Friday, February 21, 2014

Springtime for Hitters? "The Bronx Bombers" has bombed on Broadway

Less than a month after opening, that horrible idea for a Broadway show, "The Bronx Bombers," is getting sent to Scranton. Kiss it goodbye. It won't even make it to Opening Day. The dog has been put down.

If this is an omen about the 2014 Yankees, be afraid. Be very afraid.

But don't be surprised. People asked if I had any interest in going to the show? Dear God, I would have rather seen another version of Disney on Ice. The notion of a play where Yogi Berra - trying to heal a rift between Reggie and Billy - summons the spirits of Mickey, Lou, Babe, et al - sounds like a bad anniversary flashback episode of Cheers.  (And I mean the kind that involves an appearance by Kristie Alley.) You can't tell a story when everybody is a Yankee immortal. You need a little Lenn Sakata, a dash of Horace Clarke. Or A-Rod. He's free. He could have played himself.

Still, I can't help but think that if the Yankees had won the 2013 World Series, or at least played well enough to inspire their fan base, this show might have lasted, say, until the All-Star Break. To salute the Yankee mystique, while the Redsocks are World Champions... that was always going to be one hard sell.

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