Theatre Tulsa - Damn Yankees

Baseball, comedy, musical treats and a seductive temptress named Lola! George Abbott's enormously popular musical about a fan who makes a pact with the devil for the chance to help his favorite team win the league pennant continues to hit a home-run. Play ball!
Damn Yankees is the only successful Broadway musical built around baseball. This tale has a twist because the baseball story is really a Faustian fairy-tale. Middle-aged baseball fan Joe Hardy despairs over his favorite team, the Washington Senators. They seem incapable of winning the pennant. The personable Mr. Applegate visits Joe with a proposition: Would he trade his soul if the Senators won not only the pennant but also the World Series? Joe is more than willing and Mr. Applegate obliges. Magically, Joe sheds 20 years and acquires singular powers as a baseball player. With Mr. Applegate’s assistance, Joe tries out for the team and soon becomes their most valuable player. Things go great for Joe’s favorite team but Joe desperately misses his wife, Meg, and his conscience begins to bother him. Since he disappeared from his home without leaving a trace, she spends her days alone. The young and handsome phenom that was once her husband rents a room in Meg’s house just to be near her. But Joe’s contract with Applegate dictates that he is unable to tell her he’s really her Joe, alive and well. Applegate, whom we now know is the devil, enlists the services of a beautiful witch named Lola to capture Joe's heart and secure the contract for his soul. Lola sings "Whatever Lola Wants" in an effort to assure Joe that she always gets her man. The Senators win the pennant and the World Series is imminent. The story concludes as every musical comedy should. Loose ends are tied up and most of the characters live happily ever after.

Damn Yankees was the last of two Adler & Ross musical comedies. Their first effort, The Pajama Game, was also a smash hit. Like The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees graced Broadway for over 1000 performances. With two such resounding triumphs coming in rapid succession, Adler & Ross became one of the most promising teams to hit Broadway since Rodgers & Hart. Tragically, this fruitful partnership was destined to come to an abrupt end when Jerry Ross died in 1955 at the age of twenty-nine.

The show is directed by Rick Hildebrant. The Musical Director is Stacey Lehwald and the Choreographer is Colleen Kirkpatrick

The cast includes Jason Akey, Mitch Barnes, Kara Bellavia, Nick Bushta, Randy Lee Chronister, Cerese Cook, Jessica Elliott, Kelly Friedberg, Sarah Frieson, Scott Gaffen, Erin Gungon, Todd Hanlin, Bill Kaiser, Joshua Kennedy, Al Jerkins, Erin Johnson, David Lewis, Gina MacLean, Michael Major, Sarah McEntire, David Moffett, Billy Nix, David Palmer, Brent Parker, Mallorie Radak, Marcia Robbins, Lisa Stefanic, & Lauren Wood

	Directed by Rick Hildebrant April 9 & 14-16, 2005 @ 8:00 pm April 10, 2005 @ 2:00 pm At the TPAC John H Williams Theatre Click here for the Tulsa World Preview Click here for the Tulsa World Review
Baseball, comedy, musical treats and a seductive temptress named Lola! George Abbott's enormously popular musical about a fan who makes a pact with the devil for the chance to help his favorite team win the league pennant continues to hit a home-run. Play ball! Damn Yankees is the only successful Broadway musical built around baseball. This tale has a twist because the baseball story is really a Faustian fairy-tale. Middle-aged baseball fan Joe Hardy despairs over his favorite team, the Washington Senators. They seem incapable of winning the pennant. The personable Mr. Applegate visits Joe with a proposition: Would he trade his soul if the Senators won not only the pennant but also the World Series? Joe is more than willing and Mr. Applegate obliges. Magically, Joe sheds 20 years and acquires singular powers as a baseball player. With Mr. Applegate’s assistance, Joe tries out for the team and soon becomes their most valuable player. Things go great for Joe’s favorite team but Joe desperately misses his wife, Meg, and his conscience begins to bother him. Since he disappeared from his home without leaving a trace, she spends her days alone. The young and handsome phenom that was once her husband rents a room in Meg’s house just to be near her. But Joe’s contract with Applegate dictates that he is unable to tell her he’s really her Joe, alive and well. Applegate, whom we now know is the devil, enlists the services of a beautiful witch named Lola to capture Joe's heart and secure the contract for his soul. Lola sings "Whatever Lola Wants" in an effort to assure Joe that she always gets her man. The Senators win the pennant and the World Series is imminent. The story concludes as every musical comedy should. Loose ends are tied up and most of the characters live happily ever after. Damn Yankees was the last of two Adler & Ross musical comedies. Their first effort, The Pajama Game, was also a smash hit. Like The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees graced Broadway for over 1000 performances. With two such resounding triumphs coming in rapid succession, Adler & Ross became one of the most promising teams to hit Broadway since Rodgers & Hart. Tragically, this fruitful partnership was destined to come to an abrupt end when Jerry Ross died in 1955 at the age of twenty-nine. The show is directed by Rick Hildebrant. The Musical Director is Stacey Lehwald and the Choreographer is Colleen Kirkpatrick The cast includes Jason Akey, Mitch Barnes, Kara Bellavia, Nick Bushta, Randy Lee Chronister, Cerese Cook, Jessica Elliott, Kelly Friedberg, Sarah Frieson, Scott Gaffen, Erin Gungon, Todd Hanlin, Bill Kaiser, Joshua Kennedy, Al Jerkins, Erin Johnson, David Lewis, Gina MacLean, Michael Major, Sarah McEntire, David Moffett, Billy Nix, David Palmer, Brent Parker, Mallorie Radak, Marcia Robbins, Lisa Stefanic, & Lauren Wood


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