Mickey Mantle's life story becoming a Broadway show
The Mickey Mantle legacy is moving from Yankee Stadium to the Broadway Stadium (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
BroadwayWorld.com announced that Danny and David Mantle have teamed up with award-winning producer David Leaf to create a Broadway show about their father's life. The announcement came on the same day that Mickey Mantle announced his retirement from baseball 44 years ago.
Mantle's sons and Leaf will be meeting with potential team members as their Broadway plans shape up.
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."
Mantle was exceptionally successful on the field, as a seven-time World Series Champion and three-time MVP. He ranks first all-time among switch hitters in home runs with 536. As famous as he was on the field, Mantle was equally known for his troubled lifestyle off the field as a ladies man and an alcoholic.
Danny Mantle said the Broadway show will be his chance to tell the world about his father.
"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."
There is currently no known timetable for casting or production of the show.