Break A Bat! where Baseball Meets Broadway

The Batter's Box gets even merrier, as Lisa Durupt joins us for Episode 113! Durupt can be seen as the star of Christmas With a Crown airing Wednesday, December 8th on Lifetime where she plays the role of Cassie, a successful woman who returns to her hometown to revive her family’s Christmas festival. She's also one of the film's executive producers. This week she joins host Al Malafronte to chat all about the new film and how her athletic background plays into her "sports-minded" approach to acting. A tremendous hockey player going back to her days growing up in Winnipeg, we also discussed the crossroads she faced in college when choosing between sports and the arts, and our thoughts on the stigmas surrounding mental health maintenance for a performer on-screen as opposed to at the stadium. She still gets her sports-fix as a Beer League Hockey player, and it's safe to say that there were plenty of laughs in our chat, especially during our Fastball Derby where Durupt brought a powerful swing and some epic stories. Connect with Lisa Durupt on Instagram: @thelisadurupt Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Hosted by Al Malafronte Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Edited by Matthew Hendershot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jen Lilley RETURNS to The Batter's Box in Episode 111! Our very first hitter to get their second at-bat on the show, Lilley is starring in Royally Wrapped for Christmas which premieres this Saturday, November 27th at 8 pm EST on GAC Family. This week she joins host Al Malafronte to talk all about the new film, as well as the continued charitable work she's doing with Christmas Is Not Cancelled which has some really special stuff brewing that not only aligns with Royally Wrapped for Christmas, but also benefits Toys for Tots in the process. Given the special occasion surrounding her second at-bat, this chat also featured a revamped edition of our signature Fastball Derby segment where Lilley "swung at pitches" thrown by our loyal listeners. These pitches encompassed a wide array of topics that spanned anything from depressing baseball walkup songs to Broadway show tunes and ultimately made for a great addition to our Holiday Block Party! Connect with Jen Lilley on Instagram: @jen_lilley Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Hosted by Al Malafronte Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Edited by Matthew Hendershot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ken Davidoff steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 107! Part of the fabric of New York City's sportswriting scene for nearly three decades, Davidoff's work as a national baseball columnist for the New York Post has been applauded by readers worldwide. In addition to his baseball knowledge, he posesses a phenomenal ability to bring stories to life through blatant honesty, objectivity, and a personal touch that resonates with anyone who loves America's Pastime. As theatre fans, we're in the business of appreciating great storytellers, and Davidoff certainly fits that bill. This week, he joins host Al Malafronte to discuss some of the highlights from his time on the beat, his thoughts on the evolution of the game, and even some of his most poignant nights on Broadway. It's so fitting that one of his favorite on-stage moments is tied to a certain song in Dear Evan Hansen that hits home for many sports and theatre-lovers, just as this conversation will. Connect with Ken Davidoff on Twitter: @KenDavidoff Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Hosted by Al Malafronte Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Edited by Matthew Hendershot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Still trying to make sense of what went wrong in Broadway's latest flop? The 2021 production of New York Yankees Baseball certainly goes down as one of the most polarizing and frustrating shows that loyal fans of the team have seen in recent years, going well beyond the one-sided Wild Card Game finale in Boston. Searching for many answers on what lies ahead in what will truly be a fascinating offseason, host Al Malafronte welcomes Neil Keefe to The Batter's Box for Episode 106. Keefe is the founder of the popular New York Yankees blog and podcast, Keefe To The City. Formerly of WFAN, Keefe's insight on the team defines what it means to be fair and objective. Since much of our audience considers themselves to be baseball fans first, rather than just Yankee fans, unbiased opinions on the state of the franchise are essential when evaluating what can right the ship in The Bronx. With a championship drought that now spans a dozen years, Malafronte and Keefe examine anything from potential cast and crew changes to the organization's disconnect with the audience. These are complicated issues, however, our chat does its best to address them and truly epitomizes one very specific essence of the Yankee fan --- passion. Connect with Keefe to the City here and Neil Keefe's Twitter: @NeilKeefe Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Hosted by Al Malafronte Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Edited by Matthew Hendershot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Crawford steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 103! Crawford is returning to the title role in The Phantom of the Opera this October and joins host Al Malafronte to discuss his excitement to get back on stage, as well as his longtime Arizona Diamondbacks fandom that goes back to the team's inaugural season in 1998. As baseball celebrates the 20th anniversary of the emotional 2001 World Series between the D-Backs and New York Yankees, the guys had a blast revisiting exactly where they were for each of the seven games, and how the series still resonates so strongly for both of them as one of the greatest of all-time. Crawford also discusses his journey to Broadway and the ways in which his love of both sports and performing truly intersected on his road to success. He's also a very talented musician, and recently put out his own album titled Electronic Pandemic which is now available to stream everywhere. He even has his first Christmas album in the works for this holiday season that truly captures the uplifting spirit of his role in Broadway's triumphant return. Connect with Ben Crawford on Instagram: @crawdady21 Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Hosted by Al Malafronte Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Edited by Matthew Hendershot Ben Crawford headshot by Matthew Murphy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the MLB pennant race in full swing, Ben Grieve steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 101! Grieve's 9-year career in the big leagues spanned 1997-2005 and was highlighted by an All-Star Game selection in 1998, American League Rookie of the Year honors, and a 104 RBI season in 2000. This week he revisits his glory days on the field, with some great stories about coming up through the Oakland A's system as a highly-touted prospect and having an immediate impact on his cast. We also discuss the challenges Grieve faced playing the game clean in "The Steroid Era," the memorable 2000 Division Series that was played under the bright lights of Broadway, and even the musical Grieve would most like to star in! Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One. Hundred. Episodes. This week, the two folks that have experienced every second of this show from the ground up come together to celebrate this milestone in a way that only seems fitting. Join Al Malafronte (Creator/Host) and Matthew Hendershot (Editor/Audio Engineer) as they discuss the show's evolution over the last two years, rehash their favorite moments behind the mic and audio mixer, answer some audience questions, and look forward to what’s ahead. Al Mal also reveals a few never-been-told stories from "backstage and inside the clubhouse," and Hendo even "takes a shot" at an epic round of Fastball Derby, which was filled with some awesome stories of his own and plenty of laughing fits. Thanks to each and every one of you in our audience for your love and support as we hit the century mark! The conversations, stories, and laughs we’ve shared together are a blessing unlike any other.We'd also like to thank some of our friends of the show that have helped shape Break a Bat! You may just hear a few of them in a pretty epic Batter’s Box walk-up that kicks off our celebration... Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a Bikini Bottom Day in The Batter's Box, as Ethan Slater joins us for Episode 99! Slater is a Tony-nominee and Drama Desk winner for his performance in the title role of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical. He recently just co-wrote the all-new musical Edge of the World which is now available via Broadway Records and he's also getting ready to go back on stage in Assassins this fall where he'll play the role of Lee Harvey Oswald. This week, Slater joins host Al Malafronte to discuss his phenomenal writing endeavors and the emotional journey that Edge of the World has taken him on since the pandemic hit. He's also a big baseball fan going all the way back to his childhood and took us through how Cal Ripken Jr. has helped inspire him to be an "Iron Man" here on Broadway. This chat is the perfect blend of baseball and Broadway talk, as we also discussed Slater's longtime passion for old baseball card collecting, his highs and lows as a Baltimore Orioles fan, and even the Jay Gibbons link in Wedding Crashers! Connect with Ethan Slater on Instagram: @ethanslater Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Hosted by Al Malafronte Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Edited by Matthew Hendershot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another “Muppet Mentor” is stepping into The Batter’s Box, as Carmen Osbahr joins us for Episode 98! More than ten years ago, Osbahr helped spur our host Al Malafronte's creativity during his college production internship at Kaufman Astoria Studios through her friendship, positivity, and encouraging disposition that was instrumental in the launch of this podcast and following our dream of merging sports and the arts. As we close in on our 100th episode celebration, we felt now was as good a time as ever to celebrate her work and personality that has inspired so many over the last 35 years as a principal Muppet performer and creative. A key cog in the Jim Henson universe, the social and cultural impact Osbahr has made all across the globe can’t be overstated. Personally hired by Henson himself, together they created and developed Rosita, the first-ever bilingual Muppet to regularly appear on Sesame Street. She still performs Rosita to this day, and her ability to continually steer the character’s development and evolution with the times is nothing short of brilliant.Whether it be tackling racism in our society or the struggles that military families face, no script is ever too big for Osbahr, as she continues to rise to the occasion in a poignant way that goes far beyond teaching children their letters and numbers. This conversation is unlike most of Osbahr’s previous interviews, as it features a strong dose of baseball metaphors to celebrate both her athleticism as a performer and contributions to The Muppets franchise. It comes during a particularly unique chapter of her career, as she is now one of the lastperformers in the troupe who actually worked alongside Jim Henson. In many ways, she’s The Muppets’ version of Brett Gardner, and a great veteran leader for the many new players who have come up through the system in recent years. The stories and insight Osbahr provided us are just amazing, touching on anything from performing Rosita alongside the Yankees' Hall of Fame manager, Joe Torre to her own sports background in her hometown of Mexico City. While much has changed as far as the guard of teammates she’s played with, the continued prowess she possesses as a big hitter remains as strong as ever, and our conversation can truly be enjoyed by sports, theatre, and Muppet fans alike! Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Photo courtesy of Sesame Workshop Hosted by Al Malafronte Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Edited by Matthew Hendershot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Battles with Roger Clemens paralleled to Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr dueling in Weehawken? That’s what happens when Danny Tartabull steps into The Batter’s Box! While “The Bull” has largely been out of the public eye since retiring from baseball in 1997, his legacy as one of the best right-handed hitters of the early '90s remains as vital as ever. Over the course of 14 big league seasons, he was selected to an All-Star Game, won a Slugging Percentage title, and knocked in 100+ runs five times. He also had a very memorable tenure as a member of the New York Yankees from 1992-1995. This week, he joins host Al Malafronte for an impartial conversation to set the record straight on his time here and revisit the highs and lows that came with playing on baseball’s biggest stage. Tartabull’s accomplishments as a Yankee were as strong as anyone’s on a rebuilding team, having posted the squad’s first .400 On-Base Percentage of the decade when the organization began to shift focus under legendary General Manager, Gene Michael. In 1993 he took his performance to the next level, posting the first 30 Homerun/100 RBI season by a Yankee in five years, leading the team in both said categories, as well as Runs Scored and Total Bases. However, his big contract was often a point of contention for owner George Steinbrenner, and the two clashed quite a bit as Tartabull explains. Whether it was landing on the field in a helicopter, threatening to move the team to New Jersey, or ripping Tartabull through the media, The Boss’ theatrics were certainly well-publicized and created quite the backstage dynamic. Tartabull tells it all and then some, as it was fascinating to get such an in-depth look at a truly pivotal chapter in Yankee history from a star player’s perspective. This is Tartabull's ultimate tell-all interview, and our chat will certainly satisfy not only the most passionate members of Yankees Universe, but all of the theatre fans in our audience as well. Tartabull loved his nights on Broadway and caught nearly every show that ran in the early and mid ’90s. Whether it be Rent or Les Misérables, Tartabull had a front-row seat to the Broadway revolution and has some awesome stories to go along with it. He’s also a bit of an actor in his own right, having guest-starred on Seinfeld twice at the request of the show’s creator and lifelong Yankee fan, Larry David! His behind-the-scenes memories of working alongside David, Jerry Seinfeld, and Jason Alexander were great to listen to and provided some big laughs! Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Hosted by Al Malafronte Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Edited by Matthew Hendershot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices