It's a Baseball meets Broadway roundtable! In this week's episode, our host Al Malafronte calls some All-Star panelists to The Batter's Box to discuss all things topical in the baseball and Broadway world.
Co-captaining the panel alongside Malafronte is someone who's been instrumental in the baseball and theatre crossover world. With diverse experience in both acting and athletics, his knowledge and expertise on both fronts are truly invaluable. It's with great pleasure to reintroduce Scotty Katzmann to the Batheads, as our special guest in Episode 18. Scotty is one of the co-founders of our podcast, and the show’s original co-host going back to when it was recorded in Malafronte’s apartment while the two would order a pizza and watch the Yankee game during the spring and summer of 2019. Although a lot has changed with the podcast since his last BPN co-hosting appearances in Episodes 1 and 5, its spirit in which he helped create remains fully intact, and that shines through in this episode.
Also joining Malafronte and Katzmann on the panel were:
Ellen Adair: Ellen is a veteran in the acting world who has an “unhealthy obsession with baseball,” as she reveals in this episode. Her acting credits include appearances on Billions, Homeland, and The Sinner, and in recent months, she’s become a regular on many fantasy baseball podcasts, as well as a guest host on the MLB Network.
Brittany Bigelow: Brittany is the host of A Broad’s Way on the BPN which explores the unpredictability of life in the theater business and how to find your sense of self through it all. With an acting background of her own, her perspective on performance and the state of the industry is both refreshing and needed.
Among the topics discussed in this episode:
• The Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal.
• What could serve as Broadway's equivalent of a fantasy baseball league.
• The roots of one’s passion for sports and the arts.
• Baseball’s Hall of Fame voting results.
• Beetlejuice unjustly being kicked out of the Winter Garden Theatre.
• Malafronte and Katzmann calling the Commissioner of Major League Baseball to task over his agenda to boost TV ratings at the expense of the record books through juiced baseballs.
• How the politics of baseball and Broadway can impact its performers.
• Broadway’s love affair with the Yankees' All-Star and flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman.
• Katzmann’s love of the song 'Barbara 2.0' from Beetlejuice, and how he associates it with putting everything on the line in a big game.
Connect with Scotty Katzmann on Instagram: @ghostface_scootah
Connect with Ellen Adair on Instagram: @ellenadairig
Connect with Brittany Bigelow on Instagram: @brittanymbigelow
Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast