“Ernie – The Play” will return to the Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre Aug. 24–27 to kick off the 2016-17 season. The play is the about the “Voice of Summer,” Ernie Harwell, and recounts the life of the beloved Tigers announcer.
Harwell and Mitch Albom, the playwright behind “Tuesdays with Morrie,” often talked about doing a stage play before Harwell’s death. According to Harwell’s longtime friend and attorney, S. Gary Spicer, Ernie “had always hoped Mitch would author it.”
“Ernie’s story transcends sports,” Albom said. “It’s a story of 20th-century Americana and a love affair with baseball and a childhood sweetheart. Ernie went through the Depression, World War II, the segregation of sports; he also called some of the grandest moments ever witnessed on a ball field. It’s an honor to bring such a rich character to the stage – especially for so many fans who loved him.”
The play features actual footage from historic baseball moments, supplied courtesy of Major League Baseball, and includes many unmistakable Harwell calls.
Tickets are now available at Wharton Center’s official ticketing outlets, online at whartoncenter.com or by calling (800) WHARTON.
Visit Wharton Center's site for more information on performance times and ticket prices.