Break A Bat! where Baseball Meets Broadway

We're trading in our bat for a hoop this week, as Cricket Wampler joins us for Episode 92! Wampler is one of the breakout stars of Disney Plus' new sports dramedy Big Shot, and her portrayal of Samantha "Giggles" Finkman has earned her All-Star acclaim among audiences everywhere.

In her very first podcast appearance, Wampler takes us through some of the success she's enjoyed as a leading player for the show and how Giggles came to be in very unconventional production circumstances. The way she developed her character spans anything from honing her skills as a point guard to developing an entire back story for Giggles while on retreat in San Diego. Wampler's sense of humor is on full display in this conversation, and her stories are nothing short of awesome. She even discusses her recent performance alongside John Stamos and The Beach Boys at Petco Park!

Connect with Cricket Wampler on Instagram: @cricketwampler

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

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Every great sports dramedy should have a resident theatre kid, right? Darcy Rose Byrnes answers that call in Big Shot on Disney+, and steps into The Batter's Box to talk all about it. Byrnes plays the role of the ever-ambitious and drama-loving Harper Schapira in the new series and has also lent her songwriting talents to the show's score, having written five original songs that can be heard throughout the first season. No stranger to the screen, she broke into the business as a child star on The Young and the Restless when she was all of five years old. Her other prominent credits are highlighted by The Bold and the Beautiful, How I Met Your Mother, Desperate Housewives, The Young and the Restless, and Sofia the First.

One of the great story arcs in Big Shot is Westbrook High's school musical, Beth Macbeth, in which Byrnes' character plays the lead. This week, she talks all about the creative input she offered when bringing the musical to life, and how her own background in the Scottish Play proved to be a grand slam in the process. She also discusses working with John Stamos, and how the show came to be despite some of the many obstacles that the pandemic created during production. We also played a fun round of Fastball Derby, as Byrnes offers some little-known facts about her life off-screen which span anything from her Irish heritage to delaying her road test to her family's Boston sports fandom.

Connect with Darcy Rose Byrnes on Instagram: @darcyrosebyrnes

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

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You didn’t think we’d let Friends Fever not make its way onto the podcast, did you? Fresh off one of the best television reunions in recent history, Jane Sibbett steps into The Batter’s Box for Episode 88! Sibbett played the role of Carol Willick on Friends over the course of 7 seasons and joins host Al Malafronte to discuss her whirlwind of emotions as the legendary sitcom takes on a second life. 

While Sibbett may be best known for her time on Friends, her other on-screen credits are highlighted by lead roles in Santa Barbara, Herman’s Head and It Takes Two. She’s also a tremendous theatre fan and has done quite a bit of stage directing in recent years. In addition to her accomplishments on stage and screen, she’s also a spiritual healer, and discusses some of the more profound moments she’s experienced in her work all across the globe with her 'dancing hands.' This chat also featured its fair share of laughs, as just talking about life, in general, was an absolute blast. You’ll find her personality to be a far cry from some of the characters she’s portrayed over the years, and a real light to be enjoyed by all.

Connect with Jane Sibbett on Instagram: @janesibbett

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

Fresh off the announcement of Broadway's triumphant return this fall, Bob Lenzi joins us for Episode 86! Much like a great utility player, Lenzi plays a myriad of roles in the Tony-nominated Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, and is also a tremendous student of baseball. Having grown up just outside of Philadelphia, he's a lifelong Phillies fan with as big of a passion for the game as anyone on Broadway. His career on Broadway now spans more than a decade with other credits that include South Pacific and Tuck Everlasting.

Lenzi joins host Al Malafronte this week to chat about anything from his ballpark bucket list, big contracts, and postseason memories. He was actually in the midst of his Broadway debut when the Phillies won their last championship in 2008 and even orchestrated a Broadway Fantasy Baseball league with his fellow castmates. On a personal note, he also discusses being the athlete who switched to performing on stage and how his love of both mediums go hand in hand with one another as it does for many in our audience.

Connect with Bob Lenzi on Instagram: @bob.lenzi

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

"Undersell and overdeliver." Virginia Williams steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 85! Williams is co-starring in the second season of Why Women Kill which premieres on Paramount+ on June 3, and brings insight, stories, and laughs from her 26 years in show business. She got her professional start in the soap world on One Life to Live when she was all of 17 years old and has since gone onto author credits such as As the World Turns, How I Met Your Mother, Fairly Legal, Fuller House, Teenage Bounty Hunters, and Charmed.

While Williams is best known for her work on-screen, she remains a tremendous fan and student of theatre, with a Theatre Performance degree from Fordham University and a background in Shakespeare. In a conversation chock full of baseball parallels, she and host Al Malafronte had an absolute blast chatting about anything from Hamilton to The Sound of Music to the "wife or daughter" game. Williams also discusses how she shook off the rust when returning to set for Why Women Kill, and even takes a stance in the Jeter vs. A-Rod debate!

Connect with Virginia Williams on Instagram: @virginiawms

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

Why yes, this is HOME plate! In a very fun conversation, Tony nominee Susan Egan joins us in The Batter's Box for Episode 84! Egan has authored a phenomenal legacy in both the Broadway and Disney universe having originated the role of Belle in the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast, and then brought the beloved Megara to life in the hit animated classic Hercules. This fall, she's rejoining her Disney family with an all-new concert series titled Disney Princess: The Concert as part of the franchise's "Ultimate Princess Celebration," that's currently running through 2022.

This week, Egan joins host Al Malafronte to tell some of the amazing stories surrounding her biggest homeruns as a performer. Whether it be proving tough critics wrong during the initial run of Beauty and the Beast, bringing Megara to life, or how she was able to merge her own creative vision with Disney's for the upcoming concert series, her insight and storytelling ability made for a riveting conversation filled with great energy and good vibes. A Southern California native, she's also a tremendous Angels fan who really brought a big power bat to this week's edition of Fastball Derby!

Connect with Susan Egan on Instagram: @iamsusanegan

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

Good Morning Baltimore! There's no showtune more appropriate to get into the spirit for this week's episode, as Mike Bordick joins us in The Batter's Box! A Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer and proud member of the New York Mets' 2000 National League Championship team, Bordick's big-league career spanned 14 seasons from 1990-2003. His notable accomplishments include an All-Star Game selection in 2000, two World Series appearances, and 1,500 career hits to his name. In recent years, he's lent his knowledge and expertise to the broadcasting booth, as one of the TV voices of the Orioles through the 2020 season.

This week, he joins host Al Malafronte to revisit his time on Broadway and to discuss the many parallels of his own playing career to that of a Broadway performer. That was particularly evident when he took on his most signature role as the Orioles shortstop, as he replaced the legendary Cal Ripken Jr. and then established his own unique mark on the position in doing so. He also discusses the era in which he played in, avoiding the temptation to use steroids in order to gain an edge and even his love of The Phantom of the Opera!

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

As the theatre industry begins its comeback trail, veteran of stage and screen, Linda Purl steps into The Batter’s Box for Episode 82! Purl is getting set to star in a production of Twelve Angry Men in England and joins us to speak about how excited she is to return to doing what she loves most. Her performing career now spans more than five decades, with Broadway credits that include Getting and Spending and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, as well as television credits such as Happy Days, Matlock, and The Office. 

Purl also discusses her vantage points on theatre as the ultimate team sport, and even tells the story surrounding her family’s link to Babe Ruth’s famous “Called Shot” at Wrigley Field during the 1932 World Series. Given our show’s love of all things Dunder Mifflin, it was also fun to revisit the famous “birthday lunch” scene in The Office, as Purl gave us some all-new behind-the-scenes stories from her 9-episode arc as Helene Beesly in Seasons 6 and 7!

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

Ryan Dempster steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 81 to help wrap the first month of the baseball season! Dempster was a 2-time All-Star during his pitching days, and currently serves as one of the TV voices for the Chicago Cubs on the Marquee Sports Network. Across 16 big league seasons, Dempster tallied 132 wins, seven seasons in which he threw 200+ innings, and retired as a World Series Champion for the 2013 Boston Red Sox. This week, he joins host Al Malafronte for a raw, candid, and hilarious chat in which they touch on everything from his highs on the mound, his fond memories performing here in New York, and even the mark he made on the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry by drilling A-Rod when everyone else in the baseball world wanted to.

Since moving to the broadcast booth, Dempster has earned a reputation as one of the game's most charismatic on-air personalities. His Harry Caray impersonation has earned critical and popular acclaim among baseball fans and represents the ultimate tribute to a true legend of broadcasting. Fortunately for us, he broke it out during our conversation and provided some insight as to what Mr. Caray may sound like if he were talking about Broadway and its many All-Star performers.

Connect with Ryan Dempster on Instagram: @dempster4646

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

"Fetch" is happening in The Batter's Box, as Krystina Alabado joins us for Episode 80! Alabado starred as Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls on Broadway from March 2019 until the show's final performance in March 2020, and has authored a phenomenal stage career that now spans more than a decade. Her other credits include the touring production of Spring Awakening, American Idiot and American Psycho on Broadway, and Lazarus at the New York Theatre Workshop.

In addition to everything Alabado has accomplished on stage, she's also a tremendous Arizona Diamondbacks fan! This week she joins host Al Malafronte to revisit some of her fondest memories growing up in Phoenix during the glory years of one of baseball's most successful expansion teams. She's currently living out every diehard fan's bucket list with a mission to visit every Major League stadium (and even keeps score when she goes!) Her stories from the stage and stadium are nothing short of awesome, as we talk about anything from the Diamondbacks' 2001 World Series run to her experiences working with both Tina Fey and David Bowie.

In the spirit of our theme, we also brought back 7th Inning Stretch trivia, as Alabado tested her baseball and Broadway knowledge in an attempt to join our prestigious 'Winner's Circle.' We even had a guest appearance from her husband/diehard baseball fan/fellow Broadway veteran, Robert Lenzi (South Pacific, Tuck Everlasting, Tina) who served as her lifeline during the game. This conversation was a blast and epitomizes a true celebration of our two greatest passions.

Connect with Krystina Alabado on Instagram: @krystinaalabado

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