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Breakdown
The world premiere of a new play from the creators of Broadway's Lombardi and the director of Primary Stages hit String of Pearls. Bronx Bombers tells the generational story of a most extraordinary baseball family, and the game itself. Follow the revered New York Yankees Yogi Berra as he struggles to keep the focus on the team, transgressing the tricky world of dreams, celebrity, and the ever-changing landscape of this beloved American pastime. (At The Duke on 42nd Street, a NEW 42ND STREET® project)
BABE RUTH (30-40) -- White, big build. The original man-child, with a voracious appetite for sport, food, wine, women, cars and money. Fun-loving, with an endless joie de vivre, limitless libido and an eternal appetite. Raised in an orphanage, he’s crude and loud, but he’s got charisma. He loves to be around people, and they love him back, even if he can never remember their names.
JOE DI MAGGIO (30-40) -- White, handsome in a geeky sort of way. Thoughtful, shy, pensive, aloof, insecure and uncommonly confident about his abilities. Raised by poor Italian immigrants, he’s protective and stingy, but classy and meticulously dressed. He has few friends, but doesn’t mind being alone - it’s safer that way. This is a man who has lead a charmed life and has had trouble dealing with it, appreciating it.
MICKEY MANTLE (30--35) -- White, handsome, great physique. Born and raised in Oklahoma, Mickey retains his southern accent and aw-shucks attitude while brazenly living life at the edge of self-destruction. The closest thing to a natural the world has ever seen, Mickey now has a drinking problem. He’s unafraid to speak his mind, but charming enough to make you think you were never insulted in the first place.
LOU GEHRIG (30-35) -- White, big, athletic. New York born and raised, from the ghetto, second generation German-American. A mamma’s boy. Big, strong, nick-named the Iron Horse. Lou is quiet, shy and socially awkward, lacks the charisma of his immortal counterparts, but is never ungrateful. He has all the sweetness of a kid from the wrong side of the tracks made good, but he can cuss and mix it up with the best of them.
ELSTON HOWARD (30) -- African-American, tall, muscular. Meek, classy, soft-spoken, hard-working. The first Black Yankee, he had it just as bad as Robinson, and pulled off integration, but without the fanfare. No one remembers this guy was the 1963 MVP of the American league, and Elston has a tough time reminding them.
DEREK JETER (20’s) -- Mixed Race, handsome, smart, carries a supreme confidence that some mistake for smugness. Talented, desired and hard-working, Derek’s a really nice guy -- unless you cross him. Then he cuts you dead. On the positive side, he’s the embodiment of positivity, loyalty and respect. The eternal Yankee, he always comes through in the clutch.
YOGI BERRA (50’s – who ages to 80’s) -- Short, muscular, big ears, nose and glasses, Born and raised in St. Louis to Italian immigrants.Yogi is the lovable common man’s poet, with an ear for economy and the occasional grammar-challenged turn of phrase. He makes his words count, so when Yogi speaks, people listen. He’s a modest man, and selfless player, always eager to give his teammates credit. Yogi has a keen sense of justice, one of the many admirable qualities that endears him to friends and fans worldwide.
CARMEN BERRA (50’s – who ages to 80’s) - Strong-willed, elegant, beautiful, Yogi’s wife of 30-60 years, and the epitome of all that a Yankee wife should be. She exudes confidence without ever seeming pompous, and exemplifies the good citizen without ever appearing plain. A fashion maven, she has an instinct for saying, doing and wearing the right things at all the right times.
BILLY MARTIN (49) Born and raised in the toughest neighborhoods in Oakland, CA, Billy’s mom taught him the most valuable lesson he ever learned: never take crap from nobody. Rail thin, he still beats up anybody crazy enough to challenge him, (and that’s a lot of people). Billy is a toxic combination of humungous ego and bottomless insecurities. This has lead to a lifetime of unhinged passion in all directions at all times.
REGGIE JACKSON (31) -- Mixed Race. From Philly, raised in a Jewish, Latino and White neighborhood. Muscular, confident; he has a genius level intelligence, and a healthy ego. He’s sensitive, though not when it comes to hurting others feelings. Talkative, philosophical and desperate for attention, he can turn from braggadocio to sullenness in an instant.
THURMAN MUNSON (30) -- White, from poverty and Cleveland, Thurman is plain-spoken, crass and brutally honest. He’s a work horse who never lets up; fleshy though muscular. He’s taciturn, even grumpy, and a thoroughly devoted family man. A strain of thrill seeking has pushed him toward things like risky real estate ventures (in the off-season) and purchasing a plane.
BOBBY STURGES (20’s) -- A room service employee at the Boston Sheraton. Bobby is a drop out from Boston college, trying to find his calling. A barely-read copy of WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE isn’t helping much. He’s basically a slacker, though a good kid and honest. Interests include Dungeons and Dragons, documentary films and surfing.
SHELDON BIRKETT (30’s) -- Raised on Long Island, focused, direct and ambitious. Writing about sports runs in the family. He’s borderline obnoxious, but sees himself as the giant-slayer, fearlessly uncovering the truths behind pro sports lies. He is in the middle of divorcing his second wife, and he’s rarely home, preferring sports bar haunts and writing jags to family life.
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