Broadway is The Big Apple’s oldest north-south street and runs the length of Manhattan. The stretch from 42nd to 53rd Street, also known as the Theater District or “The Great White Way” is home to 40-plus professional theaters, each of which has at least 500 seats. These venues showcase some of the most renowned musicals and plays in the history of theater and attract some of the world’s best actors and actresses.
Although it might not seem like a natural fit, Broadway and athletics go hand in hand. Sports—and the theatrics and drama associated with competition—naturally lends itself to the stage. In fact, there have been several sports-themed original productions and screen-to-stage musical adaptations on Broadway. These include Take Me Out, The Wolves, Damn Yankees, and Rocky.
These productions generally feature world-renowned stage actors portraying professional and amateur athletes. While it’s not as common, a number of professional athletes have showcased their acting chops on a Broadway stage. Below are five athletes who appeared in Broadway productions.
1. Eddie George
Former National Football League (NFL) star Eddie George may have one of the most interesting career arcs among all professional athletes. An accomplished running back in college for Ohio State, George won the Heisman Trophy in 1995 and was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year the following season with the Houston Oilers. He spent nine seasons in the NFL and participated in four Pro Bowls.
Recognizing he needed a post-NFL plan, George launched a landscape architecture business prior to his retirement in 2004. He later worked in broadcasting and led a financial services firm for athlete clients before trying his hand at acting. George took a couple of acting lessons per week, signed up for improv classes, and made a point to go to as many Broadway shows as possible. He did this for several years before auditioning for community theater productions in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.
George performed in several local productions, including The Whipping Man and Othello, before longtime Chicago producer Barry Weissler heard that the former NFL star had interest in playing Billy Flynn. George eventually got the role and completed an eight-week run of shows at Ambassador Theatre in 2016.
Weissler called his performance “dynamite,” while co-star Bianca Marroquin, who played Roxie Hart, noted George was especially committed to the role. “Sometimes you see other people that come from other territories and come to this and, yes, they do it with a lot of respect but it probably is not their field,” she told USA TODAY. “I think Eddie has found a second field.”
2. Muhammad Ali
George may have had the most notable Broadway run among professional athletes, but he is far from the most popular athlete to appear in a Broadway production. That honor belongs to Muhammad Ali, who is widely considered among the greatest and most influential athletes of all-time.
Ali starred as the titular character in the musical adaptation of the play Buck White, which debuted at the George Abbott Theater on December 2, 1969. Donning an Afro wig for the role, Ali played a militant black lecturer who used music to address his followers during a meeting. The show closed quickly after seven performances over a four-day period. Ali and cast members later performed a number on The Ed Sullivan Show.
3. Dominique Dawes
Unlike George, Dominique Dawes appeared in a Broadway musical while she was still in the prime of her athletic career. The three-time Olympic medalist gymnast won a medal at the Olympic Games in 1992, 1996, and 2000. She was the first Black gymnast to win a medal in an individual event (balance beam) and was celebrated on the cover of a Wheaties box.
Dawes won a bronze medal in the 2000 Olympics after playing cheerleader Patty Simcox in Grease during the late 1990s. She also appeared in the music video for The Artist’s “Betcha By Golly Wow.”
4. Joe Namath
It’s rather fitting that an athlete with the nickname “Broadway” actually appeared on stage in a Broadway production. The five-time Pro Bowl NFL quarterback and Hall of Fame inductee played 12 seasons with the New York Jets from 1965 to 1976 and was one of the Big Apple’s biggest celebrities.
Six years after he retired, Namath was selected as a cast replacement for accused mutineer Lt. Stephan Maryk in a 1983 revival of The Caine Mutiny Court Martial.
5. Elvis Stojko
George isn’t the only athlete to play Billy Flynn in Chicago. Elvis Stojko, a seven-time Canadian figure skating champion, three-time men’s world champion, and two-time Olympic silver medalist, played Flynn in a 2014 production of Chicago. He had prior experience with the role through productions in Canada and has also played Vince Fontaine in a Canadian production of Grease.
Other Athletes on Broadway
Some other athletes who have appeared in Broadway productions include gymnasts Cathy Rigby (Peter Pan) and Olga Karmansky (Pippin) and baseball player Mark Teixeira (Rock of Ages).