The Broadway Show League

[LeTtHeSuNsHiNeIn2]

Posted: 7/31/09 at 10:03pm

Heyy everyone. I was just wondering if anyone has ever gone to see a game of the Broadway Show League. I was thinking of going to watch a game or two before I went back to school so I wanted to see if it would be worth the time to go.

[Mistress_Spouzic]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 2:46am

thats not an entirely easy question to answer... its not really an autograph and photo op kind of event so if thats what youre after its not worth it- the league is for the players more so than the fans. And depending on the team it could be no one recognizable (like ushers and crew) to almost all actors. I go quite regularly, and enjoy myself but I sit back and watch the game cuz softball is fun and if someone feels especially theatrical, seeing someone catch a ball in mid ballet move can be entertaining, but now that its playoffs game play is usually more serious and teams get eliminated so your favorites might not even be in the running anymore...

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 2:50am

I went once. Not so much fun, really -- from a fan standpoint. Not unusual for much of the team to be made up of the techies. Imagine someone going to your work softball game that doesnt' work there. A little awkward.

Admittedly, I'm not much of a softball/baseball fan.

And really, USHERS? They are hired by the theater, not the production so I doubt they are eligible....but that's just my thought.

[lesmis]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 6:35pm

I went once but I knew one of the cast members on the team. It was fun.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 6:42pm

EDIT: upon re-reading this post, I realized it sounded kind of mean to theater fans who also like baseball, so I decided to take it down. Updated On: 8/1/09 at 06:42 PM

[Dover]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 8:27pm

Yes, ushers play. Anyone who works on the show can play in the league. The rules have changed in the 10 years I have been playing, and I'm not sure if it's still the case, but it used to be that anyone who could prove they make their living in any capacity anywhere in the theatre industry (pay stubs, union card, etc.) could play for any team, so long as they were not taking away game time from people who actually work on the show.

Also, not all the teams are shows. Some are theatre owners, unions, or theatre companies (like Lincoln Center, Playwrights Horizons). So many people are eligible to play for more than one team.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 8:37pm

Why in the world would a theater geek want to watch a baseball game?

Wow.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 8:39pm

I can't imagine it being fun for someone to just go and watch. I played for two years for two different show teams and I had a great time, but it seemed like it would be pretty awkward for a fan to just show up with pom-poms.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 8:44pm

I'm sorry if that offended you. It was meant to be a joke. If I sound like a completely ignorant person, it's probably because I have gotten so annoyed that things that I hate, like sports, are much more popular than things that I like, like theater. If you hadn't quoted me, I would have probably deleted the post. What I write isn't always what I mean to say. Actually, now that I have re-read the post, I think I will take it down.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 10:03pm

Jocks and the arts: they CAN get along.

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12970168

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 11:13pm

Okay, I already apologized and removed the post. I know that there's probably one Troy Bolton from "High School Musical" in every town.

Hey, that just reminded me of the show "Glee" in which a football player joins the glee club, which made me excited for the premiere on fox September 9th!

[Vagabond Anarchist]

Posted: 4/29/12 at 9:50pm

Just wanted to bump this old thread as it pertains to this year. Anyone been this year / know who's playing on various teams?

I have seen some pics of Jeremy Jordan playing for Newsies, as well as Chad Kimball playing for Memphis. Also heard rumors of Aaron Tveit playing for Rock of Ages this year. Just curious if anyone's been recently...

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/29/12 at 10:38pm

Aaron Tveit was definitely playing for RoA last week.

The Book of Mormon has Tommar Wilson, Brian Sears, Lawrence Stallings, Justin Bohon, and a stage manager or two.

Jersey Boys has Quinn VanAntwerp, Ryan Jesse, and lots of stagehands!

Updated On: 4/29/12 at 10:38 PM

[theaterfangirl]

Posted: 4/29/12 at 10:44pm

Nick Jonas has been playing and is the captain or manager of the How to Succeed team. Plus his brothers Kevin and Joe play on the team from time to time.

Nick really throws himself into the game if the pics on the league's facebook are anything to go by!

Fans do come out and watch the How to Succeed team, and Nick usually goes by and shakes hands/greets the fans on the way out.

There are pics from all the games on the league's facebook so you can see pics of who is playing http://www.facebook.com/broadwayshowleague

Updated On: 4/29/12 at 10:44 PM

[Vagabond Anarchist]

Posted: 4/29/12 at 11:09pm

Thanks for the link to the Facebook page! I had seen their site and Twitter account, but didn't know about the Facebook...

[sorano916]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 2:58am

I've gone to the American Idiot games the past seasons and they were happy to see the fans. Even allowed some of us to buy the softball hats that they had. Other company members and family members came out and we chatted & played with pet dogs that came out as well. Those games were lots of fun. The team was really competitive so you really wanted to cheer them on.

This season, I've only gone to the first preseason game which was Newsies vs. Once/Death of a Salesman. A little more than half of the Newsies team was cast members. I didn't recognize anyone from the Once/Death of a Salesman. I saw that Nick and Beau were playing on the H2$ team the next field over.

Honestly, the games are really for the company, crews, theatres, and unions and their families & friends instead of the fans. Unless it's a match-up that I want to see, I probably won't go again this season.