Damn Yankees Provides Audiences with Feel-Good Entertainment

When Damn Yankees premiered in 1955, it was a huge hit – a home run, you might even say. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical and even earned itself a revival in 1994 and a film version. Its best-known songs include “Heart” and “Whatever Lola Wants.” As you might expect from a musical from the ’50s, it is extremely white and definitely does not pass the Bechdel test, but one thing it offers that many present-day musical comedies do not is family-friendly humor. The most profane language used is in the title itself.

Now the all-American classic has come to the Ocean State Theatre Company with a cast of local pros whose outstanding singing and dancing never fails to impress. As per Ocean State Theatre tradition, the company is backed by a live orchestra rather than pre-recorded tracks that are becoming the norm for many productions.

Damn Yankees follows the story of a middle-aged real estate agent who makes a deal with the devil, who goes by Applegate, to live his dream of becoming a professional baseball player on his favorite team, the plucky but pathetic Washington Senators. He transforms into the young slugger Joe Hardy who takes the baseball world by storm and single-handedly raises the standings of the Senators. Despite his success, he misses his old life and his wife and plans on using the escape clause he insisted upon that will allow him to return to his old self at the end of the season. In order to prevent this from happening, Applegate tries to have homewrecker Lola seduce him, but her efforts prove to be no match for Joe’s faithfulness to his wife. He then plants the rumor that Joe is actually a con artist previously known as “Shifty McCoy.” This complicates Joe’s plan of escape, as he now has to stand trial and prove his innocence.

The show opens on a split-level ’50s living room, where Joe (John Costa) sits engrossed in the baseball game while Meg (Sally Ann Swarm) vies for his attention. They are joined onstage by other husbands yelling about those “damn Yankees” at their television sets, while their wives complain about these “Six Months Out of Every Year” in which their husbands are more attentive to their favorite teams than to them. Immediately, the audience is sucked in by the clever and often comical staging and all-too-familiar fanaticism that plagues many American households. Beau Allen is perfectly cast as the wisecracking albeit devilish Applegate — maybe it’s his moustache, but even in his headshot he has a sinister look to him. As the young, strapping Joe Hardy, Matt Gibson delivers a charming performance with his gorgeous crooning vocals – but what else would you expect from someone who has been on a Broadway stage with the likes of Kristin Chenoweth and Patti LuPone? His fellow Senators are a high point of the show as a bumbling band of brainless baseball players. In addition to their comedic effect, they also prove to be a strong male chorus in their big numbers “Heart,” “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO” and “The Game.”

As a musical originally choreographed by Fosse, dance is a major part of the show. The plethora of dance numbers are high-energy and include some impressive moves, particularly from sports journalist Gloria (Kristen Arsenault) and Lola (Lauren Gemelli). There was one botched lift on opening night that almost resulted in a faceplant, but hopefully, such issues will be resolved throughout the course of the run.

Damn Yankees is not a show that makes you think or one that advocates for any particular agenda. It doesn’t push envelopes or challenge the form of the musical. Rather, it’s a return to a simpler time – a classic musical that lets you just sit back and be entertained. The first act is a whopping hour and a half, but not once was I bored. I would have liked to see more diversity in the cast; it may be a ’50s musical, but at least in this respect, it could do with some updating.

Damn Yankees runs through Sunday, July 24. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm with 2pm matinees on Sundays. For specific dates and times, please check the website. Tickets are available by phone 401-921-6800, online at oceanstatetheatrecompany.org or in person at 1245 Jefferson Blvd, Warwick.