Damn Yankees
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Cititour.com Review
The new production of Damn Yankees at Encores! Summer Stars at City Center, directed by John Rando, is a delightfully buoyant paean to those breezy musicals of the fifties. Damn Yankees tells the tale of Joe, an aging insurance salesman, hopelessly devoted to his always-in-the-basement team, the Washington Senators. For a shot at the pennant, Joe makes a pact with Lucifer. With a cheery score from Adler & Ross (who also gave us The Pajama Game), the show bounces effortlessly from the locker room to the devil’s lair, offering up plenty of laughs along the path to salvation.
The idea of the Encores! Summer Stars series is to have actors play "the roles they were born to play." The first outing gave us the current Broadway hit Gypsy with Patti LuPone — a match made in heaven. The "stars" here are: Sean Hayes (Jack on Will & Grace) as Applegate (the devil); Jane Krakowski (30 Rock, Nine) as Lola, his assistant well-schooled in the art of seduction; Cheyenne Jackson (Xanadu) as Joe the ballplayer; and Broadway veteran Randy Graff as his loving wife.
Hayes creates an impish devil, moving with a bouncy step and taking full command of the proceedings. His jaunty lesser-known solo, "Those Were the Good Old Days," where he accompanies himself on the piano with flair, is delivered with aplomb. Although his singing chops aren’t quite up to Broadway standards, he still exudes a natural charm. On the other hand, Krakowski can certainly belt it out with the best of them, and she applies her clear sound to a number of gems including "Two Lost Souls." The part was originated by Gwen Verdon (doing Bob Fosse’s choreography), and those same dances are in play here with Lola as a seductress, setting upon her prey with those famous words, "Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets," and while Krakowski never quite owns those bumps and grinds, she fills Lola with earnest intention. Cheyenne Jackson soars as the young Joe and Randy Graff brings a lovely elegance to his loyal wife.
The supporting cast is chock full of terrific talent, including Megan Lawrence as the nosy sports writer, and Veanne Cox and Kathy Fitzgerald as fans and friends able to wring a laugh with a single word.
The end result is a show which embodies its biggest hit song, "Heart." Damn Yankees is all about tapping into your truest desires, 'cause you gotta have heart!
By Lesley Alexander
Visit the Site
http://citycenter.org/tickets/productionNew.aspx?performanceNumber=3676
Open/Close Dates
Opening 7/5/2008
Closing 7/27/2008
Theatre Info
New York City Center
131 W. 55th Street
New York, NY 10019
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