Yankees Legend Bernie Williams Embraces Being a Rookie in Buena Vista Social Club on Broadway

Bernie Williams has always been a team player. The center fielder helped secure four World Series championships for the New York Yankees. Following his retirement from baseball, Williams pursued a career as a classical guitarist, releasing two studio albums and earning a Latin Grammy nomination in 2009. In his latest act, Williams has joined the Tony- and Grammy-winning band of Buena Vista Social Club on Broadway, performing through November 29. Williams spoke with Broadway.com Managing Editor Beth Stevens about his theatrical pivot and carrying a spirit of sportsmanship throughout his professions.

“I grew up listening to this music,” says Williams, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico. “My mom was an educator and Sundays were her day to unwind. [At] 7, 8, 9, 10 years old, this is the music that I listened to. This is the soundtrack of my childhood. So I have a personal investment in the show.”

His relationship to music of Buena Vista Social Club also played a pivotal role in his schooling. “When I went to a performing arts high school for four years in Puerto Rico, a lot of this music was the music that we were performing," he says. "We used to be part of an ensemble that had the cuatros and the guitars, and we used to go into different governmental agencies to perform as young kids.”

Sports and music always went hand in hand for Williams. “My father was a merchant marine and he brought a guitar from his travels in Spain and he taught himself how to play. I got really interested in learning how to play guitar. So that was my entry into music,” shares Williams. “But then around the same time, he started taking us to little league fields and [sharing] all these great life lessons: discipline, practice, commitment, not giving up, give it 100% all the time. All those things have been in music and in sports, the one thing that makes me the person that I am today.”

“I think we're as strong as our weakest link,” explains Williams of the similarities between performing on Broadway and playing baseball. “Everybody is very strong here. So I’ve got to bring my game up to their level. I am very blessed to have this opportunity to perform every day for six weeks on the biggest stage in the world.”

In spite of certain similarities, Williams identifies a key difference: “When I was a baseball player, I could get away with isolating myself from the crowd and just playing my game, hitting the ball, running. Here it’s totally different. You have to really invite everybody in, because this is what it's all about.”

Williams admits that he was somewhat superstitious during his tenure with the Yankees, but is adopting a different headspace as a Broadway musician. “Here, I think it's a little bit more controlled. The effort that you put in is what you get out. So it's all about the preparation. I'm still learning my way around the show and around these great artists. I'm kind of like the rookie in the room right now.”

Will any of Williams’ fellow Yankees turn up to the Schoenfeld Theatre? “We have rumors that Mariano [Rivera] may come,” Williams teases. “I heard Tino Martinez may show up. I'm going to try to make every call that I can make. If they're in the vicinity, I want them to come here and see the show.”

Though he’s already an accomplished musician in his own right, Williams sees joining Buena Vista on Broadway as a chance to improve upon his craft. “All the musicians are world class and they know how to play this music front and backwards. Every time that I step in with them, I'm getting a learning experience,” says Williams.

This mentality is integral to Williams’ outlook on life. “The way I see it, my time on this earth is very limited, so I want to have the fullest life that I can live. It's not only performing and playing sports, it's trying to have the best relationships that I can with the people that I love, my family, my friends. I know that I've been blessed with a lot of opportunities, so I'm trying to make the most out of each and every one of them.”

Watch the full interview below!

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