Damn Yankees
at Bishop Ireton High School

Reviewed on March 18, 2017

Vanessa Bliss
Paul VI Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

What does it take to make it to the top? Lots of practice? "A Little Brains, A Little Talent"? Whatever the recipe for success is, the Washington Senators in Bishop Ireton's Damn Yankees make one thing for sure: "You got to have heart."

Damn Yankees is a musical with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, music by Richard Adler and lyrics by Jerry Ross. It originally opened on Broadway on May 5th, 1955 at the 46th Street Theatre. It is based on Douglass Wallop's novel, The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant. Middle-aged, die-hard Senators fan Joe Boyd is so upset that his team keeps losing that he proclaims he would sell his soul to make them win. And he ends up doing just that. After making a deal with Applegate, who is the devil in disguise, he becomes Joe Hardy, a 22-year-old baseball player, and goes on a mission to play for his beloved team and get them a victory.

The most outstanding parts of this show were the ensemble of baseball players and the choreography. The Washington Senators were always delightful to watch with their high energy and often humorous interactions. They played off each other very well and were wonderfully cohesive, yet each managed to shine in their own way, especially in the audience-favorite number "The Game." A quartet of the Senators (Kevin McNerney, Ronie Gabriel Altejar, Alek Rodriguez, and Nick Ward) proved that they had some solid vocal chops as well in the show's iconic song, "Heart." Their harmonies blended perfectly and they truly embodied what they were singing about. There were several student choreographers for this show (Gabby Baniqued, Caroline Gant, and Anna Johnson) which sounds like a bit of a risk, but they proved that it was a wonderful one to take. It was clear in dance numbers such as "Who's Got the Pain?" and "Two Lost Souls" that each choreographer did an extensive amount of research into classic Broadway choreography. Each dance had the perfect amount of energy and polish.

The most impressive technical element of the show was costumes. Bishop Ireton's costuming class made 109 costume pieces for the show! The class deeply researched typical fashion of the 1950's and created both aesthetically pleasing and historically accurate ensembles. Their recreation of Senators uniforms was so good that if someone didn't know it, they would've thought they managed to obtain the actual uniforms from the 50's. There were some very nice small details in the costumes such as in the opening number "Six Months Out of Every Year" when each housewife's apron matched her husband's tie. The quirky, elderly Miller Sisters wore dresses with loud, younger-looking patterns to match their personalities. A student with jewelry-making experience made Joe and Meg Boyd's wedding rings which added a nice, personal touch.

Overall, the students involved with Bishop Ireton's Damn Yankees perfectly blended each of their unique talents together. Every aspect of the show blended well together and indeed, made for a show with "Miles and miles and miles of heart."

Gloria Whitfield
Paul VI Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

All the Washington Senators needed was one long ball hitter; just one player to give them an edge over those Damn Yankees.

Set in the 1950s, Damn Yankees is a comedic musical based on the old Faust legend. Passionate baseball fan, Joe Boyd, desperately wants the Washington Senators to beat the Yankees. Taking matters into his own hands, Joe makes a deal with the Devil. Joe becomes the player that leads the Senators to victory. However, he soon realizes the consequences of making a deal with The Old Boy and tries to get out of the contract. Damn Yankees is a musical filled with the American favorites: baseball, comedy, and just a hint of romance.

Bishop Ireton's production of Damn Yankees was filled with amazing vocalists, stand out ensemble members, and contagious enthusiasm. Every scene was performed with an obvious commitment from every member of the cast. The ensemble, especially, had never ending energy and charisma. In numbers such as "The Game" and "Heart", the ensemble really shined. They were able to keep in character while facing both choreography and vocals, resulting in a very memorable and impressive performance. One ensemble member particularly constantly drew the audience's eye. Alek Rodriguez, was extremely fun to watch. He had hilarious facial expressions and impeccable comedic timing. Rodriguez had obvious heart and never failed to entertain.

Joshua Lamb bravely took on the lead role of Joe Hardy. Lamb grew stronger throughout the production, ending with a performance worthy of a standing ovation. He worked well with all his fellow cast members. Lamb's interactions with Lola, played by the talented, Gabby Baniqued, were particularly stellar. In "Whatever Lola Wants", the pair had the audience in palls of laughter. Baniqued played a hilarious seductress, while Lamb desperately tried to resist her temptations. Altogether, they flattered each other's strengths and really worked well together.

Ireton's performance overflowed with strong vocalists. However, one person really stood out among the cast of singers. Natalie Turkevich played the wife, Meg Boyd. Turkevich's voice was solid from the very opening number, and stayed consistent throughout. As well as being an amazing soloist, Turkevich's voice harmonized extremely well in whole cast numbers. Her voice remained unswerving even at the hardest notes, when others might have fallen a little flat. The song "Near to You" showcased her beautiful voice especially well.

One element that should not go without notice is the costumes. The costuming department created almost all the outfits worn in the show, right down to the players' boxers! They put in obvious thought into everyone's character to make a costume fitted for each. The amount of detail put into each component of the costumes, is extremely noteworthy. One of their most notable costumes was Lola's tear away skirt. It added to the seductress act and was altogether a great feature in the scene.

Bishop Ireton's production of Damn Yankees was a hilarious take on the old Faust legend. Anchored by an incredibly entertaining ensemble cast and filled with awesome vocalists, Bishop Ireton hit this one out of the ballpark.

Alexandra Dauchess
Oakcrest School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd, buy me a ticket to Bishop Ireton High School's performance of, Damn Yankees, and I don't care if I ever get back! Come and join the BI Players in a wonderful performance of this American classic, that is sure to please both baseball and theater fanatic alike, with its humor, wit, and heart!

Damn Yankees, written by Douglass Wallop and George Abbott and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, is a stage adaptation of Wallop's novel, The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant. The show debuted on Broadway in 1955 and has enjoyed immense success, spawning a film adaptation in 1958 and being nominated for eleven Tony Awards over the course of its many revivals.

This beloved musical comedy follows the story of Joe Boyd, a Washington Senators fanatic who is so sick of watching the undefeated New York Yankees win the coveted World Series pennant year after year, that he agrees to sell his soul to the devil. Mr. Applegate, depicted as a shifty businessman, negotiates with Joe for a chance to become a young baseball player who can help lead his team to victory. After becoming a baseball prodigy and national heartthrob, Joe starts to miss the comfort of his home and the love of his longtime wife, Meg, and is forced to navigate through a maze of Applegate's distractions, including the seductive demon, Lola, and nosy reporter Gloria Thorp, to break the deal and make it back to his old life before it's too late.

The cast of Bishop Ireton did a fabulous job of bringing this ballpark comedy to life with the help of standout actors and vocalists and a lively and dedicated ensemble. The eager young protagonist Joe Hardy (Joshua Lamb), delighted audiences with his incredible vocals and tight harmonies, and with the innocent, naïve demeanor he kept up throughout the show. The shows two primary villains, Applegate (Ethan Ladd) and his seductive assistant Lola (Gabby Baniqued), brought a wonderfully evil dynamic to the show, Ladd dominating with his humor and energy, and Baniqued stunning the audience with her incredible voice and even more impressive dancing ability. There were also many stars among the supporting cast, including the no-nonsense manager Van Buren (Kevin McNerney), and the slightly stupid ballplayer Rocky (Alek Rodriguez), who, along with his teammates, provided a wonderful dose of comedy with his hilarious facial expressions and strong character choices.

Although the leads delivered stellar performances, the show wouldn't have been complete without the help of the colorful and energetic ensemble who delivered lovely harmonies, lively dance numbers, and plenty of laughs!

Several of the technical aspects of the show also deserve recognition. The sets were simplistic but effective, each one neat, clean, and well-constructed. The costume department also did some incredible work as they hand-made most their costumes, from Lola's extravagant party dresses to the iconic Senators uniforms, all of which were impeccably made and time-period appropriate. Lastly, the student choreographers did a wonderful job creating dances that were simple but engaging, and that showcased the physical abilities of the actors with impressive group dances and several complex gymnastic sequences.

Although there were some problems with the sound and some of the set changes were lengthy, the students of Bishop Ireton High School, delivered a charming and nostalgic performance of the American classic, Damn Yankees, that proved to be a real home-run!

Abby Porter
Heritage High School
Submitted for publication to Insidenova - Sun Gazette

Who hasn't longed to be the hero of the game, the pinch hitter who saves the day? The Audience in Bishop Ireton High School's auditorium got the chance to see what happens to someone willing to do anything to be that hero. Damn Yankees, a Tony Award winning musical based off a book by Douglass Wallop, tells the story of baseball loving middle aged man, Joe Boyd, who makes a deal with the devil to see his beloved Washington Senators beat the Yankees and win the pennant. He soon finds out the price of leaving his suburban life behind to become the Senators' star player.

The home run hitters of the performance included Gabby Baniqued, Ethan Ladd and Joshua Lamb. Gabby Baniqued as Lola was incredibly convincing in the role of temptress. Her double header combination of vocals and dedicated physicality pushed the show over the top. Ethan Ladd in the role of Applegate was the perfect villain for this all American performance. His commitment to his role even when he had no lines convinced the audience that he really was the quintessence of evil. Joshua Lamb as Joe Hardy (young Joe) teamed up with Baniqued to create a chemistry on stage that was hard to beat.

Not to be overlooked, the Washington Senators ensemble was batting four hundred the whole night. Their quartet like harmonies in the songs "Heart" and "The Game" along with their comedic antics throughout the show created for an entertaining night at the ball park. Their chemistry as a team was more than believable whether they were on the field or in the locker room. Even facing a lack of individual lines, each member of the team managed to create memorable characters full of individuality.

The designers and crew of the performance showcased their hard work through their sets and costumes. It was visible from the first scene of the show the quality of the design. Joe's suburban home was simple, but detail oriented and time period appropriate. The living room of the house, the locker room, and the commissioner's office were all accented by personal trinkets and pictures, making the show all the more convincing. There was no coach's correction to be made in the costumes of the show either. The majority of the costume pieces from the ladies' vintage dresses right down to the ball players' boxers were impressively made by students. The detail orientation from the set carried into the costume design, as most costumes were fitted to a character's role or personality in the show.

As a team, the elements of Bishop Ireton's performance of Damn Yankees came together seamlessly to create a series winning show. Their commitment to detail perfectly captured the culture of baseball crazed 1950's America. Bishop Ireton's Theatre department succeeded in dominating all innings of the evening and in the end managed to clinch their own version of the pennant.

Jack Hanton
Robinson Secondary School
Submitted for publication to Alexandria Times

Bishop Ireton hit the 1950's musical sensation Damn Yankees out of the ballpark! With a combination of spectacular voices and acting and a wonderful usage of the 50's aesthetic in all elements of the tech, the audience was immersed in the beautiful, wondrous, and hopeful world of baseball in the 50's.

Damn Yankees follows the story of Joe Boyd, a man who sells his soul to the devil to become Joe Hardy and help his favorite baseball team, the Washington Senators, finally win a season. In doing so, however, he leaves behind his wife of twenty years, and after being swindled and played, he learns to accept and love his old life rather than one of fame and glory.

Normal Joe Boyd turned baseball legend Joe Hardy was played by Joshua Lamb. Lamb wooed the audience with his voice and won their heart by effectively portraying a lovable hero. Opposite of Joe was his seductive female counterpart, Lola, played by Gabby Baniqued. Along with Lamb, Baniqued wowed the audience with a phenomenal voice, and shocked them with flashy, beautiful dance moves, reminiscent of Bob Fosse himself. And of course, Damn Yankees wouldn't be Damn Yankees without Satan, or in this case, Applegate, played by Ethan Ladd. Ladd perfectly portrayed a smooth talking, conniving, clever, and cunning devil, and though his plan eventually fails, through comedy and some wonderful acting, Ladd had the audience watching him the whole time. Alongside these wondrous leads was a strong ensemble. Each member beautifully executed the Fosse-esque dances, coming together to create extravagant stage pictures. One of the smaller show-stealing ensembles was the baseball team, the Washington Senators, who stole the spotlight in numbers like "Heart" and "The Game" which had the audience rolling in their seats with laughter.

Without the 50's aesthetic Damn Yankees is known for, the show wouldn't have been possible. Luckily, all the elements of tech pulled together to create the illusion one was truly immersed in the 1950's. The design was simplistic, yet effective. Rather than have intensely complicated lighting systems, Bishop Ireton decided to go with something more true to the time, and opted to rarely use spot lights, instead covering the stage in an even wash of any one or two colors. This created a simplistic feel, one that the audience could easily watch and enjoy. Along with lighting was a phenomenal costuming department. Not only was everything perfectly fitting and matching, but each character's costume perfectly described them the moment they walked on stage. For instance, Applegate and his seductress, Lola, were the only two onstage at any time wearing red. With this decision, the audience immediately knew there was evil present, and as time progressed in the story and Lola became less and less evil, the red began to disappear from her costume. And, of course, perhaps the strongest element of tech in the show, the sets. The sets were simple, with the most set pieces on stage at any time was two, and while they left the stage open for the actor to be able to make choices and move, they were complicated enough to tell a story and still be beautiful.

At the end of the day, Bishop Ireton put on a wonderful performance of Damn Yankees, and hit the show out of the ballpark.

Jessie Shen
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to The Catholic Herald

Anyone from Washington can relate to the plight of the unfortunate fans of the Washington Senators, whose home team just can't seem to win. However, Bishop Ireton High School's production of Damn Yankees is about more than just sports fanaticism.

The story of Damn Yankees began as a book called The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop. It was soon adapted for the stage and opened on Broadway in 1955, where it ran for over a thousand performances and won seven Tony Awards. It's Broadway revival opened in 1994 followed by a 1997 London staging.

Damn Yankees follows the adventures of one ordinary, middle-aged real estate agent, Joe Boyd, who is an enduring fan of the Washington Senators despite their abysmal record. He is so caught up with baseball that he frequently neglects his wife, Meg, who despite his many faults is ever patient with him. One night, after a particularly tragic loss, he makes a plea that he'd sell his soul if the Senators could just win. Sure enough, the sweet-talking Applegate appears, and offers him just that deal. In the end, he has to make the choice between everything he'd ever dreamed of as a baseball fanatic, and his home and wife.

Though the lead couple, Joe and Meg Boyd, played by Carl Undersander and Natalie Turkevich, have fantastic chemistry in the few songs they have together, the younger Joe Boyd— Joe Hardy— played by Joshua Lamb and Lola the temptress, played by Gabby Baniqued, steal the show in several of their numbers. Baniqued, especially, had stunning movement and vocals. Applegate, played by Ethan Ladd, put his all into his acting, though his singing was, at times, inaccurate.

However, the Washington Senators as an ensemble, completely stole the show. Especially in "Heart" and "The Game," the ensemble was enthusiastic and vibrant. The choreography was upbeat and despite some difficult stuntwork, executed well by the cast. The 1950s costuming, especially the dresses was also particularly well-done, and it was clear that significant research had been done prior to the creation of the costumes.

Beyond the exceptional vocals, the technical elements were also a high point of the show. The set was beautifully designed, though more could have been done to better use the depth of the stage and introduce some layers. The lighting highlighted the actors in a flattering manner and was used to some neat effects, like Applegate's trickery.