Picture an unusual crossover where the glittery shimmer of Broadway meets the sweat and grime of a basketball court—where 6-inch nothing figures named Magic and Bird hustle, jostle and shoot hoops, while a certain Michael Jordan leads the charge. Yes, you read it right! But hold your horses, it's not THAT Michael Jordan—it's a running gag in the off-kilter storyline of a musical comedy. The mastermind behind this audacious mashup? Daryl Morey, the team president of the Philadelphia 76ers and a closet musical aficionado!
In the heart of Philadelphia, just off Broad Street, Morey has ventured off the beaten track of traditional theatre to craft a kind of 'slam dunk' mash-up that seems so absurd yet fascinating in its conception. Childhood dreams of strutting his stuff in musical theatre have culminated into the creation of - dare I say it - a basketball-themed musical.
A cheeky idea that came to life when a Houston theater group probed him about the prospect of doing a musical. He presented them an outline of a bizarre script, which was then wisely discarded. What emerged from the rubble of this discarded outline was 'Small Ball'. A play set on the fictional Lilliput Island out of 'Gulliver’s Travels', depicting a small team with towering basketball ambitions.
Morey, along with his companions Mickle Mahler, Merel Van Dijk, and Anthony Barilla, brought this intriguing spectacle to life. Since its initial performances in Houston and Denver, “Small Ball” has steadily been making its way up the east coast with the inevitable destination - The Big Apple.
“Musicals, for those who are real fans, take a long time,” said Morey, who considers himself something of a trivia savant when it comes to musical theatre. A part of his life he humorously refers as an 'embarrassing fact'. When it comes to his production, things are just as intriguing. Our eponymous hero is actually a ‘washed-up basketball’ player with a coincidental claim to fame—sharing his name with the renowned NBA superstar.
“Small Ball” isn’t just about its unconventional premise—it’s a deeply layered narrative about life’s twists and turns, its trials and triumphs, and about how our passions can help us navigate difficult times. The acts are deceptively simple, channeling the syntax and feel of NBA press conferences, creating an immersive experience for the audience. These are not vague songs about love lost or won—these are songs that hit close to the bone, dialogue that bristles with honesty and authenticity.
“First you lose/Then they make you talk about your losing. First you fail/Then they make you say just how you failed,” serenades one riveting number in its evocative lyrics.
And coming up next? Morey hopes to lure 76ers coach Nick Nurse into the audience, a subtle jab at Nurse's claim that Philadelphia's sports fans aren't too concerned about the next big musical.
So slam that ball, side-step that defender, and let's see how high Morey can leap with this ambitious endeavor. Will basketball transport Morey to the busy streets and blinding lights of Broadway?
In his own words, “Cool but different. Maybe just different.” Indeed, Daryl Morey, indeed. Who knows where the road will lead, but one thing’s for sure: whatever happens, it’s bound to be a show tickling both sport and theater lovers alike!
