Grab your peanuts and Cracker Jacks, because “Bull Durham: A New Musical” just finished taking the stage at Duke’s Reynolds Theater. Initially developed in 2014, this new musical adaptation based on the beloved 1988 film directed by Ron Shelton made its premiere in its titular hometown.
Durham’s premiere of Theatre Raleigh’s “Bull Durham: A New Musical” began performances on Sept. 10 and ran through Sept. 22. The show is written by the film’s original screenwriter, Ron Shelton, who has adapted his screenplay for the musical.
While now primarily known as a successful screenwriter, Ron Shelton also put five years into the minor leagues. Having to grapple with leaving the Appalachian League for grad school, he had, in a way, lived a part of the “Bull Durham” story.
Believing strongly in his material, even when Hollywood was not easily persuaded to back the original film, Shelton continues to return back to the story because, according to Axios Raleigh, he feels that “the themes are universal and timeliness.”
Producer Lauren Kennedy Brady, Theatre Raleigh’s producing artistic director, and Susan Werner, who wrote the score for this stage adaptation and is “one of the most innovative songwriters working today” according to the Chicago Tribune, want the home audience of Durham to see the production “in the ‘minors’ before it goes to the ‘majors.’” The creative team and cast aim to take this show all the way to Broadway.
“Bull Durham: A New Musical,” is a comedy, drama and fiery romance all tied into one production. The musical begins when Ebby Calvin “Nuke” LaLoosh (John Behlmann), a baseball player who has a “million-dollar arm and a five-cent head,” arrives in Durham to play for the Bulls.
“Nuke” then meets Annie Savoy (Carmen Cusack), a woman who is a baseball super-fan, preaching only to “the Church of Baseball.” Annie is an English teacher and poetry fanatic, but during baseball season, she is also a self-appointed baseball connoisseur who selects “Nuke” to take both under her wing and into her bed.
An electrifying love triangle sparks when veteran player Crash Davis (Nik Walker) is commissioned to mentor “Nuke” in the art of baseball. Crash was a minor league player for about 12 years and spent a total of 21 days in the majors, claiming they were “the 21 greatest days” of his life.
The widely-known story stays true to the original film while enhancing it with the flavor of musical theater. Kennedy Brady describes the show as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and a story that “resonates deeply with our [the Durham] community.” While the transition from screen to stage was not successful in the past, the creative team and cast is optimistic about this adaptation.
The cast is made up of both principals from out of town and actors hired locally. Some of the principal performers who starred in the show include Carmen Cusack, Nik Walker, and John Behlmann. Cusack, who portrays Annie Savoy, recently starred on Broadway in James Lapine’s “Flying Over Sunset.” Walker, who portrays Crash Davis, was Aaron Burr in “Hamilton” on Broadway. And Behlmann, who portrays “Nuke,” was most recently on Broadway as Gordy Jackson in “Shucked.”
I had the privilege of attending the two o’clock show on Sept. 15. Primarily made up of Durham’s senior population, the audience packed the theater to the brim.
The musical opened with Cusack who, for me, stole the show. She immediately entranced the audience with her portrayal of Annie. The comedic and sensual banter between her and the characters constantly had the audience in bursts of laughter, with each quippy line hitting a home run.
The musical musings of Susan Werner were both energizing and heartfelt. She did a solid job at balancing the song list with melodies that complimented each other without getting repetitive. My favorite song was “The Church of Baseball,” the opening number. The performance was one of grandeur and a great choice to excite the audience at the start of the show. Another favorite of mine was “A Little Time to Myself,” a song sung by Annie and the women in the cast.
Aside from the musical styling, the dance productions were athletic and artistic. The cast twirled bats, pitched baseballs and did backflips on stage, transfixing those who watched. And in usual “Nuke” fashion, with exaggerated physicality and goofy immaturity, the audience had the honor of watching Behlmann moonwalk across a table. The stage was even graced with an audience favorite: a tiny bus, with its own spotlight, that made its way across the stage, depicting the team’s travels and adding to the comical aura the musical emanated.
An entertaining collaboration of both love and baseball, “Bull Durham: A New Musical” is a musical you do not want to miss. While it has since ended its run at Duke, you can catch it on Broadway sometime soon. Or you could watch the movie that inspired it.
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