Behind the scenes during rehearsal of 'National Pastime' playing at Bucks County Playhouse in April

1DANIELLA MIA DINIZ_MATTHEW BAUMAN_MICHAEL DEAN MORGAN_SPENCER PLACHY_WILL BLUM_STEPHANIE GIBSON_KELLI MAGUIRE

(L to R) Daniella Mia Diniz, Matthew Bauman, Michael Dean Morgan, Spencer Plachy Will Blum, Stephanie Gibson, and Kelly Maguire (Photo: Mandee Kuenzle)

As you can see from the photo to the left and those below, rehearsals are well underway in New York City for National Pastime, a new musical comedy about baseball and romance, playing April 2 to 19 at Bucks County Playhouse.

With music and lyrics by Albert M. Tapper and book by Tony Sportiello, National Pastime is choreographed by Lorin Latarro and directed by Hunter Foster, both Artistic Associates at BCP, where last season they collaborated on the hit musical Ain’t Misbehavin’.

The play is set in 1933 small-town Iowa, and follows the antics of Barry, the owner of the local radio station WZBQ, as he tries to save it from going under. His first formidable foe is Karen, WZBQ’s co-owner, who wants to sell the station. Will a crazy scheme involving baseball change Karen’s mind, and might she fall in love in the process? National Pastime is a musical valentine to love, baseball and the American dream, and is reminiscent of musicals from Broadway’s golden age.