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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. Damn Yankees
The story is still the same: die-hard fan Joe Boyd (Quentin Earl Darrington) agonizes over the dominance of the hated New York Yankees over his Orioles. He says, carelessly, that he would sell his soul to guarantee an Orioles win in the upcoming pennant race. At that moment, a smooth-talking fellow named Mr. Applegate (Rob McClure) appears and offers him a chance to do just that–and matters progress from there with the sudden arrival of phenom Joe Hardy (Jordan Donica). Director and choreographer Sergio Trujillo has taken the spirit of Bob Fosse's legendary original choreography (which can be seen in the 1958 film version) while moving it in a new direction. The group numbers for the ballplayers are muscular but fill the in-the-round Fichandler stage with grace as well as athletic skill. Ana Villafañe's performance as Lola, sinuous and yearning by turns, has a different focus from Gwen Verdon's iconic portrayal, emphasizing that Lola may be a seductress but she retains an underlying innocence that draws her to young Joe. Donica plays Joe Hardy with a winning niceness, a lack of ego that makes him especially appealing among the rougher players on the team. Darrington, an actor with subtlety as well as strong stage presence, brings out the character of Joe Boyd, to whom the authors have given a backstory (his father played in the Negro Leagues in the 1950s but never broke through to the majors). Bryonha Marie brings life to his wife Meg, originally written as a full-time homemaker and now a woman who has her own passion, teaching, in addition to her devotion to her marriage. As Applegate, McClure is sly and even understated at times–he knows how to sell a line without punching it too hard, and he's a soft-shoeing charmer in "Those Were the Good Old Days." Sportswriter Gloria Thorpe, an anomalous character in the original production (a woman sportswriter?), sparkles in Alysha Umphress' sharp-edged portrayal. Robert Brill's malleable set is bordered with video screens facing the four sides of the stage, showing still shots and some in-play video as designed by Peter Nigrini. Philip S. Rosenberg's lighting design and Walter Trarbach's sound design draw the viewer into the scene (including a sing-along moment for the audience), while Linda Cho's costumes range from Lola's glitter to the ballplayers' sensible uniforms. Damn Yankees runs through November 9, 2025, at Arena Stage, Mead Center for American Theater, Fichandler Stage, 1101 6th St. SW, Washington DC. For tickets and information, please call 202-488-3300 or visit www.arenastage.org. Book and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross Directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo Cast (in alphabetical order): |
