Johnny Baseball: The New Red Sox Musical is a musical with a book by Richard Dresser and a score by brothers Robert Reale and Willie Reale. The story involves circumstances relating to the Curse of the Bambino. The musical had a preview run in Massachusetts that began on May 14, 2010.Anderman, Joan. . "The Boston Globe". 2010-05-09. The musical's world premiere was on June 2, 2010 at the Loeb Drama Center of the American Repertory Theater.
Synopsis
Originally called Red Sox Nation, Johnny Baseball was conceived after the Red Sox's stunning collapse in the 2003 playoffs due to the "Curse", which is often cited as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 until 2004."Johnny Baseball - A New Musical about the Red Sox". americanrepertorytheater.org. 2010 Shows.
The Curse is traced to the interactions of three people: the fictional Johnny O'Brien, a hard-luck right-hander on the 1919 Red Sox; his idol, Babe Ruth; and O'Brien's love interest, Daisy Wyatt, an African American blues singer. The show is told through flashbacks between the fourth game of the 2004 American League Championship Series and the fictional life of Johnny O'Brien. The musical ends with David Ortiz ending the Curse in 2004.
Original production numbers Source: CurtainUp,Switzky, Lawrence. "Johnny Baseball". CurtainUp. 2010-06-10. UMaine program
Act I Overture Eighty-Six Years Ballad of Johnny O'Brien All I Have to Do God Bless the Boston Red Sox Don't I Know You? Brotherhood of Bastards Rooters' Song (removed in Maine production) Maybe You're An Angel (replaced with "God Wouldn't Mind" in Maine production) Ballad of Johnny O'Brien (Reprise) Auto Strop Jingle (removed in Maine production) Daisy Darling Why (removed in Maine production) Do or Die (removed in Maine production) Johnny Baseball Has A Vision (new in Maine production) Color Me Blue As Long As There's a Chance
Act II Entr'acte Not Rivera One More Run Daisy's Letter Worcester Booster's Fight Song Circle in a Diamond Free Country (removed in Maine production) One More Run (Reprise) Mr. Yawkey Has a Vision All I Have to Do (Reprise) See You in the Big Leagues Errors The Game of Baseball
Production history The premiere production was staged at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts.Bacalzo, Dan. "Cast Set for A.R.T.'s Johnny Baseball Musical". Theater Mania. 2010-12-03. The cast featured Colin Donnell as the fictional character Johnny O'Brien, Stephanie Umoh as the fictional character Daisy Wyatt, Burke Moses as Babe Ruth, Charl Brown as Tim, and Jeff Brooks as Tom Yawkey.Clay, Carolyn. "Bard in the USA" . The Boston Phoenix. 2009-12-09.
The creative team included direction by Diane Paulus, choreography by Peter Pucci, orchestrations by Wendy Bobbitt Cavett, costumes by Michael McDonald, sets by Scott Pask, and lighting by Donald Holder. This production played from June 2, 2010 to July 11, 2010. Johnny Baseball was part of the theater's America: Boom, Bust and Baseball festival.Rothstein, Mervyn. "The Boston Red Sox Sing" . Playbill. 2010-05-14.
It was next produced in August, 2012 by the University of Maine Summer Music Theatre Festival and Issaquah, Washington-based Village Theatre's Festival of New Musicals which featured a cast that included Jared Michael Brown as Johnny O’Brien, Claudine Mako as Daisy Wyatt, and Joshua Lincoln as their son Tim Wyatt.
After heavy rewrites, it was produced for the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Summer 2013.
Awards and nominations
Elliot Norton Award Outstanding Director (Large Theater) (Diane Paulus) WINNER"Diane Paulus, Hotel Nepenthe, Ruined, Hair, Doug Elkins Among Winners of Boston's Norton Awards" playbill.com, May 24, 2011.
Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Awards Source: Best Musical (A.R.T.) Nominated Best Director of a Musical (Diane Paulus) Nominated Best Supporting Actor Musical (Burke Moses) Nominated Best Actress Musical (Stephanie Umoh) Nominated Best Young Performer (Erik March) Nominated
References
External links Theater Mania page