Commissioned by Fran Kirmser and Tony Ponturo, Bronx Bombers premiered Off-Broadway earlier this season at Primary Stages and transferred to Broadway's Circle in the Square Jan. 10 under playwright Simonson's direction. It officially opened Feb. 6. The production played 31 previews and 29 regular performances.
Kirmser and Ponturo also produced the Broadway outings of Simonson's sports dramas Lombardi and Magic/Bird.
Check out the Playbill feature: Bronx Bomber Baseball Cards, highlighting the cast and players.
For the Broadway production, husband and wife actors Emmy nominee Peter Scolari (Lucky Guy, Sly Fox, "Newhart") and Tracy Shayne (Chicago, A Chorus Line) took on the roles of Yogi and Carmen Berra. Scolari and Shayne spoke with Playbill.com about sharing life on and off stage. Read the interview here.
They joined original Off-Broadway cast members C.J. Wilson (Happy Now?) as Babe Ruth, Christopher Jackson (In the Heights) as Derek Jeter, Francois Battiste (Magic/Bird) as Jackson/Elston Howard, Chris Henry Coffey (Water by the Spoonful) as Joe DiMaggio, Bill Dawes (Lombardi) as Mickey Mantle/Thurman Munson, Keith Nobbs (Lombardi) as Billy Martin and John Wernke (The Lyons) as Lou Gehrig.
The production also featured scenic design by Beowulf Borritt, costumes by David C. Woolard, lighting design by Jason Lyons and original music and sound by Lindsay Jones.
Here's how it's billed: "Ruth. Berra. Mantle. DiMaggio. Gehrig. Jeter. The New York Yankees have never had a shortage of star players… or controversy. Bronx Bombers is a new American play from the team behind Broadway's Lombardi that follows beloved icon Yogi Berra and his wife Carmen through a century of the team's trials and triumphs, bringing generations of Yankee greats together on one stage. As it celebrates and explores the timeless legacy of baseball’s most iconic team, Bronx Bombers takes a fascinating look at how and why the Yankees have remained so undeniably great… and so powerfully inspirational."
Circle in the Square is located on West 50th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue. Visit BronxBombersPlay.com.
