Break A Bat! where Baseball Meets Broadway

Robyn Hurder steps into The Batter’s Box to kick off the new year! Eight times a week, Robyn is hitting homeruns at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre as one of the leads in Moulin Rouge! in front of packed houses, earning both her and the production a fair share of critical and popular acclaim. Robyn’s portrayal of Nini Legs-in-the-Air makes her the perfect hitter for the Break a Bat! lineup, as her performances are defined by athleticism, intensity, and most importantly – a passion for her craft. It’s very similar to the passion and style of play that made Paul O’Neill one of the most beloved World Champions to ever play for the New York Yankees. It’s fitting that the two share a nickname in “The Warrior,” or in Robyn’s case “The Warrior Beast."

In this episode, she parallels the pressures of being a principal on Broadway to being a starter on a Major League team, and a responsibility to represent the Moulin Rouge! legacy well through her skillset. She also discusses career crossroads that made her stronger, staying true to her style of performance, and what keeps her motivated.

With a body of work on Broadway that now spans nearly a decade and a half, with credits including Grease, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Chicago, among other productions, Robyn's insight and stories are invaluable for anyone looking to become an All-Star either on Broadway or at the ballpark.

Originally hailing from Maine, she may be a Red Sox fan, but reveals she’s down to help our host, Al Malafronte, put the wheels into motion on the Broadway Takeover of Yankee Stadium this baseball season!

Connect with Robyn Hurder on Instagram: @robynhurder

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rock of Ages star Kirsten Scott joins Al in the Batter's Box to chat about her career on The Great White Way. Whether it’s Hairspray, Big Fish, or Jersey Boys, Kirsten is a spark plug for any cast she’s in - - a parallel you’d find on any successful Broadway championship team in the spirit of Willie Randolph, Derek Jeter, or Johnny Damon. She also holds the distinction of being one of the few people on Broadway who’s had the chance to share the stage with the New York Yankees’ 6-time All-Star, and socially progressive closer, Aroldis Chapman, for a special one-off performance at Rock of Ages this summer. So impressed by Chapman's fastball velocity and theatricality, she and Al not only discuss his impact on baseball, but on the Broadway community. Kirsten's career on stage very much mirrors various aspects of what it's like to be a successful Major League player, which sets a nice undertone for this episode. Much like a night at the ballpark, this episode also features some singing during the 7th Inning Stretch...

Connect with Kirsten Scott on Instagram: @kbscotty

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The radio voice of the Yankees for 30 years, John Sterling, checked in with Al just before the team kicked off the Division Series against the Minnesota Twins back in October. A lifelong collector of cast albums, John also touches his longtime adoration of classic musicals such as South Pacific and Hello, Dolly! He even gives his take on Broadway's love affair with the Yankees' All-Star closer, Aroldis Chapman.

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

Photo by Corey Sipkin

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An underlying message of our show is the many similarities between playing professional baseball and acting on Broadway. Since 2015, Broadway shows, actors, actresses, and members of the community have been highlighted in the same way as All-Stars on baseball cards --- appearing on Broadway’s very own set of trading cards: The Lights of Broadway Show Cards!

The cards were born out of the minds of Broadway.com’s resident artist Justin “Squigs” Robertson, and 4-time Tony Award winning producer, Dori Berinstein, which coincidentally stems back to their passion for baseball cards. In this episode, the two discuss their chance encounter at the Broadway Flea Market that brought them together, the birth of their product that has set collectors abuzz, and some of the stories that make Lights of Broadway so special.

The magnificent art depicted on each card is unique, and captures the essence of shows and everyone involved in the Broadway community. Another special facet of these cards is the spirit behind them, as Lights of Broadway has now donated close to $100,000 to charities such as: Broadway Cares, The Actors Fund, The Trevor Project, among others - all through the sale of their cards. Now part of the Broadway community's fabric, they’ve just launched a new line of cards celebrating the Broadway production of Moulin Rouge! that make the perfect holiday gift. They even have some big things in the works for 2020 which they also discuss in this episode.

Al was sure to incorporate some baseball undertones per usual. With a pack of Topps baseball cards at stake, this led to a very fun and suspenseful edition of this week’s trivia contest.

For more information on The Lights of Broadway Show Cards, be sure to visit them online at their website:

www.thelightsofbroadway.nyc

You can also find them on social media: Instagram: @lightsofbroadwayshowcards Twitter: @LightsofBway Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/broadwayshowcards/

In addition to seeing Squigs’ work on Broadway.com, you can also find him on Instagram: @squigsrobertson

You can also hear more from Dori Berinstein on the Broadway Podcast Network with her newly-launched podcast, Deep Dive Broadway, and follow her on Instagram: @dori.berinstein

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TV's Ashley Williams steps into The Batter’s Box with host Al Malafronte, and producer Alan Seales, for quite possibly the most fun conversation we've recorded to date. If Derek Jeter is baseball's 'Mr. November,' then Williams is television's 'Ms. December,' having become a staple of holiday programming over the years. A New York native with two new Christmas films that just premiered on the Hallmark Channel, her accomplished body of work now spans more than two decades on both stage and screen with other credits including Good Morning Miami, Snow, How I Met Your Mother, Something Borrowed, and The Jim Gaffigan Show. She even hints at an exciting upcoming project that’s sure to add some fire to the hot stove.

Connect with Ashley Williams on Instagram: @ashleywilliamsandcompany

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Ford, 1st baseman for the New York Yankees, steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 11! As the old saying goes, “the show must go on,” and the 2019 production of the New York Yankees was no different. A record-setting number of injuries to key cast members put the show in peril early, and the team’s strong battalion of understudies came ready to respond. Mike Ford is a rising Broadway star who not only seized that opportunity, but ran with it by displaying fantastic lefty power and plate discipline during the heat of a pennant race – the baseball equivalent of a show’s late season push for the Tony Awards. In this episode, Mike reflects on an outstanding rookie season, and his outlook on manning the prime real estate of being a starting 1st baseman on Broadway. He even draws some parallels to how the Yankees' clubhouse isn't all that different from the backstage dynamic for a Broadway production.  

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by Broadway Podcast Network

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

Photo: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Connect with Mike Ford on Instagram: @mikeford1226

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Oakley, you are Broadway.” After a successful run as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway, and fresh off the Yankees’ Division Series win the night prior to recording, Desi Oakley joins Al in the Batter's Box. With nearly a decade of work on the back of her baseball card, Oakley tells some great stories spanning anywhere from the Emerald City to Joe’s Pie Diner. She was even down for some baseball and Broadway crossover trivia in a new segment called “7th Inning Stretch.” Al volunteers his producer, Alan Seales, to serve as Oakley's lifeline for all of the baseball-related questions, and the segment goes awry quickly.

Connect with Desi Oakley on Instagram: @desioakley

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony-nominee Liz Callaway (Baby, CATS, Miss Saigon) steps into The Batter’s Box to talk about her mutual love of both baseball and Broadway, and her career highlights that have spanned anything from an Emmy Award, singing an Oscar-nominated song, to performing the National Anthem during the historic 1986 National League Championship Series at Shea Stadium. A lifelong Mets fan, she represents the good stuff in the baseball/theatre fanbase. She was also sure to rock her Mets gear to troll Al, just a few hours before the first pitch of the Yankees’ first Division Series game. Liz is also helping kick off the holiday season at Feinstein’s 54 Below with her sister Ann for a series of shows called ‘Broadway the Calla-way!’ during Thanksgiving week. They'll also be taking the Windy City by storm on Saturday, December 14th at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, Illinois with a show called 'Broadway with the Callaways.' For more information, check out the show details at www.54below.com and www.northshorecenter.org

Connect with Liz Callaway on Instagram: @lizgoeson and Twitter: @lizgoeson

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether it’s Game 6 of the ‘96 World Series or David Wells’ Perfect Game, Steph Martignetti has probably been to more historic Yankee games than anyone else on Broadway, and talked with Al about some of her fond memories at the old Yankee Stadium. With an athletic background of her own, she also discussed properly channeling a competitive nature in an industry where it's essential. She validates that notion with some stories behind her career beginnings and highlights, that include originating roles in ‘Nice Work, If You Can Get It,’ the revival of ‘Sunset Boulevard,‘ and most recently- an amazing run in ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.’ In addition to this, she’s also doing some tremendous work with the Hysterical Womxn’s Society, and offers power-hitting industry insight and advice.

Connect with Steph Martignetti on Instagram: @stephmartignetti

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Morgan James offers her perspective on two very American things she’s deeply passionate about: baseball and Broadway. Morgan talks playing a long game in life, and how that mirrors baseball. A Yankee season ticket holder during the heart of the team’s late 90’s-early 00’s dynasty, Morgan has since authored a strong career both on the Broadway stage and in the recording studio, despite some adversities along the way. With a new single having just launched to kick off her new album, she definitely knows a thing or two about playing under the bright lights of Broadway - be it Carnegie Hall or Yankee Stadium.

Connect with Morgan James on Instagram: @morganajames

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices