Batter Up
17 Men, 2 Women, 2 Boys, 5 Girls, Chorus
2 acts, 94 pages
17 songs
Ever wonder just what made “Mighty Casey” strike out that memorable day in Muddville? Ever think you could find out while simultaneously being entertained by the citizens of Muddville? Based on Ernest Thayer's immortal poem, “Casey at the Bat”, Batter Up reveals the answer, and then shows what happened next. The show barrels breathtakingly along in song and dance and guarantees a full evening’s entertainment for the whole family. Be sure and step up to the plate for this one and "Play ball!"
Cast of Characters
- Casey Carmichael. A good man, a great baseball player, and a rotten gambler. He owes big time for bad bets. He loves Alice Fowler, the owner’s daughter.
- Skipper Martin. Team rep and Casey’s buddy. A serious person.
- Alice Fowler. The boss’s daughter and Casey’s betrothed. Perhaps a little spoiled, but a good woman at heart.
- Wanda May Jones. Skipper’s girlfriend and a big flirt.
- Devon Fowler. Team owner. He is fair and tough, but begrudges every dime he has to spend. He’s also a little dyslexic. Colonel Sanders meets Ted Turner.
- “Whiskers” McDonald. The team manager, an old geezer. “You shoulda been there when...”
- Sally Carmichael. Young runaway girl who wants to be a batboy. An extremely independent type, won’t take help from anybody. Fairly complicated person for her age, and just happens to be Casey’s niece.
- Joey Walker. A boy who idolizes Casey. Head batboy. He also is the most derisive voice keeping Sally from being accepted.
- “Teddy Bear” Owens. Bookie/gangster to whom Case owes a large sum of money. Thinks he’s anything but a Teddy Bear, but really a bit of comic character.
- “Boo-Boo” MacGruder. Teddy Bear’s muscle. Large, slow and large.
- Catfish Beauregard. The pitcher. It's his real name. Mama named him that so’s he’d be a baseball player, which he is.
- Phillippe Rodriguez. Short, fast, second base. A ladies’ man.
- “Inyo” Carver. “In yo’ face” all the time. Got an attitude.
- “Shortstuff” Dixon. The shortstop.
- Homer Post. Batboy and Joey’s sidekick.
- Other Muddville Players. As cast.
- Batpersons. Cecil/Cecilia, Jack/Jacqueline, Oscar/Oscar, Billy, Leroy, Marvin.
- “Tex” Barker. Game Announcer
- Shelley Rogers. Color Commentator. Also does on field interviews
- Umpire
- Opposing Team’s Catcher
- Policeman
- Muddvillians
Musical Numbers
“Batter Up”
“We Can Do It”
“You’re My Necessary”
“Wanda May (And Wanda May Not)”
“Bull Pen”
“No Place Like Home”
“A Deal You Can’t Refuse”
“What Money Won’t Buy”
“Any Old Country Boy”
“Casey At the Bat”
“And In the End”
“I Guess It’s Okay”
“If a Girl Could”
“If a Girl Could (Reprise)”
“No Strike Zone”
“And in the End” (Reprise)"
“Casey At the Bat (Reprise)"
“No Place Like Home (Finale)"
Running Time. 1 hour, 50 minutes, plus an intermission
Set. There are two set locations: the locker room of the Mudville Nine, and the stadium. We have always put the crowd behind the batter, with the Mudville dugout on either side. During play, we only see the current batter, with the catcher and umpire behind him.
Read an excerpt.
Performance Video. View a video of a production at Renaissance Theatre in Huntsville, Alabama in 2007.
