The story of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird is hitting broadway this month, with a new production called "Magic Bird."
Here's how the the show is described on their website:
At the heart of one of the fiercest rivalries in sports, two of the greatest athletes of all-time battled for multiple championships and the future of their sport. Hall of Famers Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird could not have been more different; one black, one white; one an urbanite with a big smile and Hollywood appeal, and the other a quiet small town guy. Johnson and Bird, went head to head, electrified the nation, reinvigorated the NBA, and turned their rivalry into the greatest and most famous friendships in professional sports. With classic NBA footage prominently designed throughout, Magic/Bird transports the audience into the heart of their matchup. From Draft to Olympic Dream Team, the show with a six member cast will premiere at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway, New York City, March 21, 2012
Part of that cast is Peter Scolari, who plays Red Auerbach. In fact, Scolari's got a bit of an acting challenge in this one because he ALSO plays Pat Riley. I got a chance to speak to Peter about being Red for 90 mintues a night, the challenges of being both hero and villain… and that varying depending on which fan base is watching… and why the Magic and Bird story works on Broadway.
As an added bonus, we found out that Peter is a Red Sox fan, and especially a fan of Carl Yastrzemski…which is awesome. Here's the interview.
Magic Bird preview shows begin next week. The show officially premiers on April 11. I'm definitely going to go check it out. And FYI, Magic and Bird had input on the script. They worked with the producers, so it's not like some out-of-touch theater-type read a book and decided to just adapt it to stage. The real guys had real input.
To get more information, go to their website. Go here to purchase tickets.
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