Damn Yankees

This evening Joan and I attended our second play of the 2014 season, Damn Yankees. Before entering the Merry-Go-Round playhouse we visited with Kathy and Bill Cowmey. Once in our seats we observed that the crowd filled 3/4 of the playhouse.

(Courtesy of Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival)

The highlights of this production for us were the Senators and their manager, Benny Van Buren (Tom Flagg) renditions of Heart and The Game and the performance of Richard B. Watson as Mr. Applegate. Watson's facial expression and moments of rage reminded us of the actor, David Spade.

David Wilcox’s preview in The Citizen.

David Wilcox's review in The Citizen.


Neil Novelli's preview in The Post-Standard. 

Neil Novelli's review in The Post-Standard.

Facts:

• Composer/Lyricist, Jerry Ross, was unable to see the great success of Damn Yankees due to his sudden death by chronic bronchiectasis, a few months after the show opened at the 46th Street Theatre on May 5, 1955.
• Damn Yankess was the very first successful mucical comedy about baseball.
• Damn Yankees ran originally on Broadway for 1,012 performances.
• Jean Stapleton appearedin the chorus of the original Broadway cast of Damn Yankees, long before she achieved television fame as Edith Bunker on All in the Family.
• Composer and lyricist Richard Adler, who won Tony Awards for co-writing songs for such hit Broadway musicals as "The Pajama Game" and "Damn Yankees" and who staged and produced President John F. Kennedy's birthday celebration featuring a breathy Marilyn Monroe, died at age 90.

Other shows of this season:
Mary Poppins
Menopause - The Musical
On the Town
The Will Rogers Follies
The Church Basement Ladies in the Last (Potluck) Supper