What I liked
So glad this show got extended and was awarded Best Variety. I had been wanting to see it during it’s original Fringe run because of the buzz. From the outset, Brett Moore makes the sometimes mystifying fandom of baseball very accessible to every audience member, then dazzles us with his encyclopedic knowlege of baseball facts and figures which serve as a structure to get to the storytelling about some amazing drama on and off the field. Part game show, part vaudeville memory act, and a lot of heart in the stories of the players. So much heart! And a lot of important history about the Negro Leagues.
What I didn't like
I enjoyed the show “as is”, and my favorite part of it was the audience interaction. It served to prove that Brett could access virtually any stats and history you could possibly want to see, and even proved that folks who thought they had no baseball knowledge knew more than they thought about the game. Not sure if it would improve the show, but maybe a bit more of that interaction would be a fun experiment. But the structure is perfect as is.
My overall impression
Play Ball! What a fun and exciting show, perfect for people like me who just have a basic knowledge of baseball, as well as an extra delight for out and out baseball fans.
