'McGuire' lands in North Hollywood in early April

Tickets are on sale for a four-day presentation right after the NCAA basketball tournament of the Dick Enberg play, "McGuire," a tribute to the legendary Marquette basketball coach and NBC college basketball analyst Al McGuire.

The El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood (5269 Lankershim Blvd., 818-508-0281) will host the event April 9-12, with actor Cotter Smith (pictured here) playing the part of McGuire.

Heidi Mueller-Smith directs it.

The first three nights are at 8 p.m. with the final day at 3 p.m.

The show debuted on the Marquette campus in Milwaukee in 2005 to sell-out audiences. It also has played at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Hofstra University, and North Coast Rep in Solana Beach.

McGuire, who coached Marquette to the 1977 NCAA title over North Carolina, saw a resurgence in his popularity when he teammed with Enberg and Billy Packer on NBC. McGuire died in 2001 of a blood disorder at the age of 72. (his Wikipedia bio here).

As his broadcast partner for 10 years, Enberg used his experiences with McGuire to write the inspirational play, allowing McGuire to tell his story in his style.

Tickets sell for $45 in the center and $35 on the sides at www.elportaltheatre.com.

== A review of the play from Sports Illustrated (linked here)