Performers Needed for "The Bad News Bears: A Musical"

The Voice of the Sunland City Middle Valley County Baseball League for twenty-three years — and he will tell you this, unprompted, at length, along with updates on his intestinal health, his wife's cooking, and his complicated feelings about bok choy. McKeever loves this league with the earnestness of a man who has no other options, and his color commentary is the show's Greek chorus: absurd, specific, weirdly moving. Baritone or character tenor.

Small and scrappy, Tanner's got a brutal Napoleon complex. The big difference is that Napoleon commanded an army, while Tanner's fly-off-thehandle nature leaves him pretty isolated. He comes from a long line of juvenile delinquents who grew up into adult delinquents. He makes up for his short stature with a big mouth, and while he'll be the first one to make fun of you, he's also the first to defend his teammates. Tenor.

Ahmad loves baseball the way some people love a religion: with total, borderline-delusional devotion. His athletic talent, unfortunately, has not kept pace with his passion. He compensates with a rich fantasy life involving multiple tours of combat duty and a dramatic personal history that no one believes but no one can disprove. Tenor.

The brainy, philosophical strategist of the Bad News Bears, more comfortable spouting baseball stats than swinging a bat. Though physically unimposing, his sharp wit and encyclopedic sports knowledge make him an invaluable -- if occasionally insufferable -- part of the team. Tenor.

Mika is the strongest player on the Bears and she would like everyone to be aware of this. Cutting, confident, and a brazen force of nature, she has exactly zero patience for anyone who underestimates her -- which, to be fair, no one does twice. What she keeps quieter is the awareness that the world still expects her to work twice as hard to be taken half as seriously. She's fine with that. She just isn't happy about it. Mezzo-belter.

The "bad boy" of Bad News. Kelly is the best player in the league, a certified legend, and a twelve-year-old who has somehow cultivated a reputation that would make a grown man nervous. Effortlessly cool, deeply guarded, and harboring a hunger for connection he'd never in a million years admit to, Kelly joins the Bears for reasons he can't fully explain, which is how he ends up doing most of the important things in his life. Tenor.

A daydreamer, butterfly enthusiast, and easily the most unathletic kid on the Bad News Bears -- a shy, scrawny outfielder who barely speaks and struggles to keep up. Though often overlooked and underestimated, he proves his heart is bigger than his stature when it matters most. Tenor.

Six-foot-five of confidence packed into a much tinier body, Miguel Aguilar is the Short King of the Diamond. His confidence is matched by his bravery and willingness to give it his all, even when he is physically outmatched. Miguel treats every atbat like a press junket and every practice like a photo op, and he somehow makes it work through a combination of genuine bravery, magnetic swagger, and the complete refusal to acknowledge that size is a disadvantage

Has an unbridled passion for musical theatre, not baseball, but signed up for Little League because his brother Miguel plays, and the family doesn't want to have to drive them to two different places. Rodrigo's definitely a triple threat on the stage, and what he lacks in sports talent, he makes up for in mime, breath control, and impressive flexibility. Tenor.

To play teens. A hypochondriac who may actually *have* every illness he worries about, Rudi is the team's timid, eager-to-please benchwarmer, more likely to get hit by a pitch than to swing at one. Though he lacks confidence and natural talent, his determination and good-natured spirit make him a lovable underdog. Tenor.

All ages to play a variety of roles, including parents of the Bears, competing team players, local residents, park custodians, and the singular Jasmine Jasmeen -- a riffheavy anthem singer who treats every appearance like it might be her Super Bowl.