Broadway Star Derek Klena Joins the Savannah Bananas

Broadway actor Derek Klena is joining the Savannah Bananas, the flagship team of the burgeoning Banana Ball exhibition baseball league.

Founded in 2023, Banana Ball is America’s pastime with extravagant walkups and group dance numbers (think the Harlem Globetrotters, but baseball). It’s a sport tailor-made for TikTok, and it has rapidly amassed millions of fans through its viral online videos. While the Bananas are the OG franchise, the league has rapidly expanded to six teams.

Klena, who was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Jagged Little Pill, naturally announced the move via social media. Singing the “I want” song “Go the Distance” from the Disney animated feature (now stage musical) Hercules, he peers at a branded yellow baseball as he sings the altered lyrics, “I would go most anywhere to find the greatest show.” You can watch the whole thing here:

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The Banana Ball preseason starts February 26, with the regular season kicking off April 16. You can see the full schedule for the Savannah Bananas here. That includes a game against archrivals The Party Animals at Yankee Stadium on April 25–the Saturday before the expected Tony nominations cutoff.