Luke Nowakowski and Jenny Couch Photo by Elizabeth Stenholt Photography

Damn Yankees (music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, and book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop) holds a special place in my heart, not only because I love baseball, a sport that has been central to my life since childhood when I was born into a family of diehard Cub fans when they were still the loveable losers, but also because it was the first musical production I was a part of in high school and it sent me down a trajectory that made musical theatre as central to my life as baseball had always been. So I jumped at the chance to see Damn Yankees at Theo, a theater company I have grown to love over the last year for its intimate space and ever-changing setups. I couldn't wait to see how they arranged the storefront theater for this production and share the show with one of my baseball/musical theater loving sons.

We were seated in seats cleverly designed to resemble bleachers by set designer Manuel Ortiz, surrounding an angled baseball diamond with a locker room tucked behind the outfield. Before the show even began, I was grinning. The setup also allowed me to glance across the "grandstand" at my fellow audience members throughout the performance, and I noticed something remarkable: nearly every face wore the same smile I felt plastered on my own. Damn Yankees is simply one of those feel-good musicals, and Ortiz's immersive design lets us experience that joy together.

Joe Boyd (Thomas M. Shea) is a middle-aged man obsessed with the Washington Senators (the original Senators becoming the Minnesota Twins in 1961). After yet another loss to those Damn Yankees, he bemoans "one long ball hitter... I'd sell my soul for one long ball hitter," and poof–Mr. Applegate (Tommy Thurston) appears. Before too long, Joe Boyd has made a deal with the mysterious Mr. Applegate, including an escape clause, and when Boyd runs out of the house with his baseball glove, he is now the young, athletic Joe Hardy (Luke Nowakowski).

In an unbelievable tryout, Joe Hardy impresses Senators manager Van Buren (Reginald Hemphill), and I was especially struck by Emily Mumford's sound design. The crack of every bat echoed through the space and instantly transported me to the poetry of baseball. As the mysterious Hardy leads the hapless Senators on a pennant chase, reporter Gloria Thorpe (Alex Madda) tries to uncover his secret while Applegate enlists the seductive Lola (Jenny Couch) to distract Joe from thoughts of home–and of his wife Meg.

One of the joys of this production is how much fun the cast appears to be having. Thurston relishes every moment as the delightfully devious Applegate, nearly stealing the show with his performance of "Those Were the Good Old Days." Hemphill brings warmth and humor to the long-suffering manager Van Buren, leading an ensemble of ballplayers whose enthusiasm far exceeds their baseball talent. Couch fully commits to Lola's seductive charm and handles the show's Fosse-inspired choreography with confidence, while Madda gives Gloria just the right amount of ambition and bite.

My favorites, however, were Meghan Hoyt's Meg Boyd and Luke Nowakowski's Joe Hardy. Damn Yankees only works if we believe that Joe truly loves Meg more than he loves baseball, and these two actors make that relationship feel genuine from the start. Their duet work is lovely, and both performers bring an emotional sincerity that grounds the show's more fantastical elements. By the time Joe–once again in the form of Thomas M. Shea's Joe Boyd–returns to Meg in the final moments, Applegate fuming in defeat, we believe completely that love has won. In a musical filled with comedy, baseball, and deals with the devil, that emotional truth is what ultimately makes the story work.

Chicago is a baseball town. Whether you're a lifelong fan who still measures summers by the standings or simply someone who loves a classic musical with heart, Damn Yankees is an easy recommendation. Theo Ubique's intimate production, directed by Daryl D. Brooks, captures both the charm of the Golden Age musical and the joy of a night at the ballpark. By the final curtain, you'll likely leave humming the score, smiling a little wider and maybe even believing that love really can beat the Yankees.

Damn Yankees runs through July 12, 2026, at Theo Ubique, 721 Howard Street, Evanston IL. For tickets and information, please visit theo-u.com.