Slugger Mickey Mantle Focus of New Broadway Play
The sons of baseball great Mickey Mantle intend to bring their father’s life story to Broadway.
Danny and David Mantle announced that they have teamed up with writer and producer David Leaf to create a new stage show devoted to the life of Mickey Mantle. No other information has yet been announced, but the Mantles and Leaf will begin meeting with potential creative team members to form a plan to bring the show to Broadway.
“Mickey Mantle was my first hero,” Leaf told BroadwayWorld.com. “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.”
Danny Mantle also spoke about his father, as well as working with Leaf.
“There has been so much written about my dad over the years,” he said. “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.”
David Mantle said the show would honor both his mother and father.
“Our mom and dad were both very humble people from Oklahoma,” he said. “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.”