Damn Yankees Ready to Tempt Tonight

The Damn Yankees women click over the stage in a line of shirtwaist dresses, all dispassionate swagger.

The Damn Yankees men lollygag on the ballfield in pinstripes, one part devil-may-care, one part nervous energy.

Together, the actors bustle on an off the set like ballplayers hustling on and off the field.

It’s Monday’s dress rehearsal, a few days from showtime and the director, James Pearse, channels the cast and crew’s focus to items big and small.

Big: They must remember to emote. Small: They must scoop baseball gloves from the stage floor between acts.

He prompts and prods. This is one of the last chances to iron wrinkles.

“I don’t see enough joy, children”

“Why don’t we just settle for what we don’t want.”

He drills.

“Ok, we have to do this again.”

The cast has been at it since December.

 Ultimately, Pearse is impressed with their work ethic and commitment.

“They've been a wonderful group,” he says later in an interview. “I am especially impressed and happy that the kids have really worked on their material outside of rehearsal, bringing back ideas and being prepared with lines, songs (and more)”

Their experience ranges widely. Some are rookies to the stage. Others are seniors who will go on to study theater arts in college.

Senior T.J. Lamando is one those seniors.

He has been performing in musicals since he was 6 and loves to sing.

He plays Joe Hardy, a Washington Senators baseball player who has burst upon the scene.

Joe Hardy was Joe Boyd, played by Adam Kaplowitz, a Senators baseball fan who was so tired of losing to the Yankees that he would sell his soul for one long-ball hitter.

The devil, Applegate, played by Michael Townsend, sees to it that Boyd gets that chance.

But Boyd grows homesick for his wife, Meg, played by Lucy Ceccarelli, and Lola, played by Genya Crossman helps Hardy foil the devil’s plans.

The kids are excited for the performance, says the director.

That goes for the actors and the set people, they are pulling together as a team.

Freshmen Colleen Curtis and Aimee Caron will operate the spotlights, lending color to the set.

They say the cast plays the Damn Yankees really well and they love the number “You Gotta Have Heart.”

They say it is fun being a part of something.

That something is a tradition of fine drama at Swampscott High School.

The director encourages people to join the tradition by coming out and seeing a fully produced musical for well under $10 and $20.  

“Every year I have audience members come up after the show and comment on the professionalism and talent of the kids,” he said. “People are impressed and excited to see the quality we are able to produce.”

The show will play Thursday, May 19th - Saturday, May 21st at 7 p.m. at Swampscott High School. For more information or with any questions, e-mail: damnyankees@swampscottpops.org

The Company

Meg ...................................................................... Lucy Ceccarelli 

Joe Boyd.............................................................. Adam Kaplowitz 

Applegate ......................................................... Michael Townsend 

Sister ...................................................................Jackie Thomsen 

Doris ................................................................... Shauna Gorham 

Joe Hardy ................................................................ T.J. Lamando 

Henry ..................................................................... Nolan Surette 

Sohovik .................................................................... Mark Casella 

Smokey ................................................................. Jared Solomon 

Vernon ..................................................................... William Ross 

Van Buren............................................................... James Shasha 

Rocky.................................................................. Adam Kaplowitz 

Mickey .................................................................... Steve Bazant 

Bouley...................................................................... Justin Hynes 

Lowe ........................................................................ Scott Walker 

Gloria Thorpe ......................................................... Meghan Fisher 

1st Teenager ............................................................Sinéad O’Hara 

2nd Teenager .......................................................... Ashling Quinn 

Lynch ....................................................................... Justin Hynes 

Welch....................................................................... Steven Page 

Lola ................................................................... Genya Crossman 

Miss Weston ...................................................... Brianna Moschella 

Commissioner ........................................................... Steve Bazant 

Postmaster................................................................ Justin Hynes 

Fans/Singers/Dancers .............. Nataliya Andrushchenko, Zoe Barbara, 

Katherine Coffey, Abigail Feldman, Elana Feldman, Lillie Goldman, Emma Hunt, Anna O’Gorman, Sinéad O’Hara, Taylorlyn Stephan, Erica Turner, Meg Wynne 

The Musicians

Conductor ................................................................ James Pearse 

Piano .............................................................. Maryellen Schepsis 

Bass .................................................................... Bradley Barrett 

Guitar ........................................................................ Inge Berge 

Drums .................................................................. Steve Juonakos 

Reed I ...................................................................... Scott Kaplan 

Reed II ........................................................................ Rick Stone 

Trumpet .................................................................. Bryan Hilliard 

Trombone ............................................................. Russell Bogartz

Production Staff

3 Stage Direction ....................................... James Pearse 

Choreography ......................................... James Pearse 

Rehearsal Pianist .............................. Maryellen Schepsis 

Assistant Directors ................................... Tobin Bartolo 

Stage Manager .................................. Ms. Kayla Nygren 

Additional Choreography ... Genya Crossman, Justin Hynes 

Baseball Consultant .............................. Mr. Tony Geraci 

Scenery Construction/Painting ............ Mr. Tom Lamando, 

Mr. Peter Barba, Mr. Pearse’s Theater Major class, parents, cast and crew 

Light Board .............................................. Acadia Willis 

Lighting Consultant .............................. Mr. David Lasky 

Spotlights ........................... Aimee Caron, Colleen Curtis 

Sound Board .......................................... George Major 

Sound Consultant ....................................... Glenn Kane 

Costumes ...................... Emily Howard, Deanna Mazina, 

Hannah Yaeger, Mr. Pearse 

Props ........................ Parents, friends, and the company 

Stage Crew ....................... Tobin Bartolo, Emily Howard, 

Sandra Katsnelson, Kayla Nygren, Tiberius Weaver-Zeman 

Sound Consultant .................................. Mr. Glenn Kane 

Production Advisor ..............................Ms. Anne Padova 

Publicity ..................... Ms. Kayla Nygren, Ms. Jes Medoff 

Advertising ............................. Parents and the company 

Concessions ............................. Parents of the company 

Program Design/Layout .................... Mrs. Penny Stratton 

Video Recording ...................... Students of Mr. Tom Reid 

Thanks to Kayla Nygran for providing the cast list and photograph caption information.