NATIONAL PASTIME Chosen for XXI State Theater Show of Jalisco, Mexico

On Friday, July 28th, the Jalisco Culture Secretariat announced the fifteen selected productions which would participate in historic XXI State Theater Show of Jalisco, Mexico, 2017. More than eighty shows throughout Mexico were considered, out of which fifteen were chosen, including National Pastime. With a book by Tony Sportiello and music and lyrics by Al Tapper, this marks the first time in more than twenty years that a musical has been selected into the famed contest. Managed by Avion de Papel and the director-producer Mauricio Cedeno, along with Algonquin Theater Productions. National Pastime will be presented September 5th with the original cast, who have donated their salaries in order for the production to be staged.

National Pastime is the story of WZBQ, a struggling radio station in 1933 Baker City, Iowa. The Depression has hit the area hard, and WZBQ is suffering along with everyone else. To increase ratings and boost the town's morale the station resorts to broadcasting the exploits of their home town Baker City Cougars, an unbeatable baseball team which is wiping the floor with all the teams throughout Europe. There's just one small problem. The team doesn't really exist! This being 1933 and this being radio, however, no one in Iowa is all the wiser. All is well with until Life Magazine stumbles into Baker City, hears the team on the radio and wants to do a story on the Cougars.

Photo courtesy of Guadalajara production