Review: New Musical Bull Durham is a Home Run

I believe sports is one of the only things in this world that will always bring people together. Combine that with some of Broadway’s best, zingy one-liners, and a good old fashioned love triangle? You’ve got Bull Durham.

Based on the 1988 film of the same name, Bull Durham is a new musical produced by the Triangle’s own Theatre Raleigh. Set in Durham in the 1980s, this laugh-out-loud musical is written by the film’s original screenwriter Ron Shelton and features home-run music and lyrics from Susan Werner.

Directed by Marc Bruni, the production tells the story of the minor league baseball team Durham Bulls and veteran catcher Crash Davis (Nik Walker), who is brought onto the team in an effort to mentor their new pitcher Ebby Calvin ‘Nuke’ LaLoosh (John Behlmann). Together, they vie for the attention and affection of the lovely and sexy Annie Savoy (Carmen Cusack), the team’s self-appointed muse and all around baseball lover. Every year, Annie takes one lucky player and transforms them into an all-star as she shares her wisdom, her experience, and her bed. As their love triangle heats up, so too do the Bulls, bringing everyone in town to the good ole Church of Baseball.

Broadway alum and Tony Award nominee Carmen Cusack shines as brightly as the Bulls’ stadium lights as she brings a sparkly energy and grounded integrity to the stage. With her thick southern drawl and empowering support of her fellow women, Cusack brings effortless joy, sass, and her powerful Broadway belt in numbers like “The Church of Baseball,” “Works For Me,” and “The Damndest Season,” putting her vocal prowess front and center from the moment the curtain goes up.

In comparison to Annie’s grace and poise, Nuke is a bumbling, loveable, idiot, and I do say that with the utmost affection. Behlmann is adorable as the sex-loving, can’t-play-worth-a-lick-turned-superstar-pitcher, and brings a healthy dose of physical comedy to the role with a Danny Zuko-esque seductiveness full of hip wiggles and smolders. His physicality and impeccable timing are on full display in a dynamic performance full of fun and laughter.

While Nuke brings darling naivety and charm, Crash is a man with a plan. Taking on the role of the seasoned player, Walker takes the stage with a sly grin and suave charm as he competes for the lovely Annie’s attention. Numbers like “I Believe,” “Crash at the Plate,” and “Damn This Game (Reprise)” are also given the Broadway treatment with Walker’s silky smooth voice, and his chemistry with Cusack is effortlessly electric as they bring their own physical comedy to the stage.

L to R: Charles Holt, Nik Walker, Brian Ray Norris

In comparison to the push and pull between Annie and her two men, the love between church-going teammate Jimmy (Andrew Poston) and young vixen Millie (Ashlyn Maddox) is utterly precious. Millie is the daughter of the stadium owner and has made the Bulls Athletic Park (and the men’s locker room) her personal playground. When she bumps into poor, nervous Jimmy, they teach each other about finding balance and different kinds of love in their charming number “A Heaven For You.” Together, they are endearingly sweet and bring a youthful, hopeful optimism as they are each lifted up by the adults around them. “Pensacola,” performed by Jimmy, coaches Skip (Brian Ray Norris) and Larry (Charles Holt), and local radio announcer/production narrator Uncle Roy (played by Greg Lux in this performance, typically performed by Ira David Wood III) is a hilarious, drunken number as the men try to teach Jimmy about “love” and success in long term relationships. In comparison, the women rally around Millie in “Every woman Deserves to Wear White,” a number chock full of female empowerment and women supporting women as they remind Millie of her worth as a person.

Performed at Duke University’s Reynolds Industries Theater in Durham, Bull Durham is a shining beacon of love, laughter, and not-so-hidden innuendos. Local audiences glommed onto jokes made at their city’s expense and whooped with excitement at the sight of what was then known as the Durham Athletic Park set, complete with the infamous light-up bull sign and the Lucky Strike water tower, thanks to Tony Award winning set designer Derek McLane.

Of course, no musical is complete without its kick-butt musical numbers. Choreographer Joshua Bergasse has created a masterpiece, including an impressive feat of baseball bat-ography. As players flip, leap, and jump around the stage (reminiscent of “I Don’t Dance” from Disney’s High School Musical 2, for us Zillenials in the audience), they bring a joyful exuberance to the production.

The production’s technical team also includes costume design from Alejo Vietti, lighting design from CJ Barnwell, sound design from Eric Alexander Collins, and music direction from Josh Knight.

Bull Durham features language that may not be suitable for young audiences and is recommended for ages 13 and up. Tickets can be purchased here. Bull Durham runs at Duke University’s Reynolds Industries Theater as part of the Theatre Raleigh mainstage season through Sunday, September 22, 2024.

Additional production photos can be found below. All photos courtesy of Theatre Raleigh.