Are folks really interested in Magic/Bird?

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 12:26pm

I'm as big a fan of the NBA as anyone else on the board -- was very excited when I met Magic at a matinee of Top Dog/Underdog, and I'm a huge Larry Bird fan.

But is anyone interested in this show? I don't see any chat about it here or on a couple other boards, and it totally doesn't interest me. Not sure if it's "too soon" to do a play about their lives and relationship, or if there's some other reason that it just isn't tickling my fancy.

Is it just me? Or is this going to be a miserable bomb?

[mybigsplash]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 2:07pm

Absolutely no one is going to see this show, even with free tickets.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 2:11pm

Yeah, I kind of agree with that.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 2:14pm

I keep forgetting about this one. I hope they are promoting it heavily to the sports community (which would explain why I've heard nothing about it) because I haven't located one thing that sounds interesting or appealing about the play.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 2:34pm

Are you, like... an anti-shill?

[Kad]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 2:36pm

I honestly keep forgetting it's happening, as well. Even the bland, cheaply photoshopped Playbill cover is unmemorable.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 2:38pm

I watch a lot of NBA and haven't seen any advertising for this.

ETA- My issue with this show is that I can't picture the same actor playing Red Auerbach and Pat Riley.

Updated On: 2/28/12 at 02:38 PM

[madbrian]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 2:38pm

I should be the ideal target audience for this. I was a huge college basketball fan in the late 70s/early 80s, and followed the Magic/Bird rivalry into the NBA (I'm firmly Team Bird). And I have absolutely no interest in this show. And if I'm not interested, I can't imagine who is.

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 2:47pm

"Are you, like... an anti-shill?"

Heh, I saw that thread, which is why I figured I'd register and ask my question. Been reading these boards for awhile. Must have walked past the Longacre 4 times over the holiday weekend (my bona fides: over that weekend we saw Russian Transport, How I Learned to Drive, Seminar and Merrily) and not once was I tempted to suggest we see M/B on our next trip down.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 2:51pm

I was really hoping this would be Robin Byrd's Broadway debut sawing strippers in half.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 2:54pm

"(my bona fides: over that weekend we saw Russian Transport, How I Learned to Drive, Seminar and Merrily)"

I'm sorry! I take back it back! Thor is not a homo.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 3:15pm

I'm actually fascinated by the economics of this. I believe it's the same people who did LOMBARDI and I'm thinking that THEY think there is a large audience out there of guys who get dragged to the "THEatah" by their wives when on vaycay and they can appeal to em w a sports theme. Lomardi- while not a great play had some good performances and the show did pay back. And I know that that definately was who was in the audience when I saw it.
I'm kinda hoping for the Canada_ Russia 72 series as their next topic.
Henderson-Esposito-Tretiak and the villains- Baader & Kompalla!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 3:20pm

If they want to get theater folk into the their show, they need to produce Kerrigan/Harding.

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 3:39pm

Kerrigan/Harding would have to be Opera. I'm thinking Peter Sellars?

Updated On: 2/28/12 at 03:39 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 3:45pm

OMG Richard Thomas should TOTALLY do a Tonya Harding opera!

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 4:10pm

Oh no, this is tragedy, not farce.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 4:25pm

If ever a show needed to star Charles Busch and Lypsinka, it's KERRIGAN/HARDING.

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 4:31pm

I should be the ideal target audience for this. I was a huge college basketball fan in the late 70s/early 80s, and followed the Magic/Bird rivalry into the NBA (I'm firmly Team Bird). And I have absolutely no interest in this show. And if I'm not interested, I can't imagine who is.

Me too, except I was a little kid when they were in the NBA. I might just go to see the train wreck if tickets are cheap enough, but I can't see how many people will.

I'm actually fascinated by the economics of this. I believe it's the same people who did LOMBARDI and I'm thinking that THEY think there is a large audience out there of guys who get dragged to the "THEatah" by their wives when on vaycay and they can appeal to em w a sports theme.

Also agree. There's an old-school romanticism about Lombardi's Packers, however, in that it took place at the dawn of the most popular league in the US, and while most Americans are familiar with the story, few lived through it. Magic/Bird seems to lack both nostalgic romanticism and modern relevance.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 4:36pm

Unless they were lovers, Magic/Bird lacks anything plot-worthy as far as any description of the show reveals.

[joegt]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 4:54pm

Not to pass judgement on the merit of Magic/Bird but Lombardi did not recoup and paid back very little of the initial investment.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 5:38pm

"OMG Richard Thomas should TOTALLY do a Tonya Harding opera!"

He TOTALLY should! OMG I had the biggest crush on him!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 6:35pm

That looks like a feminine Sandy Duncan.

[tazber]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 7:19pm

The synopsis makes it seem very spiritual.
Synposis

[Kad]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 7:46pm

That's far more interesting than the show's official description, which is something like, "They're rivals but they're also friends".

[wexy]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 8:19pm

I'm on four or five sports boards and have seen nothing on this.
Some saw Lombardi but most of them probably go to jukebox musicals.