Matthew Hardy

Matthew Hardy Bookwriter, Lyricist, Composer and All Around Nice Guy.

07/18/2026

I'm so glad you found my feed! How did you find me?

07/02/2026

The whole time I was watching A Walk on the Moon, I couldn't stop thinking about Bridges of Madison County — which is really the gold standard for this kind of infidelity story. And I think the comparison reveals the problem. In Bridges, I actually wanted Francesca to leave her family. Because those songs were so beautiful and romantic, and the show spent so much time building that relationship, that I was genuinely torn. In A Walk on the Moon, I was never torn. I never believed Pearl and Walker's relationship would last, or that it was worth blowing up her family for. The score never got me there. Full review here: https://youtu.be/-Dc5BwqfY4M

07/02/2026

In my review of A Walk on the Moon (now off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre), I talk about the relationship at the center of the show — and why it never quite worked for me. I never understood why this young, handsome guy selling blouses would fall so hard for a woman who was older, married, with children. Not because I don't believe that could happen — but because the show never gave me a scene or a song that helped me understand why he was falling for her. And then, spoiler alert, when she finally tells him she can't leave her family — he just gives up. Doesn't fight for her at all. So... how much did he really love her? Watch the full review here: https://youtu.be/-Dc5BwqfY4M

06/30/2026

Was I bored watching A Walk on the Moon at the Laura Pels Theatre? A little — especially in Act One. Pearl doesn't have a clear want, so I was never really invested in her, and I got tired of watching her feel unfulfilled without the show giving me a reason to care about the outcome. Act Two I was much more engaged, because that's when the s**t hits the fan and there's real drama to latch onto. But I wanted that first act to grab me more.
Was I confused? Not by the plot — that's pretty straightforward. But the tone confused me. The show is brightly lit, played for laughs, musical comedy in the style of the Borscht Belt — and yet it's dealing with infidelity and a marriage in crisis. I felt like it had decided what kind of show it was, but that choice wasn't serving the deeper dramatic themes underneath. Watch the full review: https://youtu.be/-Dc5BwqfY4M

06/29/2026

This show frustrates me on every level — not just because it doesn't match the movie, but because of what it represents. Moulin Rouge is one of the most commercially successful Broadway productions in years. It recouped its enormous investment. It ran for over 2,000 performances. And it did it by prioritizing spectacle over substance, pop songs over story, entertainment over meaning.

What's scary is that it worked. Broadway producers are watching this. We are going to get more shows built on this model. And as much as I love being in a Broadway theater, as much as I want this art form to thrive — that genuinely makes me sad.

Watch the full review: https://youtu.be/USCcNmZuxwA

06/28/2026

In the Moulin Rouge movie, Satine seduces the Duke because she wants to become a great actress. It's her own ambition — and it's something she and Christian actually share, which is what draws them together. In the Broadway musical, that's been stripped away entirely.

Now she does it to save her friends' jobs. She's been reduced to a selfless ho**er with a heart of gold, sacrificing everything — Christian, her love of acting, her own happiness — for people who, honestly, could just get jobs elsewhere. I don't buy it. I don't believe any person would make that choice, and when you don't believe your central character's motivation, the entire story collapses. It drives me crazy.

Full deep-dive review: https://youtu.be/USCcNmZuxwA

06/26/2026

I'll be honest — Billy Porter's Albin didn't win me over immediately. But this clip from my full review is about the moment in Act Two when everything clicked for me. The dinner scene with the Dindons is always the hardest scene in the show to pull off — you need a performer who can be the over-the-top drag queen and then shift into something genuinely maternal. But what surprised me was something else entirely: the way Billy Porter played Albin made me understand for the first time why Jean-Michel didn't want him at that dinner. Not because Albin is too flamboyant. Because Albin was never going to let a conservative politician sit at his table without calling out every wrong thing about him. And honestly? That's a more interesting read of the character than I've ever seen. Watch the full review: https://youtu.be/waIuAlwWgEw

06/25/2026

The concept of casting each Cagelle as a legendary Black female diva is genuinely exciting — on paper. But in this clip from my full Encores! La Cage aux Folles review, I talk about where the ex*****on falls apart. The character Hannah is a do******ix. The performer is dressed as Shirley Bassey. Shirley Bassey is not a do******ix. And none of the jokes that follow about Hannah being a do******ix land because nothing about the performance connects to the character. It's one of several moments where the diva concept and the show's existing material just didn't talk to each other. Watch my full review here: https://youtu.be/waIuAlwWgEw

06/25/2026

Every great musical has a weak link — and La Cage aux Folles is no exception. In this clip from my full review of the Encores! production at NYC City Center, I talk about "The Counterpoint Song" — the one number Jerry Herman never fixed, and in my opinion, the worst song he ever wrote. The jokes don't land because the music works against the comedy, and the whole thing just grinds the second act to a halt right when you least want it to. I've seen multiple productions of this show and it has never worked. Not once. Watch my full review here: https://youtu.be/waIuAlwWgEw and let me know in the comments if you agree — or if somehow this song has ever worked for you, because I genuinely want to know.

Address

33 West End Avenue, Apt 2A
New York, NY
10023

Telephone

+19179025581

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Matthew Hardy posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category