By: Brian Palin, Holy Spirit High School, Absecon
PINE HILL, N.J. — The cast and crew of Overbrook High School’s production of Damn Yankees brought a lot of brains and a lot of talent to the stage, with an emphasis on the latter!
The musical, with music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, was written in 1955 and takes place in 1952. Revolving around baseball, at the time considered “America’s Pastime.” The story focuses on the rivalry between the Washington Senators and the New York Yankees. The plot is loosely based on the legend “Faust,” and deals with the consequences of making a deal with the devil. The original Broadway production of Damn Yankees starred Gwen Verdon and went on to be nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning 8 including Best Musical and Best Actress in a musical for Verdon.
The cast of Damn Yankees brought immense energy to their performance and welcomed the audience into the excitement of the story they were telling, with “Two Lost Souls” being a perfect example of this. The technical aspects of the show further added to its success, as the crowd was wowed by the clever, unusual uses of sets and lighting.
Joe Hardy, played by Tyler Blaylock, conveyed his character extremely well, with his physical mannerisms especially standing out. Through these mannerisms, Blaylock portrayed the young Joe but also alluded to the old Joe Boyd at the core of Hardy’s existence. Lola, played by Savannah Mitchell, truly shined in her several dance numbers, incredibly executing Fosse’s intricate style of dance. Together, Blaylock and Mitchell gave the audience clear vocals and harmonies, and perfectly portrayed the dynamic relationship between Joe and Lola, especially showcasing the juxtaposition of the two characters in the number “Whatever Lola Wants.”
Joe Boyd (Jeremy Davis) shone with his incredible character choices, while, at the same time, the chemistry between him and Meg Boyd (Samantha Major) encapsulated the audience, notably in the number “Six Months Out of Every Year.” Major also perfectly brought out the sweetness of her character through her vocals. Mr. Applegate (Alex Rozanski) worked the audience with his impeccable comedic timing and did a great job balancing his acting with the other actors while also acknowledging the audience and interacting with them. The duo Doris (Alyvia Lapollo Nelson) and Sister (Sophia Burgos) also brought a ton of comedy into the performance, as they worked incredibly well off each other.
The technical aspects of Damn Yankees were used brilliantly and had a major impact on the performance. The lighting transported the audience to all the story’s different locations, using lighting to represent everything from the baseballs Hardy hit to the flames of Hell. The use of double-sided set pieces was also efficacious in representing different locations while also making the transitions more seamless. When all the technical aspects were combined, they authentically enhanced the actors’ already great performance.
The cast and crew worked together to take us back to 1952, and all the elements of their production made for a “home run” performance!
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