BWW Exclusive: Mickey Mantle Bound for Broadway in New Show

On March 1, 1969, Mickey Mantle announced his retirement from baseball. Today, exactly 44 years later, Danny and David Mantle are proud to announce their father's return to New York. Except this time, instead of playing in the the Bronx, he'll be on Broadway.

Danny and David Mantle have teamed up with award-winning writer/producer David Leaf ("The Night James Brown Saved Boston," "The U.S. Vs. John Lennon" and "Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson & The Story of SMILE") to bring the man they are proud to call "Dad" to the stage. With Leaf on board, the group will next be meeting with potential creative team members as their Broadway plans shape up.

Mickey Mantle, now a mythic figure and an eternal American icon, was one of the most charismatic athletes and figures in American sports and popular history, a man who became the hero of a generation. He embodied the American dream; Mantle lived a life of extraordinary success though much of his career was tempered by a long-string of injuries. The resulting self-inflicted sense of personal defeat led him through difficult years and finally, to an ultimate personal triumph, all played out in the public spotlight.

As a boy, Leaf saw Mantle play at Yankee Stadium; as a young reporter, he interviewed "The Mick" at Old-Timers Day. Leaf explains: "Mickey Mantle was my first hero. The lessons we learned from this Achilles in pinstripes, from his home-run swings and his go-for-broke misses on and off the field--- is clearly an epic tale, one that I've always wanted to explore. I'm thrilled that Danny and David Mantle are sharing their deepest memories of their dad and entrusting me to bring him to life, flaws and all, on the stage."

With the same kind of almost genetic honesty that their father displayed in the public arena, Danny and David Mantle have spent hours with David Leaf, candidly sharing the happy moments and sobering truths of what it was like to live with their dad. As David Mantle explains, "Our mom and dad were both very humble people from Oklahoma. To them, even NYC as a place was beyond any dream they could imagine. I know they would be so honored to know that the story of "The Mick" will be on stage there. " Danny Mantle adds, "There has been so much written about my dad over the years. When my brother and I met David Leaf, we felt we could work with him to finally tell the real story of who our dad was as a man. Late in his life, dad spoke openly about what he felt were his shortcomings when it came to our family. The truth is, he gave so much more to all of us than what he, or anyone else, gave him credit for. Now is our chance."