‘Damn Yankees’ runs April 12 to June 4 at Marriott Theatre. (Marriott Theatre, Marriott Theatre)
When Lincolnshire’s Marriott Theatre asked San Diego-based James Vasquez to direct the musical, “Damn Yankees,” running April 12 through June 4, there was no hesitation, just joy.
“I love ‘Damn Yankees,’” said Vasquez. “Two of my favorite things in life are musical theater and baseball,” he said, and that’s what the show is about. The musical, which won seven Tony Awards, features lots of singing and dancing with a plot involving the New York Yankees and the Washington Senators and the race for the pennant in the 1950s.
“Given the opportunity to tell this story again was something I wasn’t going to pass up,” said Vazquez, who directed the production in 2017 in San Diego.
There’s plenty more Vasquez loves about the show besides it being about baseball.
“For me it is a story about true love and about home,” he said. “We think the grass might be greener on the other side, but we are often reminded what we do have, and the value of that, and the importance of home and importance of love.
“On top of that, I love the story of the underdog. I love seeing the underdog succeed. (The show has) all these characters that are quirky and funny. To see them succeed and find themselves, I love that.”
“Damn Yankees” opened on Broadway in 1955 and was based on the 1954 novel, “The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant.” It ran for more than 1,000 performances. It was revised in the 1990s, but Vasquez said he’s sticking to the original, which includes a host of songs the audience will either know already or leave the theater singing.
The plot involves a middle-aged real estate agent, Joe Boyd, who stays up late cheering on the Washington Senators, even though they keep on losing. His wife, Meg, goes to bed while he curses, “If only the Senators had a long ball hitter, they could beat those damn Yankees.”
A mysterious man appears and tells Joe he’ll turn him into a young slugger named Joe Hardy who could help the Senators win. Of course, there’s a catch. Boyd has to leave his wife. Boyd makes the deal with the devil, but gets him to agree to let him walk away from the deal under certain circumstances.
Joe Boyd, aka Joe Hardy, joins the team, gets noticed by a reporter, and the games, not just baseball, but human games, begin.
Vasquez said he enjoys “revisiting” a show he’s done before with a new crew. “I come with strong ideas, but the actors start fleshing it out just by who they are and it gives me insight. I am able to bring a road map and then the actors fill in all the details,” he said.
For example, the actor playing old Joe needs to bow and invite his wife to dance in one scene. “I said, ‘Give a bow,’ and he just moved so naturally,” Vasquez said. The way he bowed added something new to the show and also inspired the actor portraying young Joe, Vasquez said.
The musical score is filled with catchy tunes and Marriott’s theater-in-the-round style enabled the designers to create a baseball diamond on the set, Vasquez said.
“I’ve got to say, my choreographer, Tyler Hanes, is knocking it out of the park, pun intended,” he added. “He’s gotten to know each of the guys (who are dancing) individually and their special skills.”
Vasquez said he’s getting to know the theater community in the Chicago area, and is “wildly impressed … They challenge me. They make me better. I go home every night after rehearsal thinking about how to tell the story more clearly and more authentically.”
Showtimes are at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. most Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sundays, with select performances at 1 p.m. on Thursdays.
‘Damn Yankees’
When: April 12-June 4
Where: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire
Tickets: $55-$60
Information: 847-634-0200; MarriottTheatre.com
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
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Originally published at Tribune News Service