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NEW YORK — Showtime is about to have a whole new meaning for Magic Johnson.
The story of the NBA Hall of Famer’s rivalry and friendship with Larry Bird is coming to Broadway in “Magic/Bird,” set to open in April. The two consulted in its production, and Johnson can’t wait to watch their story told.
His “Showtime” Lakers of the 1980s were a Hollywood hit, and now he’s ready to see his name in Broadway’s lights.
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“I guess it’s the real Showtime,” Johnson said. “When you think about Broadway and you think about Larry and I being on Broadway, it’s definitely at its highest level and I don’t think either one of us thought that we would be on Broadway. If we was, we’d be there seeing a play and not a play about our lives.”
It’s the second in a planned series of sports-themed plays from producers Tony Ponturo and Fran Kirmser, the team behind “Lombardi.” Kirmser said before that show’s success, they wanted to tell the story of Johnson and Bird, who started as rivals in college and finished as Olympic teammates and longtime friends.
They reached out initially to Johnson, who saw “Lombardi.” Then it was on to Bird, who wanted to first know that Johnson was on board.
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