St. Clair Shores Actor Takes Stage in Mitch Albom Play

Just in time for baseball season, best-selling author, playwright and well-known Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom hopes to hit one out of the park with his new play, Ernie, a tribute to Tigers broadcasting legend Ernie Harwell, who died last year of cancer at age 92.

The two-man play opens April 28 at the City Theatre in Detroit and one of the starring roles goes to a thespian born and raised in St. Clair Shores, 24-year-old TJ Corbett, as the mysterious “Boy.” The role of Harwell goes to Will Young, a native of Minnesota who has resided in Michigan since the early 1960s. New Boston native Tony Caselli will direct the play.

In an interview with Patch, Corbett said he knew he wanted to be on stage from an
early age.

“According to my parents I’ve always been a performer,” he said. 

While a student at , he landed a role in the annual Community Musical while in fourth grade, which back then was the youngest age at which a student could audition.

“It was a lot of fun, and I had a minor speaking part,” Corbett said. “But it was in high school where I started to get bigger parts. … It was when I was in high school that I realized that’s what I wanted to get my degree in.”

Corbett transferred between grades eight and nine from Lakeview to University Liggett Schools in Grosse Pointe Woods, where he completed his high school years. He later graduated with a degree in theater performance from the University of Michigan-Flint.

Corbett shares a lot of interests with Albom. For example, Corbett has tried his hand at writing plays and dreams of being a published playwright and opening his own  theater in the Metro Detroit area.

“He (Albom) is amazing … He’s like a mentor figure. He’s made it, and he’s living proof that I should just keep on trying,” Corbett said.

He also shares Albom’s passion for sports.

“I come from a sports family," Corbett said. "We’re big into hockey and baseball, although we’re interested in the other (sports) too.”

Corbett is also thrilled to play the boy who is a continuing guiding force in Ernie.

“He’s Ernie’s companion throughout the play," Corbett said. "They make a lot of discoveries together.”

Corbett adds that for Harwell fans, the play will reveal many little-known and surprising things about the man.

“It’s just very interesting, the events that got him to Detroit,” Corbett said.

As for Corbett’s plans after the play finishes its runs, he will either seek that next audition or work on one of his own projects. Another “project” that undoubtedly gets a share of his attention is being a dad to 2-year-old Delan, who is also quite the performer, Corbett says.

“He’s absolutely his father’s son,” he said with a laugh.

Ernie opens April 28 at the City Theatre in Detroit, which adjoins the Hockeytown Café. Tickets are $20 and $25 and are on sale at multiple locations, including Olympia Entertainment venue box offices and through Ticketmaster.