Lombardi!
Posted at 6:00 AM on April 19, 2010
by Dale Connelly
(47 Comments)
Plans have been made to bring a play to the New York stage about legendary Packers football coach and inspirational quote geyser Vince Lombardi.
The show is expected to open this fall and the impossible dream being dreamt by marketers is that men will attend this theatrical production of their own free will - always a question in the world of the footlights.
The strategy must seem familiar to elementary school teachers and librarians. You can count on the girls to read fiction about almost anything while many boys will only consider picking up a book if it's about sports, preferably someone real and famous.
So good luck to the director, cast and producers of Lombardi! And if it succeeds as a drama, why not swing for the fences and turn it into a musical? The coach was all about striving and reaching for the seemingly unattainable. Making a success of that would be a real achievement.
I can see the coach now, leading a platoon of helmeted warriors while riding on the back of an offensive tackle as he emerges into the early morning sunshine from a cornfield alongside a verdant late summer pasture.
In Oklahoma. Or somewhere like it. Sing along if you dare!
There's a bright golden haze on the meadow!
There's a bright golden haze on the meadow!
Let's paint it with numbers and marks down the side
One hundred yards lengthwise and fifty yards wide!Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day!
Follow me boys, while repeating all of the stuff that I say!You'll succeed if you are not a quitter.
You'll succeed if you are not a quitter.
If your practice is perfect then perfect you'll be.
And winning is everything. You can quote me!Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day!
I'll work you like dogs and no cheating!
Everything must go my way!A good loser is still just a loser.
A good loser is still just a loser.
If you're knocked to your knees you must get up again.
And achieve the impossible. Broadway for men!Oh What a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day!
That was the two minute warning! Suit up and let's run the play!
If this succeeds, there's no limit to the guy topics that might be staged.
Or is there?
Suggestions?
Comments (47)
Football... that's the game they play with the oval, orangish brown ball?
Beer!- the hip hops musical.
good morning, All-
Dale, great song. well, then the sequel would be the Vikings coach - ummmmmm, ya know the guy with the crew cut who never smiled??
and then one about the guy who owns (?) the Yankees and fires everyone? but he'd probably fire the whole play cast several times and it would never get off the ground.
big day - i've gotta "fix" Loki and then i need a root canal. don't know which will be more icky (well, Loki does)
over and out; hope your day is more enjoyable! :-)
Barb...sorry to hear about your day...you will get pain killers, but will Loki?
NASCAR, there just has to be an opera in the story of Dale and Junior Earnhart.
Beth-Ann, you are pretty sharp for this early in the morning-cheers to you.
Good Luck Barb.
Can't wait to check in tonight and see what happens this morning.
Good Morning All,
I don't think I will be at any Lombardi productions, especially if they are musicals. I like going to the theatre, but not usually musicals and I don't think any one at my house would go with me to a musical about football. Musicals about sports of any kind probably wouldn't be favored.
Well, the big guy thing, other than sports, I think is motorized vehicals. Can you make a play about motor cycles or 4 wheel drive trucks? I don't have iether of these, but they seem to be the major type of male thing around here. How about a show about dirt track race cars or dragsters?
Catherine and Jim,
You could be Broadway experts. One of the articles I read said the geniuses running Broadway consideer the holy grail of guy-centric stage ideas to be "Nascar - The musical". No one can figure out how to do it, but if they could, they would.
the world series of poker the musical, fight to the death in a cage match the musical. dancing with the stars the musical, survivor, the musical, csi the musical, mash the musical, gunsmoke the musical aapr the musical, shuffleboard the musical, spongebob squarepants the musical,(you have to appeal to all the age groups these days) golf the musical, cigar smoking and sigle malt whiskey the musical, goats in space the musical. it just goes on and on....
for the nascar musical i think you just channel roger miller to come back and do an encore to big river of mark twain fame. maybe you get lyle lovett to record the soundtrack with his large band. i can almost hear the main hooks in the tunes now. stp home depot and skoal who could ask for more inspiring topice of the art.
Greetings! Lombardi! the musical sounds ... um, interesting. Vince Lombardi was a god in Green Bay when I was growing up and was my hero next to Bart Starr, Ray Nitzchke, Jerry Kramer, etc. He truly was a great man. While a musical is a wonderful tribute to him, they better do it well.
Tim seems to have covered most other manly subjects for a musical. For my boys, it would have to be about computers. Maybe an epic opera of Apple vs Microsoft, Yahoo vs Google, etc. My husband loves the music of "Chess."
Tim...golf the musical...the Tiger Woods story is a natural! Of course...sports, love, betrayal, redemption...of course, I can hardly wait!
How about a karate musical? Your boys would like that, wouldn't they, Joanne?
I got it -- just make a musical of Beach Boys music! California girls, hot rods, cruising, surfing, etc. Like Mama Mia, just put their songs together and write a story to fit. Don't get me wrong, I love Mama Mia. The movie with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth is wonderfully fun.
We just need some angel investors and we're good to go!
How about bridging the gender gap by doing a show about a women's sport team?
Good Morning all! As far as musicals go, Damn Yankees is about baseball - but it is about a loser who makes good - cinderella in a baseball uniform, so to speak, so maybe that is why it is successful?
I've noticed that a lot of present day coaches hold some kind of paper in front of their mouths when they speak to the players while the game is in progress. I thnk that is due to the scandal of some years back involving opponents reading lips of the coaches and stealing the game plan, or some such thing. Seems like it would be hard to inspire and encourage your players with a clipboard in front of your face. Maybe that is why the story is about Lombardi and not a current coaching personality?
BTW - thanks for changing the font style/size in the comments box! Yay! It is much to work with.
easier to see
A karate musical -- that's perfect! That lends itself quite well actually, as karate can be rather theatrical. And the Kung Fu fighting and Tang Soo Do dancing would be amazing!
i love the beach boys doner like mama mia but we'd better hurry.t he audience is getting feeble and will have to totter to the theaters soon before the socoal security checks start coming out in food stamps instead of negotiable currency. i was laughing the other day because the zoo has a bunch of great concerts coming this summmer at least 10 shows i love to go to and i lookup the ticket prices and the first one is 30 and thats not horrible then the second is 37 and the third is 65 asnd the forth is 45 and the 30 was the exception to the rule. 37 ids the average and the 40 range is reality. pair of tickets and a coke is 100 bucks. i am feeling like my dad a lot lately where he used to talk about penny candy and a car for 900 dollars. i now look at those nickle candy bars and packes of gum for 50 cents and the pack of cigarettes for 7.00 ( i said i would quit when they hit 35 cents back when i started in the 60's) . thank goodness i was able to quit it would be a 20 dollar a day habbit today.
the kids go to a concert and the price is 50-100 dollars for a known name and they think that is the correct price. broadway musical prices are up there too. 70 to 150 per ticket. you have to big a big time charlie to ask a spouse out on a date these days. i'd enjoy the beach boys but you need to factor in the nascar mania and the number one dollar destination of consuming public below the mason dixon line with some serious leaching over to the north. bud light is king and will farrell gets 20 million for a movie.
I don't think we've hit on "Power Tools: A Drilling Tragedy" or "Paint Your Tool Bench"...maybe "Hammerdance"? "Home Depot Story?"
Alternately, perhaps we could convince Kevin Kling to rewrite his "Ice Fishing Play" as a musical...
Good point, Teri.
It does look silly for football coaches to cover their mouths while talking on the sidelines. But if you incprorated that into a musical, you could cast non-singers in the coach roles! Maybe even the actual coaches could play themselves. They wouldn't even have to lip synch! Just hold your play book in front of your mouth until the song is over.
or go at it from the quote perspective and do yogi the musical, fdr the musical, jfk the musical, bob dylan the musical, winston churchill the musical, arnold schwartenager the musical, jesse ventura the musical, joe biden the musical. obama the musical (timing is everything today is the day for that one)
see you later, i'm off to start the score of obama the early years.
have a great spring week. this is glorious. i am loving life in minnesota in 2010. i had an old guitar teacher tell me to be sure to enjoy april and may because they are the only month we get in minnesota where its not too hot, too hmid , too many bugs, where you can just sit on the porch and enjoy the glory of the surroundings, i have made it a point to notice every year and he was correct. bugs may be early this year, get out and enjoy it now.
dale, the clipboard idea is unbelievable. have ernie borgnine on the sideline with pavarotti coming out of his mouth.
anna the power tool concept is the perfect guy bait.
Or maybe a musical about cars and car mechanics... of course there's already one called Grease, but a different kind of grease...
I'll check in later, Husband wants computer.
But you're all leaving some of us out! Why not "Sensitive New Age Guys - The Musical?" Or better yet, "Sensitive New Age Guys on Ice."
Be careful with your response. You wouldn't want to hurt my feelings.
Walked into a too busy Monday. Good morning, all!
Do you think men would be attracted to the Goats in Space show that Radio Heartlanders have talked about? Perhaps the goats could play football in space.
but we already have those sensative new age guys going to the theater.we are trying to suck in the new guys. maybe if you redid the theater with lazyboy recliners a 6 pack a channel changer, a bag of chips and a wife in the other room you could attract them that way. no wait they already have that...
i just saw that burger king is doing the guys who build those macho motorcycles on cable tv as their toy prize this month. thats just the crowd we are after. the group who wants their kids to be fantisizing about choppers and becoming parapalegics. how about mach the musical. and try to combine it all under one roof.
I'm coming in late to the discussion, but wanted to add my theatrical experience to the mix. The broadway producers -- who love to rework the tried and true -- should just consider updating the musical "Working" based on Studs Terkel's book, and add a few more "guy" career choices. Or, better yet, since there are probably more guys (willing to attend a musical or play) who work in offices, they should start with the "How to Succeed in Business..." theme, and base a show around an office worker who "day-dreams" of working in other "manly" careers with production numbers based on him being a football player, construction worker, lumberjack and, yes, maybe even a Nascar driver! Now THAT would be a show!!
Mary B-K... welcome to comments today! I'm seeing a part for The Village People in your production!
Dale and Tim - inspired thinking! The musical could be called "Clipboard!" . The clipboard could be the trademark, the ICON up in lights on Broadway; it could be the symbol employed throughout the play in every way imaginable; clipped language; video clips; clipped wings; clipped hair; eclipses, papercliips, nail clippers, clipper ships - it's endless! Wait a minute - what's the story about again? Oh yes, football. Hmm, might have to re-think this a bit.
I happen to be a little more bitter than usual this morning. (I was trying to buy a used car over the phone and online and the sales guy sold it out from under me.) So, we want guys to go to a musical? I was intially tempted by names like, "Beach Blanket Boneheads," and "Cirque du Jerk." But that wouldn't actually entice guys into the doors. If "Boobs! The Musical (2003)" didn't bring them in, it's going to be a real uphill battle. Let's see...someone could try:
The FREE BEER Review
She Won't Stop Bugging You Until You Take Her To A Musical Musical
and, of course,
HEY, WATCH THIS!!!
There is a male musical Paint Your Wagon. Why else would anyone have Clint Eastwood sing--sort of--but for the male crow. We could do an update combining TGITH's idea and called Les Grande Tetons.
How about movies that are guy things and not so much macho things (Guy is combination of tools/tech and stupidity. Such as Punkin Chunkin or blowing up vaccuum cleaners or lawn mower races.
Just to get the bad taste out of my mouth for mentioning it, could you play someone besides Clint singing "They Call the Winds Maria"?
TGiTH -- surely you jest -- was there really "Boobs - the Musical" in 2003? Funny, I never saw that on the Tony Awards. (yes, I'm gullible)
Clyde - did Clint seriously sing in a musical? Although I'm always surprised by the multi-talented folks that show up on TV shows from Broadway. "Les Grande Tetons" -- {snort} way funny.
Inspired surreality again today!
Joanne,
I will sprinkle in the truthful ridiculous with my made-up nonsensical ravings. From Wikipedia:
Boobs! The Musical: The World According to Ruth Wallis[1] is a musical revue with lyrics and music by 1950s and 1960s star Ruth Wallis.[2] Using 23 of Wallis' songs combined with comedy skits, Boobs! also told the story of Ruth Wallis' international career and struggles in performing her naughty songs. Boobs! The Musical opened at the Triad Theater in New York City on May 19, 2003 to critical praise and eventually transferred to Dillon's Reprise Room; by closing date it had played nearly 300 performances. It had subsequent long runs in New Orleans (2004) and Wichita (2005). Lawrence Leritz was producer and choreographer, Donna Drake, director. Also notable were the costumes by J. Kevin Draves and Robert Pease, and the set by Eric Harriz. Book by Steve Mackes and Michael Whaley. Boobs! The Musical won the 2005 New Orlean's Big Easy Award & Ambie Award and Lawrence Leritz was nominated for the 2004 Mac Awards for Best Musical Revue.
Boobs! first had a workshop at The Pulse Ensemble Theatre on the Off Broadway 42nd Street Theatre Row in Dec. 2000. Various notable cast members from the three New York productions included J. Robert Spencer, Jenny-Lynn Suckling, Robert Hunt, Kristy Cates, Clyde Alves, Alena Watters, Brad Bradley, and the New York theatre debut of Gennifer Flowers.
Musical Numbers Include:
Boobs!
The Dinghy Song
Man Of My Own
All The Clowns
Pizza Every Night
Johnny's Yo Yo
Ugly Man With Money
I Know
Love Is For The Birds
Drill 'Em All
Always Be A Bride
Awards and Nominations:
2004 Mac Awards Best Musical Revue (Lawrence Leritz, nominee)
2005 Big Easy Awards Best Musical (Lawrence Leritz, All Kinds of Theatre, nominees)
2005 Big Easy Awards Best Costumes (Winner)
2005 Big Easy Awards Best Musical Director (Harry Mayronne, nominee)
2005 Big Easy Awards Best Director (Carl Walker, nominee)
2005 Ambie Awards Best Ensemble Cast (Winners: Becky Allen, Maureen Brennan, Bob Edes, Jr., Ann Mahoney, Robert Thomas, Chris Wecklein)
2006 Teall Awards Best Musical (Lawrence Leritz, Cabaret Oldtown, nominees)
2006 Teall Awards Best Choreography (nominee)
Yikes ... I stand corrected. Just goes to show ya ... can't judge a musical by it's name.
Who knew? Thanks for that laugh, TGITH.
And Mary, I do like Working!
The obvious one to me is War: the Musical. Not sure how far I want to go into it, though.
Joanne--both Eastwood and Lee Marvin sang in it. Personally I think Cirque du Jerk is the line of the day.
Bowling Musical (Bowdlerized Version)
Title: Belch!!
Opening Chorus (male bowlers and female bowlers and waitresses): Stinky Socks and Stale Beer; the Bowling Alley Shuffle
Locker room Number (Males Only): No Women in Here (a cappella with a belched chorus))
Closing Chorus (all): I Do on Lane 2 or Free Beer and Pork Cracklings
Male Lead: Rooster McCree, brick layer, captain of bowling team The Hod Hogs
Solos:
Three Fingers Are All I need (A la Merle Haggard)
She Picks Up My Splits
She’s Got Me Rolling Gutter Balls (Al la Johnny Cash)
Female Lead: Bootsie Cologne, all-night short order cook and lone bowler
Solos:
Tough Jerky and Rented Shoes (Blues Number)
Oh, When He Picks Up His Ball from the Return
Dare I Try the 3-Step Approach (polka)
Duets:
Life with You Would Be Turkeys Forever
Let’s Start a Mixed League
OMG - the dentist song! Isn't that from Little Shop of Horrors? Was that Steve Martin singing? That movie was so over the top, it was hysterical.
Clyde - love your ideas for Bowling Musical. It could work! Workshop it ...
Cly de peelare - My husband wants to buy tickets to 'Belch!'. I think your approach is working.
Lets not forget the world of Super Heros...
They already tried 'Spider Man' the musical...
The perils of sitting at a computer all day long and not being able to go to the blog.
I assume that after Starlight Express (in which all the performers race around on rollerskates), getting insurance for the NASCAR musical would be astronomical. My understanding was that it wasn't so bad on Braodway, but once that thing started to tour, the workman's comp involved was notable.
There is a fun show called Pump Boys and Dinettes about the guys at the gas station and the sisters who ran the diner next door. One of the sisters wails on a song called I Need a Vacation that really captures the essence of that idea.
I'm thinking on the possibilities of at least a power tool cantata, if you couldn't manage a fully staged production.
Clyde - I'm impressed, and laughing aloud.
Catherine - yes, maybe if we aim for one good number, it could actually happen.
Dale - just heard the 2nd hour of Saturday's show, and I've gotta say it was amazing. Peter Mayer is always wonderful, and I'm really drawn to Anais Mitchell's music and style... gonna listen again to the show, so glad we can do that!
Catherine--don't know if you will pick this up, but I have been thinking of PB & D all day too as a model. Best song in there--Farmer Tan. We saw it in a dinner theater once with very talented people who did everything themselves--band and music--incredible evening.
Good morning, Clyde!
Farmer Tan-oh the memories. Did a production in Madison at the late, great Madison Rep years ago. Our Farmer Tan guy was also the accordian player, so we had to rig his shirt to get ripped off while he was playing- about 75 little snaps on several seams did it.
One of my finer moments in costuming.
When you are ready to produce the bowling musical, call me to do the shirts-the Hod Hogs-inspired and inspiring.
clyde
belch is your finest. well done.
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