Broadway Theater Review: Bronx Bombers

Baseball Drama Gets Hung Up in Double Play
By Lauren Yarger
The House That Ruth Built gets a theatrical exploration in playwright and Director Eric Simonson's Broadway play The Bronx Bombers.

Baseball legends abound in this story conceived by Frank Kirmser and produced by the same team that brought us the sports-themed Broadway productions of Lombardi and Magic/Bird. Making appearances are Babe Ruth (C.J. Wilson), Lou Gehrig (John Wernke), Joe DiMaggio (Chris Henry Coffey), Elston Howard (Francois Battiste), Reggie Jackson (also Battiste), Thurmon Munson (Bill Dawes), Mickey Mantel (also Dawes) and even Derek Jeter (Christopher Jackson).

The story gets caught in a double play, however, with dream-like sequences with the legends tagging out a different plot path about what it means to be a New York Yankee and live up to the club's image.

Told through the eyes of Yogi Berra (a very good Peter Scolari), the first act focuses on a 1977 fight between manager Billie Martin (Keith Nobbs) and Jackson. Berra solicits the help of Munson to try to make peace, but later he shares a secret with his supportive wife, Carmen (Tracy Shane): team owner George Steinbrenner just might offer Martin's job to him.

Suddenly the Babe comes to offer Yogi some advice and the other legends arrive for an oldtimers banquet. Somewhere between a dream and "Field of Dreams," the action, made misty with a fog effect, is sometimes difficult to follow. Also throwing some curves are a comedic side plot about the delivery of lots of potatoes and a bunch of those Yogiisms for which the Hall of Famer, who will be 89 this May, is famous http://www.yogi-berra.com/).

Simonson's script should have received more development before bringing it to a Broadway stage and his direction can be tedious at times (how many times can the actors move to a cart and grab a beverage?) The casting is good, though, with many of the actors looking and sounding like the players they're pinchitting for on stage. Scolari, in particular, creates a consummate Berra, complete with facial expressions, mannerisms, stride and ears that stick out. He perfects his craft by physically aging the character.

If you're not a Yankee's fan -- and an older one who remembers the pre-Jeter players and the events being discussed to boot -- it's unlikely you'll feel engaged despite the team logo on the floor or the white trim over the stadium-like seating arrangement at Circle in the Square Theatre (set design by Beowulf Boritt). The show runs about two hours and 10 minutes with an intermission.

Bronx Bombers are at bat until March 2 at Circle in the Square Theatre, 235 W. 50th St., NYC. http://www.bronxbombersplay.com/.

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