Whole Backstage Theatre Announces Auditions for DAMN YANKEES 4/7-10

The Whole Backstage Theatre in Guntersville is happy to announce auditions for Damn Yankees, the theatre's summer musical production, directed by Rich Resler. Auditions will be held in the theatre's reception rooms April 7 and 8 at 6:30 pm, April 9 at 10:00 am, and April 10 at 2:00 pm, and will consist of: cold reading, a dance evaluation, and a vocal audition. For vocal audition individuals may bring a prepared piece (with CD or keyboard accompanist) or may sing a song selection from the show. Those interested in trying out can come to any or all of the audition sessions.

Damn Yankees has a cast of nine principal actors and about 20-25 supporting actors/singers and dancers. There are parts for several men.

Principal roles in Damn Yankees include:

Joe Boyd, Joe Hardy's middle-aged alter-ego
Meg Boyd, Joe's long-suffering wife
Mr. Applegate, a rakish Devil - literally
Sister and Doris, Meg's good friends
Joe Hardy, a handsome young hitter
Van Buren, the luckless team manager
Gloria Thorpe, a scoop-hunting reporter
Lola, and a Sexy Devil's advocate

The supporting cast includes ball players, newspaper reporters, young and old baseball fans, and sports "widows."

The show is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set in Washington, D.C. It is based on the novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant. The plot is based on a middle-aged fan of the Washington Senators baseball club who sells his soul to the Devil to enable the Senators to win the American League pennant. Damn Yankees opened on Broadway in 1955 starring Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston, who both reprised their roles in the movie version, and featured a young Jean Stapleton. Bob Fosse choreographed the movie, his first of many successful shows. A much-revised, successful revival opened on Broadway 1994. This ever-popular musical includes the songs "Heart", "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo", "A Man Doesn't Know", "Whatever Lola Wants", and "Two Lost Souls".

Audition materials will be in the Marshall County libraries on or about March 25th. Rehearsals for Damn Yankees will begin Tuesday, May 31st. For more information contact Rich Resler at reslerr@charter.net, or call the Whole Backstage office at 256-582-7429. The Whole Backstage Theatre is located at 1120 Rayburn Avenue, Guntersville, Alabama 35976.

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