Batter up! Producers Fran Kirmser and Tony Ponturo, the team behind sports dramas Lombardi and Magic/Bird, plan to bring a theater project inspired by the New York Yankees to Broadway. The currently untitled show, presented in collaboration with the Yankees and Major League Baseball, will focus on the personalities, triumphs and private moments of the legendary team. No dates, casting or theater have been announced.
“It is a thrill that two iconic American institutions, the Yankees and the Broadway theater, are joining together,” Lonn Trost, Chief Operating Officer of the New York Yankees, said in a statement. “Just as generations of fans have been captivated in their seats at Yankee Stadium, theatergoers will be able to experience the same drama and joy. We look forward to opening our archives to the process and sharing our stories.”
Kirmser and Ponturo opened the plays Lombardi and Magic/Bird in two consecutive theater seasons. Lombardi told the story of Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. The production starred A Christmas Story star Dan Lauria as Lombardi and Judith Light as his wife Marie. Magic/Bird focused on the rivalry between basketball greats Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic Johnson,” starring Tug Coker as Bird and Kevin Daniels as Johnson.