Kansas State University

MANHATTAN -- Just in time for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Kansas State University's McCain Performance Series will feature the true story of the man who broke the color barrier in baseball.

"Everybody's Hero: The Jackie Robinson Story," the inspirational story of a brave man's struggle for equality, will be presented at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, in McCain Auditorium.

It's 1947 and the nation is experiencing several firsts: President Truman is the first president to address the nation from the White House on television, Chuck Yeager flies faster than any man ever has and Jackie Robinson is the first African-American to play major league baseball.

This new play with music by Mad River Theater Works shows the events that shaped Robinson's character, his struggle to gain acceptance and the tremendous obstacles he overcame on his way to changing the face of the nation and our national pastime.

It was no accident that Robinson was chosen to break the color barrier. The Negro Leagues had plenty of good athletes -- some maybe even better than Robinson. But when Branch Rickey decided to add an African-American to the Brooklyn Dodgers, he knew that individual had to be special -- someone strong enough to stand up to the teammates who would ridicule him, the pitchers who would throw at him and the fans who would threaten him. He had to be able to turn the other cheek, to show that he was the bigger man and to prove that he could be everybody's hero.

"Everybody's Hero: The Jackie Robinson Story" is recommended for ages 8 and up.

Tickets cost $9-$45, plus applicable taxes and fees, and are available now at the McCain Auditorium box office, online at http://www.k-state.edu/mccain, or by calling 785-532-6428.