Bull Durham at Paper Mill- Page 2

[Jmuep2]

Posted: 10/10/25 at 4:17pm

I saw this yesterday and was pretty disappointed. I was bored senseless in Act One. Act Two was a little better. It gave me a couple of songs I didn't instantly forget. Overall, I was really unclear what the leads wanted till way too late. And I just kept thinking "this worked better as a movie." Definite can't see this transferring in this state. But the choreography worked and really made the thing not suck like it could have. 

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 10/12/25 at 12:10am

"I saw this yesterday and was pretty disappointed. I was bored senseless in Act One. Act Two was a little better. It gave me a couple of songs I didn't instantly forget. Overall, I was really unclear what the leads wanted till way too late. And I just kept thinking "this worked better as a movie." 

I was wondering if this musical concentrated more on the sexual part of the movie or the baseball story. I am guessing this was more about "Annie" and who she would "hook" up with during the baseball season. The funniest and IMO best scenes in the movie were the baseball bits between Costner and Robbins. I have not seen the show, but I did not see this being a musical based on a movie that would work well.

[always bway]

Posted: 10/12/25 at 10:58am

Saw this last week. It plays like a copy of a copy of a copy of a musical. Songs all sound like something you have heard before, but can't really place, jokes are middling at best, Bruni's direction is simple and bland, and choreography can be exchanged for any number of Bergasse's other male heavy numbers. Same moves over and over again in every show. 

Nothing additive or theatrical from the original material. Go watch the movie- much better acting and at least you watch it knowing it was done in the 80's. In 2025, to not approach the misogyny in a more palatable or creative way, seems a huge mistake.

[KrupYou]

Posted: 10/12/25 at 12:11pm

Bull Durham at Paper Mill feels like a tired echo of better musicals — familiar tunes, weak jokes, and direction so bland it barely registers.

Marc Bruni’s staging lacks imagination, while Joshua Bergasse’s choreography recycles the same macho moves he’s used in show after show.

Nothing fresh or theatrical emerges from the beloved 1988 film; instead, this revival exposes how outdated the material feels. Worst of all, it ignores the story’s glaring misogyny, offering no modern insight or clever twist.

In 2025, that’s not nostalgia — it’s negligence. Skip it and rewatch the movie.

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 10/13/25 at 10:30am

"Nothing fresh or theatrical emerges from the beloved 1988 film; instead, this revival exposes how outdated the material feels. Worst of all, it ignores the story’s glaring misogyny, offering no modern insight or clever twist.

In 2025, that’s not nostalgia — it’s negligence. Skip it and rewatch the movie."

I don't understand why producers try to do Broadway musical about sports. You cannot portray action on the field well and that is the essential part of shows about sports. Few can succeed if they take place mostly outside the playing field, example is the locker room. Sports movies do work at times because you actually see the game being played and if actors can look like they know how to play the game. Best a musical can do is some fancy dance moves that look nothing like actually playing the sport.

Did you see the tennis movie "Challengers" last year starring Zendaya? Big part of the plot is love triangle between three tennis players. She actually makes the two male tennis players play a match to decide who she will finally stay with in a relationship. Is that the kind of insight or clever twist you were looking for in "Bull Durham"?

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 10/13/25 at 11:25am

Zeppie2022 said: ""Nothing fresh or theatrical emerges from the beloved 1988 film; instead, this revival exposes how outdated the material feels. Worst of all, it ignores the story’s glaring misogyny, offering no modern insight or clever twist.

In 2025, that’s not nostalgia — it’s negligence. Skip it and rewatch the movie."

I don't understand why producers try to do Broadway musical about sports. You cannot portray action on the field well and that is the essential part of showsabout sports. Few can succeed if they take place mostly outside the playing field, example is the locker room. Sports movies do work at timesbecause you actually see the game being played and if actors can look like they know how to play the game. Best a musical can do is some fancy dance moves that look nothing like actually playing the sport.

Did you see the tennis movie "Challengers" last year starring Zendaya? Big part of the plot is love triangle between three tennis players. She actually makes the two male tennis players play a match to decide who she will finally stay with in a relationship. Is that the kind of insight or clever twist you were looking for in "Bull Durham"?"

Is this from a review?

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/13/25 at 12:06pm

I caught this this weekend and was surprised by how misogynistic the entire premise is. Granted, I do not know the movie... but there's only two female characters and their whole existence in the story is to sleep with members of the team. It's a hard sell for a family musical that has the line "You know how a woman's hair 'down there' is shaped like a triangle? They call it the bermuda triangle on account of a man can get lost down there" ... but then clarifies that that's supposed to be a compliment. This just wasn't for me. It was all about sex. Maybe if I knew the plot going in I wouldn't have been as shocked, but...

What gave you the impression that BULL DURHAM was family entertainment? Not everything is geared toward the Disney crowd. I haven't seen the show, so I can't comment on its merits, but there is nothing wrong with a show that is written for adults.

[1 Minute Critic]

Posted: 10/13/25 at 12:34pm

1 Minute Critic Review: 2 stars

While Major League Baseball winds down with the World Series just weeks away, Paper Mill Playhouse hopes to heat things up with its season opener, a musical version of the 1988 film Bull Durham. Unfortunately, it barely reaches a simmer and leaves audiences asking themselves, “Did this need to be a musical?” The hugely talented cast is stuck in a show with pacing more akin to golf than that of the great American pastime.

Bull Durham reminds us that musicals often spend years in the minor leagues. With Damn Yankees waiting in the wings at Arena Stage, Broadway may get its baseball musical this season after all. FULL REVIEW HERE
 

 

 

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 10/13/25 at 2:39pm

GottaGettaGimmick - This is not from a review. This is my response to poster who recently saw the show.