'Damn Yankees' by Goodspeed Musicals - My Review

The production of Damn Yankees currently lighting up the stage of the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam features a book adaptation for the Red Sox Version by Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro. In addition to Broadway’s Memphis and Nice Work if You Can Get It, Mr. DiPietro wrote the books for Goodspeed’s They All Laughed and All Shook Up (which I saw for the first time at the Warner this weekend and loved.)

I have seen (and reviewed) two other productions of the original version of Damn Yankees (with words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and based on the novel by Douglass Wallop “The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant.”)

Nevertheless,  I probably missed many of the tweaks that were made to highlight the beloved Boston Red Sox. I know the set features a section of the Green Monster and the uniforms are not those of the Washington Senators that I remember from the other performances I attended. I enjoyed the addition of a Spanish-speaking ballplayer and his mucho corazon during "Heart."  I will admit that my youngest son and I didn't get most of the baseball jokes that many men in the press night audience (for which we had complimentary seats) obviously did. (Where was my Red Sox fanatic/theater buddy when I needed her?)

No matter. This production is so impressive that even those of us who don't follow sports will enjoy every minute of it. From the minute the first act starts without introduction, this show is high energy. The ballplayers dance up a storm and run frequently through the small theater's aisles. Where else can patrons see the team members take an onstage shower, albeit a modest one? The choreography by Kelli Barclay is an amazing mix of ball playing and dancing as in "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo" and is simply the best. Joe and Lola's dance in "Two Lost Souls" was another one of my favorite numbers.

Music Direction was by Michael O'Flaherty (in his 23rd season at Goodspeed) and the eight musicians in the pit sounded pitch perfect. This Goodspeed set was designed by Adrian W. Jones and I am always amazed at what they manage to get on this little stage. The show is directed with pin point accuracy by Daniel Goldstein and produced by Michael Price.

The Goodspeed cast is so polished and highly credited that I will mention every single one of them without apology.

Leading the cast as the devilish Applegate is David Beach (Mamma Mia!, Urinetown and Moon Over Buffalo on Broadway and Henry in The Great American Mousical at Goodspeed’s Norma Terris Theatre in 2012.) This actor managed to be both evil and charming at the same time and had the best hair I have seen on this character.

Angel Reda (Velma Kelly in Chicago on Broadway) played the sultry Lola perfectly and looked beautiful all the while. Young Joe Hardy was played by Stephen Mark Lukas, whose credits include Broadway and the National Tour of The Book of Mormon. He also was pretty easy on the eyes as he played the scarily talented young ballplayer.

The elder Joe was played by James Judy (last year’s Broadway revival of Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Into the Woods) and I loved his Bostonian accent. As his wife Meg, Ann Arvia (Goodspeed's The Most Happy Fella, and Broadway's Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast and Les Misérables.)  Goodspeed favorite Ron Wisniski, whose credits include Something’s Afoot and many more, was pitch perfect as the singing Coach Van Buren.

Gloria Thorpre, the reporter who knows that something is afoot with the newest member of the team, is played by Lora Lee Gayer, who portrayed Young Sally in the Broadway revival of Follies. This lady is a bundle of talent. The role of super fan Sister was played to perfection by Kristine Zbornik, who appeared on Broadway in A Catered Affair and Goodspeed’s Man of La Mancha.

The reason that I freaked out a bit as I read the program before the show began was because I realized that Sister's partner in crime Doris would be played by Allyce Beasley. Fans of one of my all-time favorite television series Moonlighting know that Ms. Beasley owned the role of Blue Moon's secretary Ms. Dipesto. She has since performed on Broadway in La Cage aux Folles, but I was thrilled to see her on the Goodspeed stage. When she and Ms. Zbornik came into the packed press night audience in character to pass out cracker jacks, I was fortunate to snap a photo of this talented actress. These fine character actresses made quite a pair and the audience loved them. Connecticut community theater lovers will be reminded of our angel Roberta Coffill Healy during their scenes.

The fabulous ensemble worked together perfectly on the little Goodspeed stage and there is no weak link on this team. They included Joven Calloway, Ryan Cavanaugh, Sean Ewing (Broadway’s West Side Story), Steve Geary (Broadway’s Contact, Aida, Miss Saigon and Cats  and Goodspeed’s Hello, Dolly!), Timothy Hughes (Broadway’s Chaplin and Goodspeed’s Carnival!), Danny Lindgren (Goodspeed’s The Most Happy Fella), Michael Mendez  (Broadway’s Chaplin and Goodspeed’s Hello! My Baby at The Norma Terris Theatre), Alfie Parker Jr.  (Broadway’s South Pacific) and Victor J. Wisehart (Goodspeed’s My One And Only). The swings are Colin Scott Cahill and Vanessa Dunleavy.

I brought my youngest son along to add the Goodspeed experience to his list of theaters. He is more of a Spamalot guy, but he likened the production to Broadway without prompting and can't wait to return. If you haven't enjoyed the Goodspeed experience, I highly recommend that you head to East Haddam for Damn Yankees.

Damn Yankees runs through June 21, 2014 Curtain times are Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (with select performances at 2:00 p.m.), Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. (with select performances at 6:30 p.m.).