BALLBOYS
An 80’s Tennis Comedy Musical
“Look, Terry, A Musical For Us.”
It’s Love-all at the Wimbledon of the Woods.
After serving as low-level ballkids at the Volvo International Tennis Tournament in the 80’s, twin brothers James and Sean Mahoney have concocted a comedy musical loosely based on their experiences. With music by Sean Mahoney (FACTORY GIRLS) and book and lyrics by James Mahoney (The New Standards Holiday Show), BALLBOYS is a class satire with heart, humor, and, well, balls.
BALLBOYS Development
BALLBOYS began in 2020 with informal Zoom songwriting sessions, a story table reading at the University of Minnesota, and two demo recording sessions in Minneapolis. A weeklong 2023 summer workshop directed by Addie Gorlin-Han (The Guthrie Theater’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL) inspired revisions leading to a full table reading at the Playwrights’ Center in early 2024. Alongside director Emma Lai (AD, A CHRISTMAS CAROL), music director David Salmela (The Twilight Hours) and producer John Munson (Semisonic, The New Standards), a May concert reading of BALLBOYS celebrates the show’s next stage of development.
What is BALLBOYS?
BALLBOYS is a comedy musical about the Korg International Tennis Tournament in the summer of 1983. The tournament has exploded from a “little country hit” into “The Wimbledon of the Woods” — but menacing winds of change in the global tennis world loom beyond the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
As the tourists flood the Abenaki Valley with money, style, and enormous sunglasses, Tournament Director Janice Weiss has secured World #2 Chip Phillips and rising star Baptiste Lyon; however, without a new lead sponsor, the Korg is toast. Enter olde-money scion Gardner Whitney, who has a personal interest in luring the Korg to Connecticut.
Among the ballkids, the stakes to be on national television rival the competition for the love of the new ballkid, Bitsy Whitney. Scruffy pizza-box-folding townie Denny spars with “Masshole” Lexington Duxbury, while Denny’s super-athletic cousin Murph faces the biggest risk of all.
Will the ballkids find love? Will the Korg survive? Will there be condo drinking games, break-dance-offs, and every conceivable 80’s musical style? Is the sun hot? It’s love-all. Serve it up!
The Story
BALLBOYS is a musical comedy about the Korg International Tennis Tournament in the summer of 1983. World #2 Chip Phillips rules the sport when his burned-out rival Robby Cavalier reappears. On and off court, they fight for the love of Alicia Lee, an injured former tennis prodigy facing her uncertain future.
A parallel competition develops among the ballkids, where townie Denny spars with “Masshole” Lexington Duxbury to impress Bitsy Whitney, whose financier father schemes to relocate the Korg.
Will Alicia find love and fulfillment? Will the tournament survive?
Will the ballkids overeat their free lunch and pay the ultimate price?
Serve it up!
Tennis is a game of love.
Tennis is a game of love.
The draw of competition, facing your rival — both your opponent and yourself.
Serve it up.
A COMEDY (within and outside the musical theater medium)
For young and old – all perspectives – inclusive, goofy, awkward
Class satire (Horatian) + adolescent coming-of-age + sports comedy
Music theater – not “musical theater” - laughter together, live, energetic, not corny