The stage adaptation of the classic 1998 film Bull Durham, which will play a previously reported limited engagement at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta this fall, is eyeing a move to the Great White Way. Book writer Ron Shelton told newsobserver.com: “We run that for five weeks, then if all goes well, we’re on Broadway next spring.” Directed by Kip Fagan, the tuner will also feature music and lyrics by Susan Werner. No word yet on casting.
Shelton, who received an Oscar nomination for the Bull Durham screenplay and also helmed the film, revealed about Werner’s work: “I’m crazy about the music she’s written, it’s very un-Broadway. It’s real roadhouse. You pull over to the side of the road, back in the day, in North Carolina or Mississippi, this is the music that might be going on.”
Bull Durham is inspired by Shelton’s time on and off the Minor League Baseball field. The musical tells the story of veteran catcher “Crash” Davis who is brought to the Durham Bulls to prepare rookie pitcher Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh for the majors. Annie Savoy, the muse of the Bulls, has a tough choice to make - each season she converts one player from an also-ran to an all-star by sharing her wisdom and her bed. The love triangle heats up, as each character fights with their own wants and hopes for what the future holds.