Damn fun

TBTS' Yankees rounds the bases

by Bill Rodriguez

Some musical comedy concepts are so goody-packed they would be delicious presented by kids in a barn. Damn Yankees, for example. The fine production at Theatre-by-the-Sea in Matunuck, however, lifts the entertaining snack we'd settle for into a hilarious, bountiful feast.

Even after nearly half a century, how could the tale fail? The 1955 Broadway hit draws from the allure of baseball and a fascination with something even more timeless, the Faustian bargain. Joe Boyd, a middle-aged baseball fan from Chevy Chase, Maryland, is hopping mad that his beloved Washington Senators are doing so badly this season, as usual. Wishing his team could "whip those damn Yankees just once," he blurts: "I'd sell my soul for one long-ball hitter!" Sure enough, brimstone man himself appears, calling himself Mr. Applegate. With a hand-shake Joe is transformed into Joe Hardy, a 22-year-old phenom who is grabbed up by the ball club like a stout branch against a pack of wolves.

Good ol' American aspiration keeps propelling this musical, especially in its two most memorable songs show. Sung by the team manager in a one-man locker room pep rally, "(You've Gotta Have) Heart" pumps up lots of warm-hearted spirit. And when it comes to single-minded dedication, the sizzling "Whatever Lola Wants" is a lusty anthem that tries to inspire Joe in a different way. In addition to these two gems, lyricists Richard Adler and Jerry Ross also give us one of the most ludicrous songs in musical comedy. "Who's Got the Pain?" is a mambo-beat confection so over-the-top it's entertaining.("Who needs a pill when they do the mambo?/Who needs a pill when they go `Ugh' "?)

As good as all the main characters are, under the direction of Drew Scott Harris, the powerhouse lighting up this production is Gary Marachek as the devil. This is an Applegate who relishes his mischief with devilish glee and can about-face into apoplectic Rumpelstiltskin fury when foiled. Marachek makes him a take-charge Satan, imperiously snapping orders like some over-caffeinated battlefield general, all the more frustrated when things don't go his way. It's an even funnier approach than Jerry Lewis's in-control take on the diabolical, displayed in the touring show that passed through Providence in 1997. By the time Marachek is soft-shoeing through "The Good Old Days" in act two, chortling about "cannibals munchin' a missionary luncheon," we can be forgiven if we root evil on for the moment.

In the other star turn opportunity, as Lola the vamp from hell, Nancy Lemenager gives the devil due competition. From slinky when she's rippling with seductive vibes, to sympathetic when Joe's loyalty to his wife softens her, she rounds out a cartoonish character. The devil may get the best lines, but Lola gets the best lyrics, and Lemenager milks the fun out of such silliness as, "You've seen the sign that says George Washington once slept here./ Well, though nobody spied him,/ Guess who was beside him?"

Theatre-by-the-Sea, which always relies on an Actors' Equity actors for principals, has done the most consistent job of casting this summer that I've seen in many years of following their shows. The roles have been filled with precision, and the acting has been terrific. Both "Old Joe" and the younger are spot-on in voice and characterization, with Drew Taylor and, Eric Lautier respectively. As Joe's wife, Meg, Barbara Tirrell doesn't tug overly hard on our heartstrings. Incidental characters are good fun, such as Jodi Capeless and Kirsten Brant as the Boyds' gushy baseball fans.

There's not very much dancing in Damn Yankees, but what there is, such as that silly mambo, is choreographed with snap and style by Michelle Yaroshko. Scenic design by Jeff Modereger as usual is colorful and mood-enhancing. Background split-screen images set the scenes realistically, such as with Joe Dimaggio in full swing and a leafy residential street scene when the Boyds are in their living room.

There's great fun in this classic. A hundred years from now, even if America's pastime is played with laser swords, the dreams and human foibles in Damn Yankees will be fully recognizable.

Damn Yankees runs through September 10.