Independent Arts News Reporting "Small Ball" - An Off-Beat Musical About Sports, Identity, and the Art of Play - Casting Announced
Reported Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
Pictured Above: (L-R) Nadina Hassan, Rob Tucker, Jordan Dobson, and Lexi Thammavong at the first rehearsal for Small Ball. Photo Credit: Haley Potter.
NEWSROOM POST: PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Small Ball has been Commissioned and Co-Produced by Daryl Morey, President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers and will run June 6th - 29th
Philadelphia, PA -Philadelphia Theatre Company is pleased to announce the cast and creative team of its season-closing production, Small Ball. Commissioned and co-produced by Daryl Morey, President of Basketball Operations for the Philadelphia 76ers, Small Ball is an off-beat and surreal musical about a professional basketball team, a mysterious new recruit, a tiny island nation, and the big questions that bounce between them. Featuring a book by Mickle Maher, an original score by Merel van Dijk and Anthony Barilla, and direction by PTC Co-Artistic Directors Taibi Magar and Tyler Dobrowsky, Small Ball runs June 6–29, 2025, at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre. A special 50th Anniversary Gala will take place on opening night, Wednesday, June 11, at 7:30 PM.
Joining PTC for the East Coast premiere of Small Ball is a dynamic cast of nationally and internationally acclaimed performers whose work spans Broadway, major national tours, film, and award-winning regional theatre. The cast includes:
Pictured Above: (L-R) Rob Totora, Jordan Dobson, and Nadina Hassan at the first rehersal of Small Ball. Photo Credit: Haley Potter.
Adam Chanler-Berat (Next to Normal, Peter and The Starcatcher, and Amélie on Broadway); Jordan Dobson (Hadestown, Bad Cinderella, A Beautiful Noise on Broadway); Sarah Gliko (Barrymore Award winner, The Bridges of Madison County at PTC); Nadina Hassan (Mean Girls 1st National Tour, We Live in Cairo at New York Theatre Workshop); Josh Totora (Barrymore Award winner, Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical in Man of La Mancha at Delaware Theatre Company); Lexi Thammavong (This Is the Week That Is at 1812 Productions); Rob Tucker (Twelfth Night at Shakespeare in Clark Park); and Amy Warren (August: Osage County and Act One on Broadway).
Philadelphia is a sports town, and Small Ball taps directly into that passion, while flipping the court upside-down in a journey to the fantastical beach of Lilliput. The musical follows Michael Jordan (no, not that Michael Jordan), a melancholy journeyman athlete who finds himself drafted by the Lilliput Existers, a team of six-inch-tall basketball players in an international league. With his dreams stalled and the weight of his new team’s fate on his shoulders, Michael must navigate bizarre post-game press conferences, cultural misunderstandings, and existential questions of greatness, all underscored by a vibrant, genre-bending score.
“This is exactly the kind of daring, idiosyncratic, and wildly entertaining show we love bringing to Philadelphia audiences,” says Tyler Dobrowsky, Co-Artistic Director of PTC. “Small Ball is hilarious and heartfelt—a musical that’s as much about humanity and purpose as it is about hoops. This city loves sports and even more importantly, an underdog story, and we’re thrilled to share it in our home city.”
Pictured Above: Tyler Dobrowsky and Taibi Magar on the first rehearsal for Small Ball. Photo Credit: Haley Potter.
The creative team includes Katie Spelman (Choreographer), Christopher Ash (Scenic Designer), Olivera Gajic (Costume Designer), Thom Weaver (Lighting Designer), G Clausen (Sound Designer), Dan Espie (Music Director), Liz Forrester (Stage Manager), Chloe Kincade (Assistant Stage Manager), Taylor Williams, CSA (Casting Director) and Brenna Geffers (Additional Philadelphia Casting).
TICKET INFORMATION
Single tickets start at $25, plus applicable fees. Tickets are available at www.philatheatreco.org. They may also be purchased by phone at (215) 985-0420 or in person at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146.
Please note: Small Ball contains strong language, adult themes, and surreal humor and is recommended for ages 13 and up.
PERFORMANCE DATES/ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING
Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
Additional shows each Saturday at 2 p.m.
Additional shows Sunday at 3 p.m.
Wednesday matinees at 1 p.m. on June 18 and June 25
*The Wednesday, June 11 performance will be at 7:30 p.m. as part of PTC’s gala. *There will be no performance on Thursday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth.
Student Matinee: Friday, June 13 at 10:30 a.m.
Black Theatre Night: Friday, June 13 at 7 p.m.
Childcare Matinee: Saturday, June 14 at 2 p.m. Community Night: Friday, June 20 at 7 p.m.
Pre-Show Programming: Sunday, June 15 at 3 p.m. and Wednesday, June 18 at 1 p.m.
Post-Show Conversations: Sunday, June 15 at 3 p.m.
Audio-Described Performance: Saturday, June 14 at 2 p.m.
Open-Captioned Performance: Wednesday, June 18 at 1 p.m.
ASL-Interpreted Performance: Thursday, June 26 at 7 p.m.
Pictured Above: Adam Chanler-Berat on the first rehearsal at Small Ball. Photo Credit: Haley Potter.
Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC) is a vital civic institution dedicated to the creation of extraordinary theatrical experiences that reflect the essential issues and ideas of our time and that foster connection, understanding, and transformation. PTC engages and strengthens our community through exceptional productions of new and contemporary plays and musicals, inspiring education programs, and mutually beneficial civic partnerships. PTC develops exciting new work that resonates locally and nationally and upholds a deep commitment to be a fully inclusive, welcoming home for Philadelphia’s artists, audiences, and people. Learn more at www.philatheatreco.org.
