''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 musical comedy with a book by
George Abbott
George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades.
Early years
Abbott was born in Forestville, New Y ...
and
Douglass Wallop
John Douglass Wallop III (March 8, 1920 – April 1, 1985) was an American novelist and playwright.
Early life
On March 8, 1920, Wallop was born as John Douglass Wallop III in Washington, D.C. to Marjorie Ellis Wallop and insurance agent Jo ...
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
dominated
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
. It is based on Wallop's 1954 novel '' The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant''.
The show ran for 1,019 performances in its original Broadway production. Adler and Ross's success with it and ''
The Pajama Game
''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell.
The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. and dances were staged by Bob Fosse in hi ...
'' seemed to point to a bright future for them, but Ross suddenly died of chronic
bronchiectasis
Bronchiectasis is a disease in which there is permanent enlargement of parts of the airways of the lung. Symptoms typically include a chronic cough with mucus production. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing up blood, and chest ...
at age 29, several months after ''Damn Yankees'' opened.
Plot
NOTE: This is the plot of the 1994 Broadway revival of the show; there are differences from the original 1955 version. For the 1958 film version, see ''Damn Yankees'' (film).
Middle-aged real estate agent Joe Boyd is a long-suffering fan of the pathetic Washington Senators
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
team. His wife, Meg, laments this ("Six Months Out Of Every Year"). After she has gone to bed, he sits up late, grumbling that if the Senators just had a "long ball hitter" they could beat "those damn Yankees". Suddenly, the smooth-talking Mr. Applegate appears. He offers Joe the chance to become "Joe Hardy", the young slugger the Senators need. He accepts, even though he must leave Meg ("Goodbye Old Girl"). However, his business sense makes him insist on an escape clause. The Senators' last game is on September 25, and if he plays in it, he is to stay as Joe Hardy forever. If not, he has until 9:00 the night before to walk away from the deal and return to his normal life.
At the ballpark, the hapless Senators vow to play their best despite their failings ("Heart"). Then Joe Hardy is suddenly discovered and joins the team. Gloria Thorpe, a sports reporter, praises him ("Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo"). His hitting prowess enables the team to move up in the standings.
Though Joe is increasingly successful, he truly misses Meg and moves into her house as a boarder in his persona as Joe Hardy. They begin to bond, especially over her "lost" husband ("A Man Doesn't Know"). Fearful of losing his deal, Applegate calls Lola, "the best homewrecker on isstaff", to seduce Joe and ensure his loss of the bet. She promises to deliver ("A Little Brains, A Little Talent"), and Applegate introduces her as a sultry South American dancer named "Señorita Lolita Banana". She sings a seductive song (" Whatever Lola Wants"), but Joe's devotion to Meg proves too strong, even for her. Applegate punishes her by firing her, where she performs with other past workers for Applegate ("Who's Got the Pain").
Applegate decides to switch tactics to ensure Joe's failure. He releases false information about Joe's true identity being "Shifty McCoy", an escaped criminal and con artist. When Gloria discovers this information, she presses charges, and he is forced into court.
The Senators prepare for the final game against the Yankees for the pennant and worry about Joe, but they vow to think of nothing but winning ("The Game"). Meanwhile, angry fans are seeking him out, so he decides to leave home. As he does so, he tells Meg indirectly that he is her old husband ("Near to You"). Meanwhile, Applegate is exhausted by the work he has put into winning one bet and thinks about the "simpler" times in his long history ("Those Were the Good Old Days").
Joe's trial is held on September 24, the last day he can back out of his deal. As he technically does not exist, he cannot produce any kind of identification. The owner of the Senators, their coach, and even Lola (disguised as "Señora McCoy") testify, but their opinions carry no weight. Gloria suggests that Applegate take the stand, but he is unable to take the oath since it requires him to tell the truth. Joe realizes that Applegate is simply stalling to keep him from meeting his 9:00 deadline. Applegate claims that Joe "just needs time to think" and sends him to where Lola is, where history's most famous lovers wait. Lola meets him there and realizes that he truly loves Meg. She helps him by sending him into the final game and delays Applegate by coercing him into a duet ("Two Lost Souls").
When Applegate finally arrives at the game, it is 8:55, and Joe is at bat. As time runs out, Meg, her friends, and even Lola begin cheering for him. Applegate uses his powers to give Joe two strikes. The clock strikes nine, and Applegate claims victory, but at the last second, Joe cries, "Let me go!" The deal is broken, and he reverts to his old self but is still able to hit a home run, winning the pennant for the Senators.
Back at home, Joe rushes into Meg's arms. Applegate appears on the scene, claiming that Joe owes him his prize. He begs Meg to hold him and not let go, and she begins to sing ("Finale (A Man Doesn't Know)"). Applegate promises to make him young again and even ensure a
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
victory. But his powers are useless against their true love, which Lola points out. He shouts that such a thing cannot exist, but he is wrong. He and Lola vanish back to where they came from, defeated, with Joe and Meg united.
Gwen Verdon
Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon (January 13, 1925October 18, 2000) was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for t ...
had sung just one song in her previous show (''Can-Can''), the producers were willing to take a chance on her. She initially refused, preferring to assist another choreographer, but finally agreed. Choreographer Bob Fosse insisted on meeting her before working with her, and after meeting and working for a brief time, they each agreed to the arrangement. This was the start of an artistic and personal partnership between Fosse and Verdon, who married in 1960.
The show opened on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre on May 5, 1955, transferred to the
Adelphi Theatre
The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receivin ...
on May 17, 1957, and ran for a total of 1,019 performances. It was directed by
George Abbott
George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades.
Early years
Abbott was born in Forestville, New Y ...
, with scenery and costumes by William and Jean Eckart, dances and musical numbers staged by Fosse, musical direction by Hal Hastings, orchestrations by Don Walker, and dance music arrangements by Roger Adams.
The show starred Ray Walston (Applegate), Verdon (Lola),
Shannon Bolin
Shannon Bolin (January 1, 1917 – March 25, 2016) was an American actress and singer. A March 10, 1941, article in The Mason City Globe-Gazette said that she was "known as 'The Lady with the Dark Blue Voice'".
Early years
Ione Shannon Bolin wa ...
(Meg), Robert Shafer (Joe Boyd), Elizabeth Howell (Doris),
Stephen Douglass
Stephen Douglass (September 27, 1921 – December 20, 2011) was an American actor-singer.
Born Stephen Fitch in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Douglass had a distinguished theatrical career and appeared occasionally on television. He was the last perform ...
(Joe Hardy), Al Lanti (Henry), Eddie Phillips (Sohovik), Nathaniel Frey (Smokey), Albert Linville (Vernon, Postmaster), Russ Brown (Van Buren), Jimmy Komack (Rocky),
Rae Allen
Rae may refer to:
People
* Rae (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Rae (surname), including a list of people with the surname Nicknames for
* Rachel (given name)
* Rachelle
*Raquel
*Raven (given name)
* Reema
* Reena ...
(Gloria), Cherry Davis (Teenager), Del Horstmann (Lynch, Commissioner), Richard Bishop (Welch), Janie Janvier (Miss Weston), and Jean Stapleton (Sister).
Original West End production
A West End production played at the London Coliseum beginning on March 28, 1957, where it played for 258 performances. It starred Olympic skater
Belita
Belita Jepson-Turner (21 October 1923 – 18 December 2005), known professionally as Belita, was a British Olympic figure skater, dancer and film actress.
Biography
Born at Nether Wallop, Hampshire,Elizabeth Seal. It also starred Bill Kerr as Applegate, and
Ivor Emmanuel
Ivor Lewis Emmanuel (7 November 1927 – 20 July 2007) was a Welsh musical theatre and television singer and actor. He is probably best remembered, however, for his appearance as "Private Owen" in the 1964 film '' Zulu'', in which his chara ...
as Joe Hardy.
In the mid-1970s, Vincent Price starred as Applegate in summer stock productions of the show. In the late 1970s and early 1980s film actor
Van Johnson
Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916 – December 12, 2008) was an American film, television, theatre and radio actor. He was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during and after World War II.
Johnson was described as the embodiment ...
did so in productions throughout the U.S.A. In July, 1981, a production was performed at the
Jones Beach Marine Theater
Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater (commonly known as the Jones Beach Theater) is an outdoor amphitheatre at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh, New York. It is one of two major outdoor arenas in the New York metropolitan area, along with PN ...
in
Wantagh, New York
Wantagh ( ) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, New York, United States. The population was 18,871 at the time of the 2010 census.
Wantagh is known as "The Gateway to Jones ...
. It was notable due to former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath being cast in the role of Joe Boyd.
Broadway revival
A Broadway revival opened at the Marquis Theatre on March 3, 1994 and ran for 519 performances and 33 previews. Featured were
Jarrod Emick
Jarrod Emick (born July 2, 1969) is an American actor who primarily acts in musicals. He received a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, and a Theatre World Award for his performance in the 1994 revival of ''Damn Yankees''.
Biography
Emick grew up ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', March 13, 1995. who then starred in a national tour and also played the role in a London production. Jack O'Brien directed, with choreography by Rob Marshall, assisted by his sister, Kathleen. O'Brien is also credited with revisions to the book.
West End revival
The 1994 revival production opened in the West End at the
Adelphi Theatre
The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receivin ...
on June 4, 1997 (previews started May 29) and closed on August 9, 1997. Jerry Lewis reprised his role as Applegate and April Nixon played Lola.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
. The revised book was written, with permission, by
Joe DiPietro
Joe DiPietro (born 1961) is an American playwright, lyricist and author. He is best known for the Tony Award-winning musical '' Memphis'', for which he won the Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score as well as for writ ...
Reprise! Broadway's Best
In 2007, Reprise! Broadway's Best produced a revival. Jason Alexander directed, resetting the show to 1981 Los Angeles and making changes to accommodate a largely African-American and Hispanic cast. It opened November 7, 2007 and ran through November 25.
Megan Lawrence
Megan Lawrence (born 1972) is an American actress best known for her roles on Broadway. Among other honors, she has been nominated for a Tony Award. She has also appeared Off-Broadway, in regional theatre and on television.
Life and career
Lawre ...
as Gloria Thorpe (replacing an injured Ana Gasteyer during rehearsal), PJ Benjamin as Joe Boyd, and Cheyenne Jackson as Joe Hardy. John Rando directed and the original Fosse choreography was reproduced by Mary MacLeod. Given the substantial changes in the 1994 revival, this is considered by some the first authentic revival of the original production.
Adrienne Warren
Adrienne Warren (born May 6, 1987) is an American actress, singer and dancer. She made her Broadway debut in the 2012 musical '' Bring It On'', and in 2016 received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical nomination for her performanc ...
as Gloria. It was produced by Scott Landis, Jerry Frankel, and Jay and Cindy Gutterman.
Musical numbers
:Based on hand engraved materials originally available from Music Theatre International derived from the 1955 production
;Act One
*Overture — Orchestra
*Curtain Act 1 — Orchestra
*Six Months — Meg Boyd, Joe Boyd, Men, and Girls
*Devil Music — Orchestra
*Goodbye Old Girl — Joe Boyd and Joe Hardy
*Heart — Van Buren, Smoky, Rocky, Vernon
*Heart Encore — Van Buren, Smoky, Rocky, Vernon
*Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo. — Gloria Thorpe, Boys, Senators
*Shoeless Joe Dance — Orchestra
*A Man Doesn't Know — Joe Hardy
*Lola — Orchestra
*A Little Talent — Lola
*Goodbye (Reprise) — Orchestra
*A Man Doesn't Know (Reprise) — Joe Hardy, Meg
* Whatever Lola Wants (with Dance Break) — Lola
*Not Meg — Orchestra
*Heart (Reprise) — Men
*Chairs Fanfare — Orchestra
*Who's Got The Pain? (with Double Dance Breaks) — Lola & Men (Street Band)
*Act 1 Finale (New Shoeless Joe Finale) — Orchestra
;Act Two
*Entr'Acte — Orchestra
*Opening Act 2 — Orchestra
*The Game — Senators
*Near to You — Joe Hardy and Meg Boyd
*Good Old Days — Applegate
*Days Encore — Applegate
*Courtroom Blackout — Orchestra
*Two Lost Souls (with Dance) — Lola and Joe Hardy
*Devil Music — Orchestra
*Shoeless Joe (Reprise) — Orchestra
*Back Home — Orchestra
*Finale (A Man Doesn't Know) — Meg and Joe Boyd
*Bows (Heart) — Orchestra
*Exit March — Orchestra
:Based on 1994 revival
;Act One
*Overture
*Six Months Out Of Every Year — Meg Boyd, Joe Boyd, Sister, Gloria Thorpe, Husbands, and Wives
*Goodbye Old Girl — Joe Boyd and Joe Hardy
*Blooper Ballet — The Senators
*Heart — Van Buren, Smokey, Rocky, Linville
*Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo. — Gloria Thorpe, Senators
*Shoeless Joe (Reprise) — Gloria Thorpe, Joe Hardy, and Ensemble (1994 revival only, used elements of the song in the style of retro-1950s commercials)
*A Little Brains, a Little Talent — Lola
*A Man Doesn't Know — Joe Hardy and Meg Boyd
*Whatever Lola Wants — Lola
;Act Two
*Who's Got the Pain? — Lola and Senators (Originally, this came at the end of Act One, as "The Game" started Act Two)
*The Game — Rocky, Smokey, and Senators
*Near to You — Joe Hardy and Meg Boyd (1994 IBDB shows the addition of Joe Boyd)
*Those Were the Good Old Days — Applegate
*Two Lost Souls — Lola and Applegate (1994 IBDB shows Applegate, 1955 IBDB shows Hardy)
*A Man Doesn't Know (Reprise) — Meg and Joe Boyd
Notable casts and characters
Original Broadway replacements
Source
* Meg Boyd: Charlotte Fairchild
* Lola:
Sheila Bond
Sheila Bond (born Sheila Phyllis Berman; March 16, 1927 - March 25, 2017) was an American actress and singer, known for her work on Broadway.
Personal life
Bond was born Sheila Phyllis Berman in New York City of Jewish descent, and was educated ...
Van Johnson
Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916 – December 12, 2008) was an American film, television, theatre and radio actor. He was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during and after World War II.
Johnson was described as the embodiment ...
Charlotte d'Amboise
Charlotte d'Amboise (born May 11, 1964) is an American actress and dancer. She has played starring roles in musical theatre, and has been nominated for two Tony Awards and won the Los Angeles Ovation Awards for Best Leading Actress in a Musical ...
*Joe Boyd — A middle-aged, overweight married man who is in love with baseball, especially the Senators he "older" Joe Hardy*Joe Hardy — The 22-year-old, home-run-hitting transformation of Joe Boyd
*Meg Boyd — Joe's loyal, traditional wife
*Lola — The Devil's seductress assistant
*Mr. Applegate — The Devil in disguise as a slick salesman
*Van Buren — The hard working manager of the Senators with great heart but no luck
*Gloria Thorpe — A probing reporter
*Rocky — A baseball player for the Senators
*Smokey — A "dim bulb" catcher for the Senators
*Cherry — A friend of Meg
*Doris — A friend of Meg
*Sister — A friend of Meg
*Mr. Welch — The owner of the Senators
*Others: Bouley (also called Ibsen in some productions), Vernon, Henry, Linville, Sohovik, Lowe, Mickey, Del, Miss Weston, Postmaster and The Commissioner
*Baseball players and batboys; Baseball fans' wives
(The original Broadway version also had a children's chorus who sang the reprise of "Heart")
Recordings, film, and television
The 1955 Original Broadway Cast recording is on RCA Victor, recorded May 8, 1955. The LP was originally issued in mono but in 1965 RCA Victor offered an electronic stereo version. The current CD edition was released in 1988. RCA Victor also released the film soundtrack in 1958. Although recorded in stereo, only the mono version was released. The 1989 CD edition marked the first release of the recording in stereo. The 1994 Broadway revival cast recording made by Mercury (and now on the Decca Broadway label) was released on May 17, 1994.
A film version, directed by George Abbott and Stanley Donen, was released in 1958. With the exception of Tab Hunter in the role of Joe Hardy (replacing
Stephen Douglass
Stephen Douglass (September 27, 1921 – December 20, 2011) was an American actor-singer.
Born Stephen Fitch in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Douglass had a distinguished theatrical career and appeared occasionally on television. He was the last perform ...
Lee Remick
Lee Ann Remick (December 14, 1935 – July 2, 1991) was an American actress and singer. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for the film '' Days of Wine and Roses'' (1962), and for the 1966 Tony Award for Best Actress ...
as Lola and Ray Middleton as Joe Boyd.
In 1983, Ray Walston expressed interest in recreating Applegate in ''Raisin' Cane'', a new musical in which the devil returns to ruin Broadway. In a spin on ''Damn Yankees'', this time Applegate takes a young girl and grows her up and gets her the lead in a Broadway show, planning to change her back, bankrupting all the investors. Book, music and lyrics are by San Francisco Bay Area writer/lyricist/composer Ted Kopulos.
In 2009, it was announced that a new contemporary film adaptation of the musical will star Jim Carrey as Applegate and Jake Gyllenhaal as Joe Hardy. No further announcements about this adaptation have been made since (as of December 2020).
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...