BRONX to B'WAY

Yanks yarn shifts lineup & hopes for a hit in return to stage

They’ve rebuilt it. But will audiences come? For the producers of “Bronx Bombers,” a dramatic pinstripers salute blasted last fall for its sentimentality and schizophrenic storytelling, that’s the nagging question as a revamped version comes out swinging tonight on the Great White Way.

“We listened to critiques and have been working,” says Fran Kirmser, producer of the show written and directed by Eric Simonson, who’s made a name for himself with the previous jock-themed Broadway shows “Lombardi” and “Magic/Bird.”

Reviews for “Bronx Bombers” were mixed at best, and cleanup efforts have focused on making the story clearer and characters deeper and more authentic.

That includes the central Yogi Berra character. His malaprops have been tweaked, says the producer. “Yogi-isms are always fun and have been worked to make them more about Yogi’s organic conversattion, which is how they c came about.”

Also new: ““Bosom Budd dies” and ““Lucky Guy” a alum Peter S Scolari (l., with Yogi) and his realllife wife, Tracy Shayne, are in the lineup as Berra and his no-nonsense wife, Carmen. n. And there will be an elaborate set for the in-the-round staging at Circle in the Square that will feel more like a stadium. .

Kirmser says the production will retain a structure that many critics found off-putting: The doubleheader plot begins ns with a realistic 1977 showdown between n superstar Reggie Jackson and manager Billy Martin, only to toss a change-up after intermission in the form of a fantasy dream sequence featuring Yankee legends.

Theatergoers were confused by the out-of-left-field switch, but producers are keeping it.

“You’re going to see the same play,” says Kirmser.

Successful or not, the show’s Broadway at-bat is good for the life of the work down the road — and well worth the $2 million to $3 million it typically costs to mount a play on the New York City Theatre’s main stage.

Broadway boosts exposure and adds cachet for future runs.

“We did not get good reviews for ‘Lombardi,’ ” says Kirmser of the Green Bay Packer-themed show that closed in May 2011. “But we know of only one week where the play wasn’t being produced somewhere. Broadway is a wonderful opportunity.”

jdziemianowicz@nydailynews.com m