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Damn Yankees: Set in 1955, Dwight D. Eisenhower is in the White House, I Love Lucy is America's favorite TV sitcom, people still believe game shows are legitimate and on the "Your Hit Parade" America is updated with the latest musical hits.
Based on a novel by Douglas Wallop, The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant the musical Damn Yankees came into being.
The plot tells of a disgruntled fan of the Washington Senators and he wants more than anything to help his losing team. He ventures out and volunteers to sell his soul to the devil for a chance to play on the team and save the season.
The devil in the form of Mr. Applegate, jumps at the chance to win a soul, and cuts him a deal. With a snap of the fingers, Joe becomes a much younger man and becomes the teams ace hitter and pitcher.
In the framework of a contemporary musical, Joe Boyd lives out a morality play that was inspired by a story with roots in Biblical times and comes away learning the costof needing to strive for more than he already has.
Damn Yankees is a musical theater classic which not only relates a powerful storyline through it's exciting music and cleverly crafted book, but presents a powerful message for audiences today by addressing the clash between personal values and ambition and the personal cost of trying to hold on to youth.
With the largest cast ever in an MCT production, numbering in the 30's, plus more working in the background to bring it all together, it was an evening to remember at the Civic Center as this show combines sports and the arts into one fine show.
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Charlie Johnson, Rique Bobbit, Dwight Jekel, Buddy Shuffield, Cooper Knight and Harlan Short, Jr. sing Heart in the locker room.
The cast of Damn Yankees.
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