This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Eila Mell: Hello and welcome to Behind the Awards. I'm Eila. I'm here with Bruce. Hello there, Eila.

[0:21] Bruce Gotlieb: So unfortunately, Cats has closed. It was such a wonderful Jellicle Ball. It was. It was so much fun. And listen, you know, it had a tremendous off-Broadway run. I guess, kind of like, you know, a flash in the pan on Broadway. But you know what? Isn't that the ballroom community? And that's, it kind of is apropos a little bit because, oh, it's just, yeah, since the right, right. It just such a wonderful, joy filled show. And one of the most fun parts are the guest judges. And so I thought no one could top the guest judges that you had, which tell people who you had when you were there.

[1:04] Eila Mell: I had Lin-Manuel Miranda and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. Now that is top tier A-list. But on the last weekend, there was one guest who I think outdoes it all for me anyway. And it was, they had Terrence Mann, the original Rum Tum Tugger.

[1:21] Bruce Gotlieb: How fun.

[1:22] Eila Mell: But for me, those old Cats commercials, he was the most exciting part of it for me. I just thought, look at what this guy is doing. Wow.

[1:30] Bruce Gotlieb: I just remember those commercials with the costumes because you got a close up of the costume and the makeup. No, you would never, unless you were lucky enough to be backstage, you would never get an opportunity to be that close to see that.

[1:44] Eila Mell: Yeah, yeah. So while everyone else loved Betty Buckley singing Memory, and of course that was incredible, but I just love the sexiness and the energy of the Rum Tum Tugger, specifically played by Terrence Mann, because that was what I saw in the commercials.

[2:00] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, they didn't shy away from the sexiness of Rum Tum Tugger in this version.

[2:05] Eila Mell: Oh no, they leaned into that for sure. So it's just amazing that Sydney James Harker was with Terrence Mann on the same stage, sharing space as two Rum Tum Tuggers. I just think that's amazing. And for me, as a theater geek, it was just pure joy. So I love that moment.

[2:25] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, and speaking of the evolution of things, everybody loves a good cover. You go to YouTube, you can get caught in a rabbit hole of covers from here till the sun goes down. We have Matt Copley on, who has done some punk covers of Defying Gravity, She Used to Be Mine, and has a Broadway Does Punk show coming this fall. So we chat with him a bit.

[2:56] Eila Mell: Well, welcome to Behind the Awards, Matt. It's nice to meet you.

[3:01] Matt Copley: Thank you for having me.

[3:03] Eila Mell: Thank you for taking time out of your busy day. We're thrilled to have you here and chat a little bit about some of your upcoming projects and all that you're creating. Our listeners love the Broadway community. So tell us a little bit about this Broadway Does Punk.

[3:19] Matt Copley: I started this project, Broadway Does Punk, like four years ago. I was in a rock band and still am in a band called Unwell. And we were figuring out ways to promote our new record and trying to find out what was going to make us stand out or what was unique to us or unique to me. And part of my story is I went to college for musical theater and I grew up like a really big theater nerd, but I was in this rock band at the same time. So I had this idea to just combine the two, because there really wasn't much online at that point, like four years ago, of people doing rock covers. There was like a couple, but nothing really, nothing, not a lot. So I was like, OK, well, let me just like try to do one cover and let's just see what happens.

We never have to. It took a minute to get my bandmates on board. They weren't stoked at the idea because they're not like super theater guys. But I was like, let's just do one. Let's see if it works and if it's cool and, you know, we'll never have to do it again if it doesn't work. And that ended up being Defying Gravity and Defying Gravity was the first cover I posted like four years ago and it just like took off online. And yeah, and then I took a break for a while while it was really busy over the last three years and we toured nationally and internationally. But this year, back in February, I started the project probably just back up again and kind of really dove all in on it this time around.

And I believe releasing covers every week and working on an album and doing this show off Broadway in October. So it's been a really exciting time. I feel like I'm talking forever at this point. But but yeah, that's basically the back story of kind of how I got to where I am right now.

[5:08] Eila Mell: Have you always been a fan of punk or was it just something that you thought was so counter to the Broadway style?

[5:13] Matt Copley: I grew up loving like post-hardcore, screamo, punk, any kind of like metalcore music growing up. I went to Warped Tour. I went to like a bunch of concerts. I was just I was surrounded by that music. And I was just like kind of ran tangentially to like my theater interest. But I never thought about really combining the two growing up because they were so different to me and I never thought that was allowed or whatever. But I will say when I was in like middle school, I saw the touring production of American Idiot in Detroit and that like changed the game for me. I was like, wow, this is this is like I love the Green Day growing up. I listen to 21st Century Breakdown, that record like all the time. And I yeah, when I saw that musical, it just like opened my eyes and I was like, wow, the both of these worlds can be combined. But I never really thought to do it myself. And so much later. That definitely that musical in particular had a huge influence in what I do today.

[6:12] Eila Mell: Well, starting with the song like Defying Gravity, it's, you know, you know, it's not like you dipped a toe in like you went all in. So of the covers that you've done besides that, what's been your favorite or maybe the one that's been the most pleasant surprise to discover?

[6:29] Matt Copley: Oh, that's a really good question. I am. You know, each song is so unique in the way we approach it and like cover it. But I think some of my favorites lately, I really liked I did a quick 30 second online cover of She Used To Be Mine from Waitress. I really like that. I think I think what for me what I think makes makes my favorite covers are the lyrics because I think there's a lot of lyrics that are like very wear your heart on your sleeve, like very emotional, very story driven. And I think adding just kind of like, you know, more rock and metal instrumental to it just heightens the intensity of whatever message the story's talking about. So I think like specifically that Waitress song was just it's at like a pinnacle point of the show.

And it's so emotional. So for those reasons, that's one of my favorite that I've done so recently. And, you know, kind of like Defying Gravity too. I think Defying Gravity was successful just because it is like the, you know, it's it's iconic. Yeah. And it's it's so emotional. And just heightening that to a new level with this rock instrumental, I think was was a smart choice. And it's fun to discover the stuff that that really works because some songs work super well, and some like don't work nearly as well as I thought they would. And but I love I just love I love everything that that we're able to create.

[8:13] Eila Mell: Now, will you be giving Edelweiss a punk treatment that could really use it?

[8:17] Matt Copley: That's a good that's a good one. I keep I keep getting recommended. What's that song from Annie? One of the Annie songs keeps getting messaged to me. I just think it's so so maybe who knows it could it could pop off.

[8:24] Eila Mell: Has there been a song that you sat down to do and you've been like, you know what, I think this is gonna work. And you've just been like, we got to we got to change change a direction. It just isn't gonna fit.

[8:30] Matt Copley: Every song proposes different challenges. But I'd say as a whole, like all Sondheim pieces are incredibly challenging. Yeah, true. I mean, they're challenging just to like the normal right musical theater performer in general because because they're they're insanely written songs. But yeah, he is. It's very hard to take his music and make it kind of more of a traditional structured like pop anthem or pop rock like anthem. It's because not a lot repeats. It's very intricate melodies. So yeah, it is it is. I would say like, I've approached a couple of his songs, and I've only been able to post one so far, but I've tried a few. And I'm not like giving up on them. But yeah, every time I go to approach one of his songs, I'm like, man, like this is that this is really making me work here.

[9:11] Eila Mell: So punk grew out of a political movement. Is there anything political about what you're doing?

[9:16] Matt Copley: Honestly? No, I mean, it's not like the forward messaging I'm I'm portraying with this project. I just really like having fun making these covers and making the music and making new versions of these songs that people know and love and giving them a new life or giving them a new audience per se that wouldn't have listened to the Defying Gravity Broadway cast recording, but maybe now they will because they heard my cover. So I think I just I just really enjoy broadening the audiences and getting more people involved.

[9:45] Eila Mell: Well, there's so much fun to listen to. And you know, I think that people do love hearing a new take on something that they already love. So that's it's so smart to tap into that audience.

[9:55] Matt Copley: Yeah, thank you. I wouldn't have thought that there was such a big crossover before I started posting these covers online. But dude, yes, it's proven to be quite a big community that seems to gravitate towards these and it's really cool. And I'm just happy and lucky to be able to to do this right now.

[10:12] Eila Mell: Is there still part of you that would like to maybe one day, you know, step on the Broadway stage and fulfill that college kids fantasy of a Broadway life?

[10:21] Matt Copley: Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, that's you know, I that's why I got my bachelor's degree in musical theater specifically. So like, that was my dream. That was like my whole life for, you know, all of high school and all of college for like eight years of my life. I dedicated towards, you know, pursuing an actor's a stage actor's like dream in that career. And I graduated in 2020 from college. So I never got to experience it. I never got to audition or like sign with an agency or like do those things that are so pinnacle to your to an actor's career. But now having this project and doing this back in February, I, I just moved to New York last week. Like I told you guys a little earlier, I signed with a really good talent agency just from my stuff online and from my past experience in college. And just this morning, I was at an audition. So that's why I was like a little late because I was I was heading back from Pearl Studios this morning.

[11:17] Eila Mell: Amazing. Congratulations.

[11:19] Matt Copley: So yeah, I'm definitely it's definitely still on the docket. I think I've grown though, in the sense that like, it's not the only thing I want to do in my life anymore. You know, that was like the goal. And of course, it's still like a huge goal and bucket list thing for me to be on Broadway and to be in a really cool or national tour or something. But there's a bunch of other things that specifically this Broadway this punk project has opened up and a lot of doors that are new to me that I'm like, Oh, wow, this could be this could be cool. You know, we're talking about taking this thing on tour next year. And I was like, man, like that, that would be like, that's that's a different dream that I would love to fulfill. So sure. Yeah. So yeah.

[11:58] Eila Mell: And so what can people expect from your show that's coming up in October?

[12:02] Matt Copley: Ooh, um, a lot of fun. I've been calling this from the start the perfect fusion of a Broadway musical and a rock concert. So the contents of the show is much just like a rock concert. It's like all these these rockified Broadway songs that you know and love. But there's a few but there's like a lot of Broadway crossover with the venue it's at is a proscenium theater, which is different than like a general admission rock venue. It has a big stage set in design, which is really, really awesome. I have a light show and video panels throughout the set to that display like different things. So it is a very, very cool show. I keep telling people like even if you don't like my music at all, you will have an amazing time just watching the production.

It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun, but it's and we keep calling this like the proof of concept for the tours. Yeah. So we're really testing a lot of things out with these two shows in October. That's why it's so limited. And we're only selling a few tickets because like we just want to see what works and what doesn't. And you know, see if this venue style works or maybe like when we go to tour, maybe we do play general admission rock venues because maybe it'll work a little better. We don't know. So that's what we'll we'll find out in October.

[13:13] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, it's like, you know, being you know, like when a show goes out of town to see, you know, what works what doesn't work and have those you know, tweaks and stuff changed around to try to to try to figure that all out. So yeah, exactly. Will you be calling on? Obviously, you'll have your band with you. You're going to be calling on any Broadway people to help sing some of the Broadway songs or just exclusively the band?

[13:30] Matt Copley: Oh, yeah. Yes, I am. I got a I got a cool list of people joining me that hasn't been announced yet, so I can't share. But yeah, there's there's some there's some really cool people that are going to be there. So if anybody's listening, I'll get you tickets now before those get announced, because I have a feeling I have a feeling it's gonna sell real well after they're announced.

[13:52] Eila Mell: Oh, that's intriguing. Can you give us a hint?

[14:00] Matt Copley: Oh, I haven't. I haven't thought about a hint. Can you say maybe some of the shows that the people have done on Broadway without saying who they are?

[14:07] Matt Copley: All right. We don't honestly, like, honestly, like, I don't think so. I think as soon as I say, okay, I'm gonna know who it is. Okay. All right. But but it'll be worth the wait. And the people and there's there's people from all over not just Broadway, too. So it's a couple Broadway stars. There's more like Broadway adjacent musical stars.

[14:26] Eila Mell: Oh, fun.

[14:27] Matt Copley: It's hard. It's hard to define that without actually telling you who it is. But like, there's right people, people will be really excited to see these guests join on stage and some are expected and some are not expected.

[14:41] Eila Mell: Welcome back to Behind the Awards. Today, we have a fantastic guest, Matt Copley, who is known for his incredible project, Broadway Does Punk.

[15:11] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, and it's such a unique concept. Matt takes Broadway songs and gives them a pop-punk twist, which has really resonated with audiences.

[15:39] Eila Mell: Absolutely! He has gained quite a following on TikTok, and it's amazing to see how his project has evolved from online videos to live performances.

[16:07] Bruce Gotlieb: And speaking of live performances, he has his debut show coming up at the Abrons Arts Center. I can't wait to hear more about that.

[16:35] Eila Mell: Right! It's happening on October 2nd and 3rd, and I know fans are eager to see this live.

[17:03] Bruce Gotlieb: I mean, over 370,000 followers on TikTok and 16 million streams on Spotify is no small feat.

[17:31] Eila Mell: It really shows the impact of social media on the arts.

[17:59] Bruce Gotlieb: Definitely! And I think it’s fascinating how he blends two seemingly different worlds—Broadway and punk rock.

[18:27] Eila Mell: Yes, and I’m sure he has some great stories about his journey.

[18:55] Bruce Gotlieb: Speaking of stories, we should also touch on the recent news that Cats: The Jellicle Ball is closing on Broadway.

[19:23] Eila Mell: It’s always bittersweet when a show closes, but it opens up opportunities for new productions.

[19:43] Bruce Gotlieb: Exactly! And it’s a reminder of the ever-changing landscape of theater.

[20:11] Eila Mell: Now, let’s bring Matt into the conversation.

[20:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, let’s do that!

[20:59] Eila Mell: Matt, welcome to the show!

[21:19] Matt Copley: Thank you so much for having me! I'm excited to be here.

[21:47] Eila Mell: We’re thrilled to have you! Your project, Broadway Does Punk, has taken off in such an incredible way.

[22:15] Matt Copley: It really has! I started it as a fun experiment, and I never expected it to grow this much.

[22:43] Bruce Gotlieb: What inspired you to combine Broadway with punk rock?

[23:09] Matt Copley: Well, I’ve always loved both genres, and I thought it would be interesting to see how they could work together.

[23:37] Eila Mell: It’s such a creative fusion!

[24:05] Matt Copley: Thank you! I think the energy of punk really brings a new life to these classic Broadway songs.

[24:33] Bruce Gotlieb: And your live performances are going to showcase that energy perfectly.

[25:03] Matt Copley: Yes, I’m really looking forward to it. We have an amazing lineup of Broadway talent joining us.

[25:23] Eila Mell: That’s fantastic! Can you share who some of the performers will be?

[25:51] Matt Copley: Absolutely! We have some incredible artists who are excited to be part of this project.

[26:19] Bruce Gotlieb: It sounds like it’s going to be a memorable experience for everyone involved.

[26:49] Matt Copley: I hope so! I want the audience to feel the same excitement that I feel when I perform.

[27:17] Eila Mell: I’m sure they will!

[27:47] Bruce Gotlieb: And for those who want to catch the show, where can they get tickets?

[28:13] Matt Copley: Tickets are available on the Abrons Arts Center website.

[28:41] Eila Mell: Great! We’ll make sure to link that in the show notes.

[29:09] Bruce Gotlieb: Thanks for joining us today, Matt!