{"id":376962,"date":"2025-09-21T11:41:55","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T15:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/?p=372211"},"modified":"2025-09-30T18:44:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T18:44:44","slug":"electrifying-damn-yankees-at-arena-stage-hits-it-out-of-the-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/09\/21\/electrifying-damn-yankees-at-arena-stage-hits-it-out-of-the-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Electrifying \u2018Damn Yankees\u2019 at Arena Stage hits it out of the park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A night at the theater that doubles as a trip to the ballpark \u2014 what could be better? With the Oriole Bird strutting onstage and \u201cTake Me Out to the Ball Game\u201d echoing through the house, Arena\u2019s Fichandler Stage feels less like a theater and more like the Baltimore Orioles Stadium \u2014 stage lights and plush seats aside. This is Damn Yankees<\/em>: a musical with the same energy, passion, and camaraderie of America\u2019s favorite pastime but with a side of song and dance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kicking off Arena Stage\u2019s 75th Season, Damn Yankees<\/em> steps up to the plate in a bold new \u201crevisal\u201d (revised revival). Based on the original that premiered in 1955 with music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross and book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, this version has been reimagined by Will Power and Doug Wright, with additional lyrics by Broadway\u2019s Lynn Ahrens. This isn\u2019t just any adaptation. Damn Yankees<\/em> is packed with Broadway powerhouses testing this \u201crevisal\u201d before its likely Broadway run in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Alysha Umphress (Gloria Thorpe) and the company of \u2018Damn Yankees.\u2019 Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The story now follows the 2000s Baltimore Orioles as they battle the unstoppable New York Yankees in a version that mirrors the diversity of modern baseball. Joe\u2019s quest to win isn\u2019t just for glory \u2014 it\u2019s to finish the dream his father was denied by the color barrier. The gender politics have been modernized, with Ahrens refreshed \u201cThe Game,\u201d replacing outdated lyrics and adding a reprise of \u201cSix Months Out of Every Year\u201d as Applegate\u2019s opening number. This revisal proves that Golden Age musicals can remain relevant when adapted for today\u2019s audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plot remains largely the same as the original version: Joe and Meg Boyd live a quiet life in Baltimore, except during baseball season, when Joe is glued to the TV, despairing over the Orioles\u2019 losses. So when the devilish Applegate offers him the chance to become slugger Joe Hardy and lead the team to glory, Joe jumps. But the pact comes with an escape clause: by October 17th, he must choose to return to Meg or remain Joe Hardy forever. Determined to trap him, Applegate unleashes temptations and sabotage. Caught between his love for Meg and his love for the game, Joe faces a heart-wrenching decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arena\u2019s production is electrifying \u2014 out-of-the-park vocals, stellar design, and seasoned performers make it feel like a ballgame from first pitch to final out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo (of Broadway\u2019s Real Women Have Curves<\/em>), the musical races at game speed as scenes, sets, and characters fly in and out of Arena\u2019s in-the-round stage. Trujillo allows the script and score to walk the line between realism and fantasy, landing in a grounded, passionate, and joyous camp style without ever tipping into triviality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trujillo\u2019s masterful direction shines through a star-studded cast: Ana Villafa\u00f1e is captivating as Lola, Rob McClure is perfectly villainous as Applegate, Quentin Earl Darrington anchors the show as Joe Boyd, Bryonha Marie glows with warmth and grace as Meg Boyd, and Jordan Donica soars as Joe Hardy. DC favorites, including Rayanne Gonzales and Sarah Anne Sillers, round out the cast.<\/p>\n\n\n

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TOP LEFT: Bryonha Marie (Meg Boyd) and Quentin Earl Darrington (Joe Boyd); TOP RIGHT: Rob McClure (Applegate); ABOVE LEFT: Ana Villafa\u00f1e (Lola) and Jordan Donica (Joe Hardy); ABOVE RIGHT: Jordan Donica (Joe Hardy) and Bryonha Marie (Meg Boyd), in \u2018Damn Yankees.\u2019 Photos by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Trujillo\u2019s superb choreography turns each game into a blur of leaps, spins, and flips, exemplified by the players (featuring J. Savage, Ra\u00fal Contreras, Ryo Kamibayashi, Justin Showell, Michael Harmon, John Michael Fiumara, Drake Leach, and Ryan Vyskocil). Their knockout number, \u201cShoeless Joe From Hannibal, Mo.\u201d \u2014 featuring soaring vocals from Alysha Umphress as Gloria the intrepid journalist \u2014 earned them a minute-long mid-show applause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The design conjures a world of magic and sport, perfectly suited to the Fichandler. A bare stage shifts swiftly between scenes (set design by Robert Brill), costumes gleam in Oriole orange (costume design by Linda Cho), lights illuminate both home runs and quiet kisses (lighting design by Philip S. Rosenberg), and projected billboards evoke a real ballpark (projection design by Peter Nigrini), all combining into a fluid playing field for the cast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This reimagining keeps every ounce of the original\u2019s zeal while infusing it with a spirit of community and culture and a love of the game. As Orioles manager Van Buren says, it\u2019s got \u201cHeart.\u201d Even if baseball isn\u2019t your passion, this team of dancers, actors, and designers will win you over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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