arts & entertainment
0
NEVER
STARTS
if Baseball Could Talk
Mitch Albom's new play is set on broadcaster
Ernie Harwell's last night at Comerica Park.
Suzanne Chessler
Contributing Writer
director and co-founder of the Williamston
Theatre in Williamston, Mich.
Will David Young, this season seen in
egendary baseball sportscaster
the Jewish Ensemble Theatre production
Ernie Harwell once wrote a for-
of Sonia Flew and in the upcoming film
ward for a book of Mitch Albom's
Highland Park with Danny Glover, por-
newspaper columns. Now, just about a
trays Ernie. TJ Corbett, a recent University
year after Harwell's death, Albom has
of Michigan–Flint theater graduate, who
come up with an afterword of sorts to
appeared in many main-stage productions,
honor his longtime friend.
is cast as Boy.
The sentiments take hold in the play
"The play takes place in the tunnel of
Ernie, a two-person, multimedia production Comerica Park just before Ernie is about
running April 28-June 26 at Detroit's City
to go out to give his goodbye speech,"
Theatre. The piece debuts near Comerica
explains Albom, whose earlier theater
Park, where Harwell announced game high- credits include Tuesdays With Morrie and
lights and Albom prepared to report them.
Duckhunter Shoots Angel.
"The play fleshes out Ernie as a wonder-
"Ernie is fully aware that he's dying and
ful human being even beyond the legend-
that it's about to be his last time at the sta-
ary figure that we've all come to know," says
dium. He is very much thinking about his
Albom, whose friendship with Harwell
mortality and where he is going.
deepened as the two traveled to Tiger
"The boy he encounters is a bit of a mag-
games outside the city
ical presence. He may be from the other
"People didn't know some early difficul-
side. There's quite a bit of that in this play,
ties Ernie had, like a childhood speech
and it probably wouldn't be one of my plays
impediment. They didn't know some sad
if it didn't have that."
moments during World War II, when he
Mixed with family images, the sports
had a bit of guilt because he was spared at
visuals come up on screens as if to show
the last minute from having to fight.
what Harwell is thinking.
"The public may have heard a little about
"Ernie and I were friends from the day he
the love Ernie had for his wife, Lulu, but
came up and introduced himself to me says
that really informed his whole life. All of his Albom, looking back over 25 years. "He told
decisions were mostly about what would be me that he always had wanted to be a sports-
best for the two of them."
writer, which was funny because all the
The play, an intimate conversation about
sportswriters wanted to be Ernie Harwell.
Ernie's life supplemented with family pic-
"Over the years, we had a million friendly
tures and dramatic footage from sports
chats on the field, in the broadcast booth
films, is directed by Tony Caselli, artistic
and in the press box. We sometimes talked
L
Jews
4m ook
a I
Nate Bloom
elm Special to the Jewish News
Sir
fot- Holy, Moses!
The annual ABC broadcast of The Ten
Commandments, starring Charlton
lour Heston as Moses, takes place 7 p.m.
it Saturday, April 23. Last month, a spe-
cial edition of the film was released
‘10 on Blu-ray. It includes lots of extras.
Heston's son, Fraser Heston, a writer
who participated in the project,
says it is not simply a re-issue: "It's
a complete shot-by-shot restora-
tion." Fraser
Heston, by
the way, was
3 months
old when he
appeared
as "Baby
Moses" in
Charlton Heston
the 1956
as Moses
film.
50 A
Play Ball
Here's this year's list of Hebrew Major
Leaguers. All the players below have
at least one Jewish parent and were
raised Jewish or secular. This list was
prepared with the aid of Jewish Sports
Review magazine.
On Major League ros-
ters are:
Ryan Braun, 27,
outfielder, Milwaukee.
The 2007 rookie of
the year, Braun has
made the All-Star
team every year
Ryan Braun
since 2008 and had
another outstanding
year in 2010, hitting
.304, with 25 hom-
ers;
Craig Breslow,
30, relief pitcher,
Oakland. He was
Craig Breslow
quite effective in
about music; I had wanted to be
a musician, and he was a song-
writer.
"One time, when I was over
at Ernie's house, he dug out an
TJ Corbett (Boy), Will David Young (Ernie Harwell),
old tape of composer Sammy
director Tony Caselli and playwright Mitch Albom
Fain playing a song, "One Sweet
Summer," they had written
man, intertwines the nature of baseball and
together. He was so proud of that."
the season.
Albom's personal memories of Harwell
"Ernie always came along when we
include seeing him walk around distant
needed a warming presence Albom says.
towns where the Tigers were playing, hold-
"When we heard him, we knew we were
ing the jump rope he used for morning
through with winter and going to have
exercises and heading for church services.
summer, fun and baseball again.
"We talked a lot about faith,"Albom
"I always said if baseball could talk, it
recalls. "He was a very faithful person.
would sound like Ernie Harwell, sort of
Ernie, being a very clear and vocal
laconic, relaxed, old and wise, and the actor
Christian and knowing that I am Jewish,
conveys all that.
never made me — or anybody of a differ-
"Each year, Ernie brought us back to our
ent faith— feel we didn't understand.
youth like the Good Humor man. Who is
"Our last public conversation was at the
ever not happy to see the Good Humor man
Fox Theatre, when my book Have a Little
coming down the street? That was Ernie.
Faith came out. We talked about heaven and
"I think people will see the love I have
what he thought it was going to be, and I
for Ernie because it's on every page of the
bring that spirituality into the play."
script." II
Albom, in some ways, addressed the
play as unfinished business. He had been
Ernie runs Thursdays-Sundays, April
asked by Harwell to take on the project.
28-June 26, at the City Theatre inside
"Ernie got too sick so we really
the Hockeytown Cafe in Detroit. Times
couldn't do it together,"Albom says. "That
vary among afternoon and evening
last promise, along with our friendship,
performances (which make it easy
became the motivation for the play."
to attend Tiger games). $20-$25 (a
As Albom developed the dialogue, he
portion of the proceeds will benefit
turned to Lulu Harwell for her reaction.
Harwell's most-loved charities) with $5
"She was kind and loving about what I
redemption savings on Tiger games.
read," he says.
Info: (313) 471-6611. Tickets: (800) 745-
The play, as it shows the nature of the
3000; www.olympiaentertainment.com .
2010, notching 5 saves in 75 appear-
ances. The former captain of the Yale
University baseball team, he has a
degree in biophysics and biochem-
istry. In January, the Sporting News
named him the "smartest profession-
al athlete" in any pro sport;
Ike Davis, 23, first basemen, New
York Mets. In his rookie season, Davis
did well, hitting .264 with 71 RBIs.
Plus, he can field;
Sam Fuld, outfielder, Tampa Bay.
Fuld played only 19 games with the
Cubs last season and was traded to
Tampa in the off-season. He's on the
roster as the fourth outfielder;
John Grabow, 32, relief pitcher,
Chicago Cubs. He suffered a serious
knee injury in 2010. The team is hoping
he'll return to form;
Ian Kinsler, 28, second base, Texas.
Kinsler, who put up All-Star numbers
during his first four seasons, was
injured for much of 2010 and his hitting
stats were way down;
Jason Marquis,
pitcher, Washington
Nationals. Alternately
brilliant and inef-
fective during his
10-year MLB career,
Marquis was out for
Jason Marquis
a good part of the
2010 season with
injuries. He did show good control at
the very end of 2010;
Danny Valencia, 26, third base,
Minnesota. He was called up to the
big club in June and had a good rook-
ie season, hitting .311;
Kevin Youkilis, 32, Boston. He was
a 2010 All-Star and was posting his
usual great numbers when an injury
on Aug. 2 sidelined him for the rest
of 2010. Fl
Contact Nate Bloom at
middleoftheroadl@aoLcom.