Bull Durham – A Musical about Love and Baseball

Oct 24, 2025 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Two Sues on the Aisle, Susie Rosenbluth and Sue Weston

Bull Durham The Musical reinvents the classic 1988 MGM film, taking center stage at The Paper Mill Playhouse through November 2. Both the film and musical were written by Ron Shelton, drawn from his career in minor league baseball. On the surface, the story is simple: “Crash” Davis (Nik Walker), a veteran catcher, is sent to a minor league team in North Carolina, the Durham Bulls, to mentor a rookie pitcher, “Nuke” LaLoosh (Will Savarese). The two become rivals for the heart of longtime baseball fan Annie Savoy (Carmen Cusack). This show digs deep, going beyond the glitz and excitement of the game, exploring the drive and determination needed to succeed.

Bull Durham The Musical shares the sacrifices these hard-hitting baseball players made to reach ‘The Show’ (the majors) amid a myriad of amazing dance numbers that show the athleticism of these talented performers. We felt the sense of being at a baseball game, as the stage transforms into a pseudo-stadium complete with bleachers, a Mascot throwing T-shirts into the audience, and we joined the audience in singing a chorus of Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

Bull Durham is the perfect fusion of theater and sports.

Stereotypical Baseball Players

Shelton pokes fun at the characterization of baseball players as being shallow, and childlike men who think that every reference must be baseball-related (trying to guess which team Walt Whitman played on), with limited awareness of culture and literature. Their entire focus centers on reaching ‘The Show’, suggesting that baseball players are singularly focused and shallow.

He shows how players are coached to use scripted language when responding to questions like “I’m happy to be here. I hope I can help the ball club” as a standard response, even for unrelated questions. They are superstitious, especially when they are on a winning streak. And they spend so much time on the road that their longest relationships can be measured in days.

These subtle, funny bits left us smiling.

Annie, who teaches literature, exploits the players’ naivety. Each year, she selects one ‘boy toy’ as her project to help improve their performance. These short-term relationships avoid commitment and complications. This season, she is choosing between Nuke the young stallion and Crash, the seasoned veteran. But Crash is not like the other players. He is well-read and her intellectual equal.

Success and Happiness

Annie and Crash use different approaches to help Nuke gain control over his pitches.  Annie offers silly advice, like telling him to breathe through his eyes and wear a garter under his uniform, both of which he does. Crash is practical, insisting that Nuke is overthinking and encouraging him to change up his pitches, instead of trying to strike everyone out. When the team learns that Crash had been in the majors (for a few weeks), he gains their respect, which leads to their first winning streak. He reminds the players not to change anything while they are winning (which includes abstinence).

Success changes everything and positions Annie, Crush, and Nuke on a trajectory to find true happiness.

Amazing Performances by All

Everyone in the cast was a standout. We really enjoyed their elaborate dance numbers, with flips and jumps, while juggling baseball bats. The leads Annie, Nuke, and Crash were great, connecting on stage with an intensity that made the scenes feel genuine.

Cudos to Susan Werner, who wrote the music and lyrics, and to choreographer Joshua Bergasse, whose dances combined athleticism with gymnastics, challenging the ensemble to bring their A game. Derek McLane’s scenic designs brought the ballfield into the theater, complete with a replica of the smoking bull.

Just as Crash and Annie turn Nuke into an ace pitcher, Bull Durham The Musical transforms the film into a stage sensation, providing a non-traditional way for non-sports fans to experience the joys of baseball.

We hope they can build the momentum needed to take the Bull Durham all the way to “The Show”.

---

Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) to see the play, show, film, book, or exhibit being reviewed.

Bull Durham The Musical  received 4 Challahs

It will be at The Paper Mill Playhouse through November 2

Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes (including an intermission)