Off-Broadway-Aimed Baseball Musical National Pastime to Receive NYC Reading

By Adam Hetrick
20 Nov 2009

The Algonquin Theater will present an industry reading of the new musical comedy National Pastime, a tale of a fictional baseball team who draws the attention of Life Magazine.

Presented Dec. 7 and 10 at the Algonquin Theater, National Pastime has a book by Tony Sportielllo with songs by Al Tapper. Prior to its musical incarnation, a straight play version of National Pastime was presented at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. The readings are in anticipation of a 2010 Off-Broadway bow.

Tom Herman directs a cast that will feature Jodie Langel (Les Miserables, Sessions), Michael McGuirk ("As The World Turns," An Evening at The Carlyle), Ashley Betton, William Broderick, Jr., Ethan Cadoff, Scott Richard Foster, Kelli Maguire, Bob Manus and Jeremiah Zinger. David Wolfson is the musical director.

According to press notes, "National Pastime is the fable of a 1933 small town radio station so desperate for ratings that they create a fictional baseball team who can't lose and broadcast their games over the air. Their plan is wildly successful until Life Magazine accidentally shows up and threatens to expose the whole scam."

The Algonquin Theater is located in Manhattan at 123 East 24th Street between Lexington and Park Avenues. Visit AlgonquinTheater.