Photo: Elias Williams for The New York Times.
Derek Klena went from performing in front of theater crowds of around 1,000 people to nearly 70,000 baseball fans when he transitioned from Broadway to Savannah Bananas.
If you haven’t yet heard of the kooky baseball team the Savannah Bananas, let me be the first to introduce you. Today’s article focuses on a pitcher who never could choose between his love of baseball and his love of theater — until he realized he didn’t have to.
Jonathan Abrams reports at the New York Times, “Months ago, Klena joined the Savannah Bananas, the barnstorming baseball club that has become nothing short of a sensation with its playful take on America’s pastime. Joining the club known for both choreography and curveballs meant Klena had to put his Tony-nominated theater career on hold. But that doesn’t mean the drama had to stop.
“When a relief pitcher is summoned in the big leagues, his trip to the mound is often accompanied by a signature song. … A few days before the Bananas got ready to play at Yankee Stadium, Klena described his vision for an entrance: He’d come in from the Yankees bullpen, wearing a cloak and with a mask covering half of his face. He’d hold a lantern in one hand and a microphone in the other, singing his way onto the field. The Phantom of the Opera takes the mound.
“The only issue he foresaw was figuring out a boat apparatus attached to a power scooter to transport him and best replicate the musical’s famous scene.
“ ‘We’ll get to see what this boat adventure turns into,’ Klena, 34, said over breakfast a few days out from the Bananas games in New York. …
“Klena’s decision to join the Bananas is a snapshot of shifts in modern entertainment and how traditions are being upended. The Bananas have only been around for about a decade but, using a fan-first concept and bits tailor-made for social media, they easily sell out stadiums and appeal to a demographic that traditional baseball has struggled to reach.
The club has 11.5 million followers on TikTok, 4.2 million on Instagram and 2.5 million YouTube subscribers.
“ ‘Broadway has built its platform on being in the room to experience it,’ said Klena, who has starred in many shows. … ‘You have to go to New York. You have go to the theater. There’s something super special about that, and that’s what’s made Broadway so niche and it’s been the secret to its success for a long time. But the digital world has changed the way that people view things and how fast they can get them.’
“Klena is by no means giving up on theater and acting. He plans to audition for roles while with the Bananas as long as they fit into his demanding baseball schedule.
Growing up in Southern California, Klena’s childhood somewhat resembled that of Troy Bolton, the athlete-singer from “High School Musical” who struggled to balance his two devotions.
“John Klena, his father, coached him in baseball throughout much of his childhood. His presence helped whenever Derek Klena had to leave a game early to make a play or show. …
“In high school, John Klena could no longer be the buffer between coaches and directors. Derek Klena pursued theater outside of his schooling, and also pitched on the baseball team.
“ ‘I had a lot of traumatizing conversations with my coach about why I couldn’t make practice or why I was going to be late to things because I had theater.’ …
“He chose UCLA for college, joining the theater program. He also walked on the baseball team. … Eventually he reached a crossroads that had been approaching since childhood.
“ ‘I realized that it was going to be a pretty steep uphill climb to make any sort of dent in that pitching lineup,’ he said. …
“He entered a singing competition, landed an agent and received callbacks for auditions before landing a role in Carrie: The Musical, figuring he’d take a few months off from school.
“ ‘I’ve been out here now for about 14 years,’ he said.
“He met his future wife, Elycia Scriven, at UCLA. The pair moved to New York after Klena continued landing roles. He also joined the Broadway softball league and dominated.
“Klena’s talents landed him the attention of the songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who cast him as the lead in Dogfight, a musical about three young Marines preparing to deploy to Vietnam. A few years later he received a Tony nomination for his performance in Jagged Little Pill. Last year, Pasek and Paul suggested Klena to Jesse Cole, the founder of the Bananas. …
“Klena grabbed a mitt and took his family for a bullpen session. He found that his fastball still touched the 80s on the radar gun.
“ ‘Everything is a risk,’ he said of his decision. ‘And so why not take this risk on something that is going so well, it’s only growing, and it’s a proven concept, doing something that I know is built for me?’ “
More at the Times, here. If you want to read about the team’s choreographer, click at ESPN, here.
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