Photo Coverage: Damn Yankees Rehearsal at City Center

On Tuesday June 24th, BroadwayWorld.com cameras got the opportunity to visit the rehearsal of Encores! presentation of Damn Yankees,  one of this summer's most highly anticipated production.

The cast features Megan Lawrence, Sean Hayes,Jane Krakowski, Cheyenne Jackson, and Randy Graff in Damn Yankees, running July 5 – 27, 2008 at New York City Center (55th Street between 6th & 7th Avenues).  Damn Yankees is directed by John Rando and has Music Direction by Rob Berman and the original Bob Fosse choreography recreated by Mary MacLeod. A July 10 opening is planned.

Damn Yankees has  music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross,  book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and is based on Wallop's novel "The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant." It is the story of Joe Boyd (P. J. Benjamin), the ultimate baseball fan, who sells his soul to the Devil (Sean Hayes) for the chance to help his team win the pennant race against the Yankees.  The Devil is aided by the sexy Lola (Jane Krakowski), who seduces a now younger, physically transformed Joe (Cheyenne Jackson), but ultimately helps him outsmart the Devil and return to his beloved wife (Randy Graff).

Damn Yankees opened on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre on May 5, 1955, and ran for 1019 performances, winning four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Choreography (Bob Fosse), Best Actor (Ray Walton) and Best Actress (Gwen Verdon). Songs include "Heart" and "Whatever Lola Wants."

Encores! Summer Stars, an expanded version of City Center's acclaimed Encores! series, is dedicated to presenting more fully-realized productions of classic works of the American musical theater, and to giving leading actors the chance to play roles they were born to play.  Its first production, the critically acclaimed Gypsy starring Patti LuPone, is currently having a successful run on Broadway.

New York City Center Encores! (Jack Viertel, Artistic Director; Rob Berman, Music Director) has, since 1994, celebrated the rarely-heard works of America's most important composers and lyricists.  Conceived as "concert versions," each Encores! season gives three scores the chance to be heard as originally intended by their creators.  Over the years, Encores! has presented the works of the Gershwins, Rodgers and Hart, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Kurt Weill, Bock and Harnick, Burt Bacharach, Kander and Ebb, Comden and Green, and many more.  The program is the recipient of a special 2000 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, as well as an Outer Critics Circle Award, Lucille Lortel Award and Jujamcyn Theaters Award.

Damn Yankees will run July 5 – 27 2008. For show times and ticket information please visit www.nycitycenter.org

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