentiveness to express his opinions as he really *means* them! Does that mean he might take a while to work it out on mic from time to time? Sure, but that’s the magic here. He lets us in on the process of proper, nuanced critique. Will I always agree with his opinions? Of course not, but that’s also the magic of a fair and careful critic! And he does it all with charm and humor to boot. What can I say? I have a new podcrush 😊🤩

I’ve been a Broadway fan for decades, but only just discovered this podcast. I’ve been listening to it almost nonstop ever since, reliving shows I’ve seen in the past as well as learning about shows I haven’t seen yet. Matt’s analysis and commentary is spot on. He often surprises me with insights that had never occurred to me, even as to shows I’ve seen many times. Bravo, Matt. Keep ‘em coming.