Full Cast and Creative Team Confirmed for Arena Stage's Damn Yankees

By: Nov. 21, 2005
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A full cast and creative team are now set to add "heart" to Arena Stage's upcoming production of Damn Yankees; Meg Gillentine will star with the previously-announced Brad Oscar and Matt Bogart in the classic musical, which will run from December 9th through February 5th at the acclaimed theatre in Washington, D.C.

Bogart (Aida, Miss Saigon) will play Joe Hardy to Oscar's (The Producers, Jekyll and Hyde) devilishly suave Mr. Applegate in the show, which will be helmed by Arena's artistic director Molly Smith and choreographed by Baayork Lee (A Chorus Line). With music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross and a book by George Abbott, the musical revolves around Joe Boyd's Faustian bargain with the devil to let his beloved Washington Senators beat the accursed team of the title. The chubby, middle-aged Joe is transformed into the strapping young star of the Senators, but soon realizes that it may not have been worth the sacrifice. Gillentine (The Frogs, Fosse, Cats) will play Applegate's seductive assistant Lola, who prides herself on getting what she wants.

The production will also feature Lawrence Redmond as Joe Boyd, Kay Walbye as Meg, Cindy Marchionda as Gloria, Fred Schiffman as Welsh, Michael L. Forest as Van Buren, Lynn McNutt as Doris, Rayanne Gonzales as Sister, Tracy Lynn Olivera as Weston, Stephen F. Schmidt as Lynch, and Stephen Gregory Smith as Bryan/Reporter. In addition to a 17-person ensemble, children from 20 D.C.-area schools will perform in the show.

Damn Yankee's design team will comprise Martin Pakledinaz (costumes), Rachel Hauck (sets), and John Ambrosone (lighting) and George Fulginiti-Shaker (musical direction).

Based on Douglass Wallop's novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, Damn Yankees won the 1956 Tony Award for Best Musical, and received six others--including awards for stars Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston, and for choreographer Bob Fosse (Abbott was the director). The show ran for 1,019 performances and was successfully revived in 1994 with Bebe Neuwirth as Lola, Jarrod Emick as Joe and Victor Garber as Applegate. Jokester Jerry Lewis would succeed Garber on Broadway, and play the diabolic charmer on the road as well.
 
For more information, visit www.arenastage.org.

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