Lombardi -- Theater Review

4:05 PM PDT 10/21/2010 by Frank Scheck

Finally, there’s a Broadway show to which husbands can drag their wives rather than the other way around. But though the new biodrama about famed football coach Vince Lombardi is bound to attract sports fans who otherwise would not venture near a theater, theatergoers not inherently interested in the subject are going to be a much tougher sell. Heavy on sports atmosphere but light on content, “Lombardi” doesn't make it to the goal line.

Eric Simonson’s play, based on David Maraniss’ 1999 book “When Pride Still Mattered,” employs the hoariest of structures to tell its story. Set mostly in 1965, just before the Green Bay Packers began their amazing NFL championship winning streak, it mainly revolves around Lombardi’s (Dan Lauria) interactions with a magazine reporter (Keith Nobbs) writing a feature story about him.