A really avid sports fan will do just about anything for his team. In the musical "Damn Yankees," devoted Washington Senators' fan Joe sells his soul to the devil for a chance to lead his hapless team to a pennant over the New York Yankees.
"Damn Yankees," coming 7:30 p.m. Sunday to Chester Fritz Auditorium in Grand Forks, is a show that's been around for a while but never goes out of style.
Faust roots
It's a tale with roots in Faust, the man of legend, literature and opera who makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasure.
Baseball gives "Damn Yankees" an anchor in America's game. Its central character, Joe Boyd/Joe Hardy, is America's everyman, who sells his soul to help his team only to learn there's more to life than home runs.
ADVERTISEMENT
Then, there's the bunch of characters who play the Washington Senators and Mr. Applegate, whose ability to light cigarettes without a lighter or a match suggests something diabolical. And of course, there's the gorgeous Lola, who has legs that go on for miles and who -- as she so famously sings -- gets whatever she wants.
With a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, "Damn Yankees" is set in the 1950s during a time when the New York Yankees dominated the major leagues. It's based on Wallop's novel "The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant."
The story is about Joe Boyd, a middle-aged man despondent over the losses of his favorite team. Boyd is sure if the Senators could just find a long ball hitter, they could beat the Yankees. Then a slick salesman, Mr. Applegate (the devil in disguise), offers Boyd a deal: if he gives up his soul, he can become "Joe Hardy," the young slugger the Senators need.
Joe accepts, but finds he misses his wife and his old life. That's when Mr. Applegate calls in Lola to seduce Joe and seal the deal to ensure his damnation.
In the original 1955 Broadway show, producers (including Harold Prince) took a chance on a largely unknown singer and dancer Gwen Verdon for the role as the seductive Lola. She (and most of the original Broadway cast) also starred in the 1958 movie, in which Tab Hunter played the young Joe Hardy and Ray Walston was Mr. Applegate.
Over the years, the show has been reprised many times, with actors such as Vincent Price, Van Johnson, Victor Garber and Jerry Lewis as Applegate. A 1967 made-for-TV movie on NBC cast Phil Silvers as Applegate, Lee Remick as Lola and Ray Middleton as Joe Boyd. There's even been talk of a "Damn Yankees" movie remake starring Jim Carrey as Applegate and Jake Gyllenhaal as Joe Hardy.
With seven Tony awards, including Best Musical, "Damn Yankees" is filled with songs such as "Whatever Lola Wants (Lola Gets)" and "You Gotta Have Heart."
The production coming to the Fritz is presented by New Lola, LLC, with choreography by Denis Jones and direction by Jeffrey B. Moss. Drew Pulver plays the middle-aged fan Joe Boyd and Laura Cable is his wife, Meg. Chris Winslow is Applegate, with Matthew J. Taylor as the young slugger Joe Hardy and Sara Brophy as Lola.
ADVERTISEMENT
Tickets are $48, $43 and $28 for adults, $42, $22 and $17 for students, and $42, $22 and $17 for children; available at Chester Fritz box office and all Ticketmaster outlets, including charge by phone, (800) 745-3000.
Reach Tobin at (701) 780-1134; (800) 477-6572, ext. 134; or send e-mail to ptobin@gfherald.com .
If you go
- What: "Damn Yankees," the musical
- When and where: Sunday, 7:30 p.m., Chester Fritz Auditorium, Grand Forks
- Tickets: Adults, $48, $43, $28; students, $42, $22, $17; children, $42, $22, $17; available at Chester Fritz box office and all Ticketmaster outlets, including charge by phone, (800) 745-3000
