Arena Lends Heart To Stodgy Damn Yankees
DCist fans may have fervent opinions regarding the building of a baseball stadium, but are there any Nats fans loyal enough to sell their soul to see the team take a pennant? One devoted Washington Senators fan and Yankee-hater makes such a deal in the oft-performed Damn Yankees, now closing out the year at Arena Stage.
Middle-aged Joe Boyd (Lawrence Redmond) makes the infamous pact with Satan (Brad Oscar) to turn back the clocks and become a young man again (Matt Bogart), one with a hefty enough swing to clinch the World Series for the floundering Senators. To strike the deal, Boyd must leave behind a loving if weary wife (Kay Walbe), and does so with mixed feelings - but the former real estate agent is crafty enough to build in an escape clause in case he wants to get out of his contract. Whether Joe will prove able or willing to wiggle out of that pledge, particularly when irresistible women (Meg Gillentine) and devilish schemes are thrown his way, becomes the subject of the rest of the play.
When trying to charm the crowd, the production hits some hurdles, but this is more a function of the play itself than anything else. The characters in Damn Yankees are inconsistent, its musical numbers can be hokey (lyrics speak of "wearing crepe," among other things), and its conclusion is somewhat unsatisfying. Another problem is Oscar's hammy Mr. Applegate (the devil, somewhat in disguise); while Oscar chews his lines with gusto, he lacks the kind of magnetism the character could embody, and comes off alternately overly enraged and uninterestingly disaffected.
The rest of the cast fares better. The show's signature song is "You Gotta Have Heart," and the production does, nowhere more apparent than in the eyes of the not-always happy couple, played by Redmond and Walbe. Redmond's voice may lack the gallant, rich tones of Bogart's (it's no surprise Bogart was once Chris from Miss Saigon on Broadway - he has the sort of boyish appeal suited to such a part), but the contrast helps distiguish between the old and young Joe, and Redmond still has warmth and expression to spare. Walbe manages to perfectly capture the appreciation, loyalty and frustration that can come with so many years of marriage.
Bringing charge to the show's dance numbers are the aforementioned Lola, to which Gillentine lends both sensuality and vulnerability, and Cindy Marchionda as Gloria Thorp, an aggressive sports reporter. Marchionda leads the cast in a raucous hoedown during "Shoeless Joe From Hannibal, Mo", the show's most infectious number, and the chorus of baseball player tosses her around with flair.
Arena never ceases to impress with smart use of its theater-in-the-round-style stage, and "Damn Yankees" is no exception. The dance routines can be enjoyed from any angle (the sultry "Two Lost Souls" is one example), and awkward moments (such as actors' attempts to revolve around a microphone during a pep rally) are few. Time hasn't been kind to Damn Yankees as a show, but Arena's dose of energy and color at least manages to keep it kicking.
"Damn Yankees" runs through Feb. 5 at Arena Stage. Tickets can be purchased on the theater's web site.