Bull Durham at Paper Mill — Page 2

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.

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.

"Nothing fresh or theatrical emerges from the beloved 1988 film; instead, this revival exposes how outdated the material feels.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"?

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.

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

I don't often enjoy Laura Collins-Hughes' reviews and find her a very bland writer, but this was actually very well-written and a good read.

‘Bull Durham’ Review: This Musical Version Is a Bunt

Adapted for the stage, the baseball rom-com is now less sexy and sophisticated than the ’80s classic.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/theater/bull-durham-review-stage-musical.html

Another fairly negative review, from TheaterMania:

At the risk of bludgeoning a metaphor, Bull Durham feels like minor league entertainment at major league prices. Content to coast on nostalgia, it’s largely forgotten by the time you reach the parking lot. After a decade in development, it still doesn’t seem ready for The Show.

Bull Durham Swings and Misses

GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "MemorableUserName said: "I don't often enjoy Laura Collins-Hughes' reviews and find her a very bland writer, but this was actually verywell-written and a good read.

‘Bull Durham’ Review: This Musical Version Is a Bunt

Adapted for the stage, the baseball rom-com is now less sexy and sophisticated than the ’80s classic.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/theater/bull-durham-review-stage-musical.html

"

Anyone have an unlock code?"

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/theater/bull-durham-review-stage-musical.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vU8.VRlP.eVMP6NcQh4Ux&smid=nytcore-android-share

People are complaining Carmen is too old for this role. I’m hearing they will go back into development and hire a whole new cast

This show has been kicking around for a decade and doesn't seem to be in any better shape than what was on display in Atlanta. I saw the show a week ago and I literally can't remember a single song. At this point, the best move would be to throw everything out and start fresh.

"People are complaining Carmen is too old for this role. I’m hearing they will go back into development and hire a whole new cast"

Carmen is about 10 years older than Sarandon was when she did "Bull Durham". Does it really show that much on stage? In SMASH (Broadway), Robyn Hurder was about 13 years older than Megan Hilty was when she played "Ivy Lynn" on TV series.

DaveyG said: "KrupYou said: "Will the awful NYT review kill any chance of coming to Broadweay?"

Probably. It's very difficult to raise tens of millions of dollars when the Times hates you."

Especially in the current climate we're in, and how shy producers are about investing in new musicals. This has been in development forever and it's never been good. They've tried in multiple cities to middling reviews. Like horrible shows like Millions or Joy, it's best to let it go.

Updated On: 10/22/25 at 06:49 PM

This was a chore to sit through. Carmen and Nik do what they can with weak material -- 2.5 hours of sex jokes. The choreography is strong, but as others have said, it's Joshua Bergasse on autopilot.