A sportsman coming out as gay is still something that grabs the media’s attention, but seeing the team’s embrace of the information is still very encouraging, as is the case with Take Me Out on Broadway.
Take Me Out first appeared on Broadway in 2002 but had a revival opening earlier in 2022. It was another production scheduled to open in 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic.
This production is produced by Second Stage Theater and stars Jesse Williams and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Jesse Tyler Ferguson did win a Tony earlier this year for his performance as Mason Marzac.
Darren Lemming (Jesse Williams) is a star baseball player with a multi-million dollar contract who has just come out to this team and the world’s media as gay, with some fanfare and a handful of complaints from fans.
For the most part, Darren’s teammates have been open and accepting. But there has been a little backlash from a couple of unexpected entities, Darren’s close friend Davey Battle (Brandon J Dirden) and new recruit Shane Mungitt (Michael Oberholtzer).
Directed by Scott Ellis, Take Me Out explores the idea of how would a prominent sports player be treated if they were to come out as gay, which in the early 2000s was something that didn’t happen.
In 2022, several sports players have come out as gay, not any major players in the same league as the character Darren Lemming. Still, a small group has opened up about their sexuality with relative respect.
But as of 2022, there has been no major baseball player to open up about their sexuality, assuming due to fear.
Written by Richard Greenberg, the premise of Take Me Out is still very relevant today. It does explore the personal and business aspects a major sports player might experience if they were to open up and come out as gay.
What is nice about this story is how Darren is so confident in his convictions, navigates the difficulties, and comes out the other side, no pun intended, with very little negative consequence.
Jesse Williams as Darren Lemming is perfect. There is a natural confidence that he alludes to, and he has a significant presence the moment he steps foot on stage. You cannot help but enjoy his performance, as it does dominate the story. With such a strong character, you need an excellent actor to navigate the story without appearing arrogant and full of oneself, and Jesse’s performance is spot-on.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson is the comic relief you need in this production to lighten the themes, but also, he is just so perfect in the role that you can’t help but smile the moment he is on stage. Jesse Tyler Ferguson is a great all-around performer and knows comedy and how to deliver a line to get a laugh. He is excellent as Mason Marzac.
Take Me Out was a pleasant surprise. Having no real idea of what to expect from this play, it was refreshing to see an interesting take on how coming out in the professional sports field is handled by all involved, on and off the field.
Take Me Out is currently playing at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway.
