Break A Bat! where Baseball Meets Broadway

Lindsay Pearce steps into The Batter’s Box for Episode 56! Pearce was in the heart of her Broadway debut this past winter as the newest Elphaba in Wicked, fulfilling a lifelong dream going back to her days as a theatre kid in Northern California. Pearce grew up in a sports-heavy household, and as told in this episode, it was actually a moment on the softball field that led to her eventual theatre path.

She got her start in show business after auditioning for The Glee Project in 2011, which earned her a two-episode arc during season 3 of Glee. She’s since performed in a number of stage productions throughout the west coast, in addition to more television work in shows such as Drop Dead Diva, Grey’s Anatomy, and Recovery Road. This week, Pearce joins host Al Malafronte to talk Wicked, the theatricality of Aroldis Chapman's record-setting fastballs, her hometown San Francisco Giants, and the brilliance of seasons 1-4 of Glee.

The Seventh Inning Stretch also returns this week with a fun installment of Baseball meets Broadway trivia!

Connect with Lindsay Pearce on Instagram: @lindsayheatherpeace

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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Anthony Rapp steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 54! A native of the Windy City, Rapp is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and baseball fan who's now visited more than 30 Major League ballparks. In this episode, he rehashes some of his favorite moments as a fan of one of America's most beloved teams, thoughts on performing in the postseason, his highs on Broadway, and the many parallels he sees between baseball and theatre. As told to host Al Malafronte, he was even in the midst of a performance at 54 Below on the night the Cubs won the pennant in 2016 and shares a phenomenal story about throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field during that championship season.

A Drama Desk-nominee, Rapp's Broadway career dates back to age ten, and now spans more than 35 years. Some of his prominent credits from the stage include Rent, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and If/Then. His work in show business has also extended to the screen with credits such as Adventures in Babysitting, A Beautiful Mind, the film adaptation of Rent, and his current role in Star Trek: Discovery.

Connect with Anthony Rapp on Instagram: @albinokid1026 and Twitter: @albinokid

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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Former MLB outfielder of 14 years, Shannon Stewart steps into The Batter’s Box for Episode 53! Stewart's career in the big leagues spanned from 1995-2008 as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, and Oakland Athletics. A 1st-round draft pick in 1992, Stewart's talent and passion for his craft cemented his legacy as one of the best leadoff hitters of the late 1990s and early 2000s. During that time, he hit over .300 in six consecutive seasons from 1999-2004, scored 100+ runs four times, and accumulated a remarkable 202 hits in 2001. He'd go onto retire as a lifetime .297 hitter with a .360 On-Base Percentage, and 1,653 hits to his name.

In this episode, Stewart discusses living up to the pressure of performing as a highly-touted 1st-round draft pick, as well as the dilemma of having to choose between baseball and football after high school; a decision that he parallels to young performers that have to decide between stage or screen acting. He also revisits his phenomenal 2003 season in which he found himself in the heat of a pennant race with the Minnesota Twins, as he'd go onto finish 4th in MVP voting that season as the ultimate catalyst for their division-winning cast. Stewart has some particularly fond memories of his nights on Broadway while battling against the New York Yankees, and shares some great behind the scenes stories of a particularly special era for the Big Apple through the eyes of a visiting performer.

Just like Broadway, a lot has changed around baseball since Stewart's playing career ended, to which he provides some phenomenal insight, and big laughs when talking about his life in retirement. He even discusses which of his former teammates would make the best Timon and Pumba in The Lion King on Broadway!

Connect with Shannon Stewart on Instagram: @sstew24

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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Lila Coogan steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 52! Coogan made her Broadway debut at the age of 13 as Jane Banks in Mary Poppins and recently starred as Princess Anya in the First National Tour of Anastasia. This conversation rehashes her experiences as a child star on Broadway, growing up as a lifelong Yankee fan in her native Westchester, touring life, and even includes a fun round of Baseball meets Broadway trivia in this week's 7th Inning Stretch!

Connect with Lila Coogan on Instagram: @lilcoogs

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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Former MLB All-Star, Shawn Estes steps into The Batter’s Box for Episode 51! Estes’ big league career spanned 13 seasons as a pitcher from 1995-2008, and he currently serves as one of the TV voices of the San Francisco Giants as a pre-and-postgame analyst on NBC Sports Bay Area. 

Over the course of his playing career, Estes won over 100 games, and his All-Star season in 1997 helped lead the Giants to their first division title of the 1990s. As the ace of their pitching staff that season, he posted a phenomenal 3.18 ERA, 19 wins, and 181 strikeouts across 201 innings. His career also included a stop in The Big Apple when he pitched for the New York Mets in 2002.

In this episode, Estes discusses his memorable role in Subway Series lore as a member of the Mets when he was instructed to retaliate against Roger Clemens and the New York Yankees. Even all these years later, he still has an appreciation of New York as a mecca for baseball, music, and entertainment. He also discusses the mental edge needed for performers to thrive in both baseball and theatre, some of his highs with the Giants, and even the scandalous era in which he played. His insight on today’s game as a member of the media is also invaluable, and his master storytelling skills made for a really enjoyable conversation.

Connect with Shawn Estes on Instagram: @shestes55 and Twitter: @sestes55

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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Becky Gulsvig steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 49! Gulsvig's Broadway credits include Hairspray, Legally Blonde, School of Rock, and most recently, Come From Away. A native of Minnesota, she's also a tremendous Twins fan with some classic ballpark stories from the Metrodome, Target Field, and the many stadiums she's gotten to visit over the years as a cast member in various touring productions. She even discusses her newest role as the coach of her daughter's softball team, and some of the highlights she's experienced over the years as a Broadway veteran of nearly two decades.

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

Connect with Becky Gulsvig on Instagram: @beckygulsvig

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

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Andy Karl steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 48! Karl is an Olivier Award Winner and 3-time Tony Award nominee with more than a dozen Broadway credits to his name. One of those credits includes a performance that's beloved by our sports fans in Rocky the Musical, in which he portrayed the iconic Rocky Balboa. With other Broadway credits that include Legally Blonde, Jersey Boys, Pretty Woman, and Groundhog Day, Karl has some great behind the scenes stories about 'championing through' those roles as told to host Al Malafronte in this episode.

With an athletic background of his own, Karl also discusses working in percentages to make it through sometimes grueling Broadway schedules, as he says gearing yourself up for a show is in so many ways like gearing yourself up for a game. This mindset is not unlike what made Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. so successful for Karl's hometown Baltimore Orioles, and led to a fascinating conversation about what it would take a Broadway performer to achieve the equivalent of Ripken's record-setting streak of 2,632 consecutive performances on the field.

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

Photo: Walter McBride

Connect with Andy Karl on Instagram: @andy_karl and Twitter: @andy_karl

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

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Jonalyn Saxer steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 46! An original cast member of Mean Girls on Broadway, Saxer pulled the ultimate utility player duty for her Tony-nominated team. She did this as not only a key cog in the show's ensemble, but also as the understudy for three of the show's lead roles. These included Regina George, Cady Heron, and of course Karen Smith. Saxer would then go onto star as Karen in the show's First National Touring Production starting in 2019, and will continue to do so once live theatre resumes.

Saxer's Broadway career dates back to 2014, when she made her debut in Bullets Over Broadway, and her other Broadway credits include Honeymoon in Vegas, the CATS revival, and Holiday Inn. This episode is a lot of fun, as she and host Al Malafronte talk all things baseball and Broadway such as her leading roles in Mean Girls, the Miami Marlins' Coronavirus outbreak, the CATS movie, and Aroldis Chapman's record-setting fastballs. They even played some Baseball meets Broadway trivia in this week's edition of the 7th Inning Stretch!

Connect with Jonalyn Saxer on Instagram: @jksaxer and Twitter: @jksaxer

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

Lesli Margherita steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 44! One of Broadway's resident funny girls, Margherita is a Laurence Olivier Award winner for her performance as Inez in the musical adaptation of Zorro on the West End, and has appeared on Broadway in Matilda the Musical and Dames at Sea.

Margherita also just happens to be a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan. In this episode, she discusses everything from the roots of her passion for both sports and the arts, ruling your kingdom, and the parallels between Broadway and Moneyball. She and host Al Malafronte even played some Baseball meets Broadway (meets Muppets!) trivia in this week's 7th Inning Stretch!

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

Connect with Lesli Margherita on Instagram: @queenlesli and Twitter: @queenlesli

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

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Allison Munn steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 41! Prior to launching a phenomenal career on screen that's spanned over two decades, Munn began her career in show business on the stages of NYC when she starred as Luisa in the Off-Broadway classic The Fantasticks for more than 500 performances. To this day, Munn credits her musical theatre background and performing in front of a live audience as part of the backbone to her success in the TV sitcom world. She's currently starring in The Big Show Show on Netflix, and her other screen credits include: That 70's Show, What I Like About You, One Tree Hill, and Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, & Dawn. This candid chat was the perfect blend of fun and insightful, and was also filled with plenty of great stories.

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

Connect with Allison Munn on Instagram: @allisonmunn and Twitter: @allisonmunn

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

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