PicksInSix Gold Review - Damn Yankees - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Be Careful What You Wish For.
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy
There is nothing quite like the experience of sitting in the dark as the lights come up on opening night. It matters little what the show is, how big the theater is or whether or not it is a world premiere or a revival. There is no doubt that a similar thrill lies deep in the dark reaches of every performer on stage, in the pit orchestra and behind the scenes.
There is unmistakable excitement for official opening nights, even if the show has had multiple previews and whether or not the words “critically acclaimed” appear in notices.
Not all of that exuberant energy can be harnessed for the length of a run. Conversely, many facets of the production mature with the benefit of successive live audiences. As the show coalesces, it becomes a more satisfying experience for the company and, in turn, the audience. Live audience reaction builds confidence and consistency. That is one of the chief reasons that live theater is truly irresistible: you never get the same performance twice.
Since theater critics routinely have that opening night opportunity, they often do not see the mature production. Covering a show deep in its run, especially a run that has been extended by high critical praise and word of mouth, is altogether new territory for me.
With all this in mind, I was excited on Sunday evening to finally see the revival of “Damn Yankees” that opened in late May at Theo. This 1955 musical classic—book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross—is an ambitious undertaking and popping up more often with a Broadway revival scheduled for next season. But it is rarely seen in such an intimate space as Theo, a company that has a fine reputation for producing exceptional, memorable musical productions.
"Damn Yankees," as directed by Daryl D. Brooks and choreographed by Christopher Chase Carter, is the story of Joe Boyd (Thomas M. Shea), the frustrated Washington Senators fan who says that he would give anything to be able to beat their dreaded pinstriped nemesis and win the American League pennant. As the words leave his lips, on comes Mr. Applegate (Tommy Thurston) with a diabolical bargain that seems too good to be true—become the best baseball player to ever play the game, lead the Senators to the pennant, and all for one small offering from Boyd: his soul.
On a grand scale, a production of “Damn Yankees” can be filled with the kind of fire and brimstone effects that befit a modern day Mephistopheles. At Theo, Brooks and Chase expertly turn the focus on the more emotional aspects of the story, the deep sense of loss that Meg Boyd (Megan Hoyt) feels when Joe has gone away, her interaction with Joe Hardy (Luke Nowakowski) and the collegial harmony of the team itself, a rag tag bunch with a lotta heart under the stewardship of the manager Van Buren (Reginald Hemphill). And then there is the snooping, scooping reporter Gloria Thorpe (Alex Madda) who leads a rousing rendition of “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO.”
Nowakowski’s flawless performance as Joe Hardy brims with confidence, sincerity and charm. We know just how spectacular this show will be from the get-go in “Goodbye Old Girl,” the transformational ballad beautifully sung by Shea and masterfully completed by Nowakowski.
But there is more. Much more.
The electrifying performance of the night goes to Jenny Couch as the fiery temptress Lola. Couch is a fine singer, a superbly skilled dancer and has the acting chops for a role that drips with alluring appeal in the early scenes—with Thurston in “A Little Brains, A Little Talent,” Nowakowski in “Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets,” and the red-hot, Latin-infused mambo number “Who’s Got The Pain” with Quinn Rigg—then evolves into the touching central character of the show, someone we can really root for and whose change of heart is uniquely essential to the storyline. It takes a special talent to pull that off and Couch is the real deal. Without Lola in his corner, there is no way out for Joe and his eternal fate is sealed. It’s a pivotal turning point that Couch and Nowakowski navigate with gusto in “Two Lost Souls.” Wowzah!
With an upbeat combo under the steady hand of Ryan Brewster on the terrific Adler/Ross score, a creative raked baseball diamond set design by Manuel Ortiz, gorgeous costumes by Marquecia Jordan and, yes, hot dogs at intermission, Theo’s “Damn Yankees” is one of the best shows on stage in Chicago right now.
PHOTO|Elizabeth Stenholt Photography
Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
presents
Damn Yankees
The Fred Anzevino Theatre
721 Howard Street
Evanston
EXTENDED through July 12
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