THE BASICS: The Faust story meets the Great American Pastime in this rather sumptuous revival of the 1955 Broadway hit musical. A flagship show for the Shaw’s 60th season, YANKEES plays in repertory at the Festival Theatre through October 9th. Brian Hill directs a large ensemble. It’s a long evening (or afternoon), clocking in at over 2 ½ hours with its single intermission.
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: (courtesy of season brochure) “Joe Boyd is an out of shape, middle age man who has the misfortune to be a Washington Senators fan. One deal with the devil later, he is Joe Hardy, a young ball player with a knack for hitting home runs. Can he help his favorite team finally beat the powerhouse New York Yankees?”
THE PLAY, THE PLAYERS AND THE PRODUCTION: The script, by George Abbott and Douglas Wallop, from a novel by Wallop, is something of an antique, but still manages to round the bases. The score, by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, is best remembered for the hit song “Heart”, but is generally sprightly and winning, and has a surprising amount of range. In addition to various cheeky song and dance numbers, there are old-fashioned sentimental ballads like “A Man Doesn’t Know” and “Near to You”. A very pleasing earful (or three!)
The large cast is uniformly able. No weak links here. I kept waiting for one of the leads to break out, and just blow us all away, but it never quite happens. I will say, however, that that Mike Nadajewski comes close as the nefarious Mr. Applegate, especially when he has a terrific specialty number like “Those Were the Good Old Days” to sink his teeth into. And James Daly is a damn good Joe Hardy, with a great look, and a terrific set of pipes that are somewhat underused in this show. On the distaff side, Patty Jamieson, as Joe’s long suffering wife, Meg Boyd, and Olivia Sinclair Brisbane, as the inquisitive reporter Gloria Thorpe, get my highest marks.
The clever set design is by Cory Sincennes, who is also responsible for the nostalgic 50’s costumes. Production values are high all around, as is almost universally the case at the Shaw Festival.
In sum, if you have been pining for a classy revival of a Golden Age Broadway musical, one not so incredibly familiar as to have bred contempt, this DAMN YANKEES probably has your name written all over it. It is long, especially the first act, but, in the final analysis, it’s awfully hard NOT to enjoy it!
*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)
ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.
TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.
THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.
FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.
FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!