By Dale King
Batter up!
After being benched for a year due to COVID, the classic Broadway musical Damn Yankees is ready to take the field at The Wick Theatre at 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, just in time for Major League Baseball’s spring training season.
This devilishly fun romantic comedy won eight Tony Awards including the coveted Best Musical honor. Damn Yankees runs March 2 to April 2, with evening shows on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and matinees on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available at www.thewick.org or by calling the box office at 561-995-2333.
“With acrobatic dancing, a sexy seductress and tons of comedy, this gem bats a thousand,” declared Marilynn A. Wick, managing executive producer.
Based on the novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant by Douglass Wallop, Damn Yankees tells the story of middle-aged baseball superfan, Joe Boyd, who trades his soul to the devil for a chance to lead his favorite team to victory in the pennant race against the New York Yankees. Will he succeed in his race for glory, return home to the life he loves, or be lost for all eternity to the devil himself?
With a book by Broadway legend George Abbott and a winning score by Adler and Ross, the show features classic songs including “Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets,” “(You Gotta Have) Heart” and iconic dance numbers originally choreographed by Bob Fosse.
The cast of heavy hitters includes two-time Carbonell Award winner Wayne LeGette as the devilish Applegate. Wick audiences can’t forget Wayne’s star turns as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls and Jeff in Brigadoon, to name a few.
Helen Hayes Award nominee Lauren Weinberg brings all the va-va-voom to vixen Lola and newcomer Jeffrey Keller is a star in the making as all-American Joe Hardy.
Expect a wallop of a high belt from Mychal Phillips as Gloria and all the charm and wisdom of a mid-century housewife from Aaron Bower – back again after her triumphant turn as Reno in the just-completed musical, Anything Goes.
This all-star team is led by MVP’s including director, Jeffrey B. Moss, who has helmed some of the nation’s biggest touring hits including Legally Blonde, Hello, Dolly! and South Pacific. Carbonell Award-winner Jerel T. Brown is the choreographer and two-time Carbonell Award-winner Eric Alsford is the musical director.