Damn Yankees

[mrdreamjeans]

Would you sell your soul to the devil to realize a dream? Personally, no ... though I'm all about dreams. It's a question central to the plot of the 1950s musical, "Damn Yankees" and offered me a rare opportunity to play a long-married baseball fanatic who makes a deal with the devil to realize his dream of being a young baseball star. The show is full of songs musical theatre fans will know such as "You Gotta Have Heart", "Good Ole Girl" and "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets". Ultimately, my character Joe Boyd, reincarnated as young Joe Hardy, tricks the devil and is able to return to his loyal wife, Meg. In my trip down memory lane yesterday, I went through my photos of this 2003 production in Seattle. You'll see some of the same faces from the "Man of La Mancha" photos posted yesterday. I'd like to borrow guiser1's question of the day format for this post: Can a good person do bad things and still be a good person? Old Joe in "Damn Yankees" made a choice and grew to regret it. What's your opinion?


"Six Months Out of Every Year" - The opening number where the wives
lament the loss of their husbands due to baseball season. Love the bubble gum colors!
That's me as Joe Boyd in the forefront and Frances King as my wife Meg.


Will Joe Boyd sell his soul for a chance to be young again and a baseball star?
When pursuaded by Applegate (the devil) portrayed by Timothy Piggee.
The answer is yes.


"Goodbye Ole Girl" ... Old Joe doesn't know if
he'll ever see his wife again.


Young Joe Hardy as played by Dave Wilson. I humor myself to
think that transformation was believable. Sure, I looked like Dave at 26:)


Hitting it out of the Park ... The Washington Senators players and coach
react to Joe's powerful tryout


Applegate enlists Lola (Anna Lauris) to tempt young Joe. If Lola
doesn't cooperate, she has to return to being
the ugliest woman in the world. She sold her soul for beauty.


Baseball Beefcake ... The players celebrate a victory ...


Young Joe (with the heart and memory of Old Joe)
realizes he's got to get back to Meg.


Meg and "the Sisters" search for Old Joe ... "You Must
Remember" they tell the old postmaster (an hysterical
cameo by Chad Jennings).


Lola's big dance number in Act II. It's her final chance to entice Joe.


"The Happy Thought Is" .. Old Joe and Meg were reunited. I was wearing a wig,
clothes two sizes too big and an entire baseball uniform under this costume.
I understood this character who eventually led from the heart.