‘Bull Durham the Musical’ Brings the Joys of Baseball to Paper Mill Playhouse

Posted on October 21, 2025 by Karen Nowosad
The Durham Bull Mascot and the Company of Bull Durham
Photo credit Curtis Brown

It is said that baseball is America’s pastime. The game creates a culture all its own whether it’s on the professional level or right in our own communities. And that’s what Bull Durham The Musical does so well. It provides a look into the culture of a baseball minor league team from Durham, North Carolina. The community support for the Durham Bulls allows us to see the joys, the losses, and those great baseball superstitions.

Bull Durham the Musical brings the classic 1988 movie to life on the stage. With a book written by Ron Shelton, the story basically follows the one told in the movie with some changes made to accommodate a stage production. Direction of the entire show is by Marc Bruni.

Bull Durham the Musical is a very entertaining and enjoyable show to see. A superb cast acts, sings, and dances to tell a heart warming story. You’ll even have a chance to feel like you are at a real game as that Durham Bull leads the audience in a rousing rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

Bull Durham’s Superb Cast Tells the Story

The story line unfolds effortlessly through a superb cast. Broadway veteran Carmen Cusack is outstanding as Annie Savoy. With her beautiful singing, she portrays the many sides of her character. Annie is a part time community college teacher who also is the Durham Bulls part time behind the scenes coach. Each season, Annie focuses on one player and she applies her own somewhat unusual ideas of how a player can do his best for the team as well as for himself.

Carmen Cusack as Annie Savoy – Photo credit Curtis Brown

This season, Annie’s choices are between Crash Davis and Nuke LaLoosh. Nik Walker plays Crash Davis. With his outstanding singing voice, he portrays his character as the mature player that he is. This is his last chance to try to make it to “the show.” But the team management wants him to help develop their new pitching star, Nuke LaLoosh. Will Savarese does a wonderful job of capturing Nuke’s main problem: too much unfocused energy! He portrays this energy through his antics both on and off the field. Seeing the need to be fulfilled, Annie makes her selection by taking on Nuke. However, her real love interest is Crash.

There are several side plots including Millie (Ashlyn Maddox) who wants to marry and does this season. She lands Jimmy (Andrew Poston). Their scenes both planning and actually marrying right on the ball field are some of the funniest in the show.

The Bulls break their losing streak and have a most amazing season. Their road trip is hilarious and Annie’s theories about reading poetry and wearing items under a uniform make for some good laughs.

Additional actors in the show include Joel Ashur as Larry and James Moye as Skip. Nick Wyman is in the announcer’s booth as Uncle Roy.

Music and Dancing

Susan Werner’s music and lyrics are energizing as they contribute to the development of the story and the characters as well. Some of the most impressive songs include: “The Church of Baseball,” “I Believe,” “Winning,” “Every Woman Deserves to Wear White,” and “The Show.”

One of the outstanding dance numbers – Photo Credit Curtis Brown

Equally impressive are the high energy, exciting dance moments in the show. At times, you feel like you are seeing a ball game in progress danced out instead of being played on the field.

The amazing choreography comes from Joshua Bergasse. It features an excellent ensemble including: Mike Baerga, Ellie Barone, Tre’ Booker, Jacob Burns, Daniel DiPinto, Benny Elledge, Diana Huey, Ashton Lambert, Brian Shimasaki Liebson, Jessi Little, Carson Hampton Palmer, Valentina Shelton, Jake Trammel, Dori Waymer, Matt Wiercinski, Casey Wortham, and Blake Zelesnikar.

About Going to the Show

The run time of the show is approximately 2 hours, 30 minutes with one intermission. There is a suggested age range of 13+ because of a content warning involving adult language and mature themes.

There is an effects warning in place involving theatrical haze, flashing lights, strobe effects, and loud sounds which are featured in this production.

Bull Durham continues to run through November 2, 2025. Tickets may be purchased at the Paper Mill’s website.

With construction being done on site, parking is available on limited basis. Shuttle service is also available. More details are on the website.

The Carriage House is currently closed. However, three concessions are open including the Durham Dugout, Gallery Cafe, and Lobby Bar. The evening I attended was perfect outdoor weather so eating outside at the Durham Dugout made us feel like we were at ball park!

Photo of entrance to Durham Dugout – Photo by K. Nowosad
At the Durham Dugout Concessions – Good food including great hot dogs Photo – K. Nowosad

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‘The Pitch’ at Actor’s Temple Theatre is Funny and Poignant

Posted on October 20, 2025 by Karen Nowosad

A new play titled The Pitch is now open Off-Broadway at the Actor’s Temple Theatre. Written by Tom Alper, The Pitch could qualify as a dark comedy as it focuses on personal and work experiences of one man. Directed by Mike Keller, The Pitch is loosely based on events in Playwright Alper’s own life. He also plays the lead role with a character name of Tom.

What ensues and develops throughout the show is funny at times and a bit mysterious as well. You get the feeling that something is going on beneath the surface but you aren’t quite sure until you come towards the end of the play. The revelation makes sitting through the entire performance well worth it.

The Story

The setting for the play is in Torrance, California in 2006. The office is no-frills where desks with telephones prevail.

Tom (Tom Alper) is introduced as a widow who cares for his teenage daughter, Michelle (Sammi O’Connor). Trying to do the right thing for her is a full time job for Tom. In fact, it is his only job. He needs work. After meeting with an employee of Nexus one night at a bar, he lands a job there.

One his first day, Tom attempts to find out what the job is all about. Eventually, he discovers that the purpose of the business is to sell electronic components. Selling is the name of the game here. Even if it means selling refurbished components without telling that to the customer.

However, Tom realizes quickly on he has to do very well after I.R.S. agent Mel (Phil Hendrie) informs him that he owes back taxes. Consequences are high. Tom accepts a deal to be an informant for the government on the actions of the company. Not a comfortable spot to be in.

Tom steps up to the plate quickly as he attempt to sell to Angela (Julie Tran) on the telephone.This is one of the funniest scenes in the play as Tom romances Angels into a big sale. And suddenly, he is at the top of the heap in the office, impressing even big boss Mike (Joe Lorenzo).

The ending is very surprising. As I wrote in the beginning of this review, I said the play is both funny and poignant. And here comes the poignant with the ending. But bear in mind one statement that Mike makes and it will make sense when you see this play: Mike thinks of the employees who work at Nexus as his family.

The Characters

The story is well carried out by the characters who work in the office. Nicknames are reverently given and used with the exception of the big boss, Mike. You meet: Skunk (Joey Russo), The Kid (Connor Killeen), Ricky Roy (Mario Corry), and Scramby (Kevin Bartini).

Dialog is funny and well written to allow the characters to show various sides of themselves.

The set is open allowing the characters to display how a real office doing this kind of work might actually look.

Go to See The Pitch

The Pitch is an enjoyable show to see. The cast does a superb job of telling the story.

It runs now through November 17, 2025 at the Actor’s Temple Theatre on W. 47th Street. Visit their website for more information and to purchase tickets.

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‘Crooked Cross’ at Mint Theater Shows Reality of Incoming Hardships

Posted on October 15, 2025 by Karen Nowosad
A scene from Mint Theater Company’s Crooked Cross (from left to right) Samuel Adams, Douglas Rees, Ella Stevens, Jack Mastrianni, Gavin Michaels, Katie Firth, Liam Craig, and Jakob Winter. (Photo credit: Todd Cerveris Photography).

The photo introducing this article shows an early scene in Mint Theater Company’s current offering, Crooked Cross. Written by Sally Carson with direction by Jonathan Bank, the photo shows a joyous scene from the play. It demonstrates how people can come together no matter their faith or political beliefs. Unfortunately, those gracious feelings change and dissolve as the story unfolds.

Crooked Cross is set in a small village in the Bavarian Alps. It opens in 1932 when fascism through the Nazi Party begins its rise. Family members begin their association with the Party for a variety of reasons. Some of those reasons seem pretty realistic. Crooked Cross does a superb job of showing that behind those reasons lies a more sinister reality which splits friends and family apart.

The play provides a strong story line developed by historic fact. However, at the time this was written, those facts were just starting to be discovered. It is fascinating to see the way playwright Carson has insights into the potential for future actions which of course we now know turned disastrous. Those sweet moments decorating and singing around the Christmas tree will be a final happy memory for those involved.

Come to see this show prepared to see this production unfold its story through strong acting and a solid production. As Mint Theater Company does so well, the staging is first rate adding to a greater understanding of what is taking place.

Background

Writer Sally Carson’s novel, Crooked Cross, provides the basis for this play. Carson wrote the novel in 1933 and it was published the next year. Note that Hitler came into power as Chancellor of Germany in 1933.

The book was adapted into a successful play in 1935. Carson followed it with two sequels before her death from cancer in 1941, by which time the prescience of her fiction had become appallingly evident.

At a post-show talk in 1935, Carson spoke about the generation coming of age in Germany after the Great War, World War I:

The German youth had been brought up to believe that their country was ‘beaten’ and ‘second-class.’ They developed a feeling of inferiority… Then along came Hitler who said, ‘You are not second rate and you are not going to be.’ This creed inspired the young people. ..Whether he will continue to bamboozle the people much longer, no one knows.

Content from this quote demonstrates what Carson uses as a basis for Crooked Cross. Startling at the time but also realistic.

First published in 1934, Persephone Books reissued the long out-of-print novel this April.  Laura Freeman, writing about the novel’s re-issue in The Times said the following:

“It was written as a warning then and its message sounds just as urgently today as we worry about lost boys, strong men and old hatreds. If you have ever wondered how a nation was hooked and hypnotized by the Nazi party, Crooked Cross explains it with awful force.”

And therein lies the power of this play. It shows how ordinary, good people were caught up into the Nazi spectrum. It also serves as a reminder that the same thing can happen today or any time in the future.

The Story

Crooked Cross centers on two families: the Kluger and the Weissmann families. Both are facing the economic and political challenges of life in a quaint village in the Bavarian mountains. The story begins at Christmas 1932 and runs through June, 1933.

Lexa Kluger is engaged to Moritz Weissmann, a Jewish doctor. Despite being a doctor of good skills and reputation, Moritz looses his job with no reason given. Lexa’s brothers, Helmy and Erich, are becoming increasingly involved with the Nazi party. Their reasons for joining the party come from the difficult conditions they live under. Their desire to have a better life draws them into the impending darkness that Nazism brings with it although it is not as publicly evident at that time.

The play shows the struggle Lexa has with her family concerning her engagement to Moritz. Her parents’ concern is further complicated by the fine care Mr. Kluger received as a patient from Moritz as a health care professional.

Eventually, each person involved makes decisions which will determine the course of their lives. Be alert to the ending, it is startling. The day I saw this play, a number of people came out of the theater to discuss what happened. Tells you a lot about how well produced this show is.

Outstanding Cast and Crew

Mr. Bank directs a fine cast which features the following people: Samuel Adams, Liam Craig, Katie Firth, Jack Mastrianni, Gavin Michaels, Ben Millspaugh, Douglas Rees, Ella Stevens, and Jakob Winter.

The creative team includes Alexander Woodward (scenic design), Hunter Kaczorowski  (costume design), Christian DeAngelis (lighting design), Sean Hagerty (sound design), Chris Fields (prop design), Joey Moro (projection design), Stephanie Klapper (casting director). and Amy  Stoller (dramaturgy).

Final Thoughts about Crooked Cross

One would think that Sally Carson had a crystal ball when she wrote her novel Crooked Cross. Her ability to delve into the feelings of people living at that time in Germany allows the story to present both sides of a tragic issue. Her death in 1941 denied her of the chance to see how on target her writing was. Thanks goes to Mint Theater Company for bringing this forgotten work back to life on the New York stage.

Crooked Cross plays an Off-Broadway engagement at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street) It has a limited run through November 1st.  

Tickets and are information are available on Mint Theater’s Website.

Mint Theater Company “finds and produces worthwhile plays from the past that have been lost or forgotten.” If you have never been to a Mint Theater Company production, this is a good first one to see. The high quality of their productions is consistent which makes for a fine visit to the theater.

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