YANK! A WWII Love Story to be Presented at Bridgetown Portland Musical Theatre
Performances will run from rom July 15 to August 3, 2026.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Oct. 24, 2025
Bridgetown Musical Theatre will present the Northwest premier of the global hit musical "YANK! A WWII Love Story." Book and lyrics are by David Zellnik and music by Joseph Zellnik. "YANK!" will run for three weeks in Bridgetown's Black Box Theatre.
"We've had our eye on this show for a couple of years now. It's a beautiful show with a very smart script and exquisite musical score. The story is one of those stories that doesn't get told under lights enough. We're excited that Joseph and David Are entrusting their work with us," said Rick Lewis, Artistic Director and Founder of Bridgetown.
From the YANK!! Website: "YANK! is a love song to Hollywood's "it takes one of every kind" platoon flicks and to 1940s Broadway. Suffused with songs (swing, big band, boogie-woogie) it explores what stories get told in wartime, and how WWII became the great catalyst in bringing gay men and women together.
While all the characters in Yank! are fictional, all of the situations and viewpoints come directly from memoirs and oral histories of gay (and straight) service members who took part in WWII. David spent hundreds of hours combing archives, researching these "hidden" histories, even having letters sent to him from around the country from old veterans or their families. Now as this generation begins to slip irrevocably into history, the YANK! team remains dedicated to the hope that their experiences will not be forgotten."
YANK! Was at the New York Musical Festival in 2005, for a sold-out run and audience award for Best Musical. In 2007, YANK! Was at the Gallery Players in NYC for a sold-out run. In 2008, YANK! Premiered at the Diversionary Theatre in San Diego to a sold-out and extended run. The 2010 Off-Broadway run at The York Theatre received 7 Drama Desk nominations (including Best Musical as well as best music, book and lyrics). The production also received Best Musical nominations from the Outer Critics' Circle and Lucille Foundation. YANK! Has been seen and loved by audiences in the UK (London, Manchester and Coventry), Brazil (Rio de Janeiro) and Australia (Brisbane).
Portland Awards - Live Stats
Best Musical - Top 3
1.
WAITRESS (Broadway Rose Theatre)
8.1% of votes
2.
SWEENEY TODD (Twilight Theater Company)
6.6% of votes
3.
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (Theatre in the Grove)
6.2% of votes
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