DAMN YANKEES Revival — Page 3

Based on a push-poll style survey I was sent last year, I think they're planning a reimagining. The poll was ostensibly about which shows you'd like to see revived, but Damn Yankees was the only option that appeared in every question, and then there were questions that read like, "if we were to revive an award-winning classic American musical such as the beloved Damn Yankees, which of the following kinds of changes should we consider?" I wish I'd saved a copy of the questions. But yeah, I sort of suspected this was coming.

Jane was great 9 years ago, but I think she may be aging out of the role a bit, although she still looks stunning.

"All of this is, ultimately, somewhat moot, as the show is a silly bit of fluffy fairy tale, without any relation to a "real" world."

I disagree. It's fun and charming, but most scenes involving old Joe and/or Meg delve into real emotion and poignancy. It's not entirely light confection. Goodbye Old Girl is such a beautiful and fascinating exploration of the split in Joe's love and loyalty between his wife and his obsession. A Man Doesn't Know and Near to You are achingly beautiful. Joe's ultimate realization in his motivation for winning underlines the emotional foundation at the heart of the show. Yes, it's a "fairy tale" of sorts, rooted in the emotional value in the real world of which we can relate and identify.

This needs to be Jane Krakowski.

No, it doesn't.

Actually, Applegate does have the "vocal chops" (I hate that expression) for Lola. The role is not that belt-heavy nor is it that vocally demanding. Less demanding than Charity, in fact. When I saw Applegate in Charity, vocally, she was very good and her performance on point.

Krakowski is ageless and looks ageless, which is actually a quality that would work wonders for a role like Lola, especially the characters' own fears pf aging. Someone like Krakowski who looks as stunning as she does at an age where people expect her to stop being sexy would bring emotional heftiness (where it's needed) to the role in ways that some of these girls couldn't. She's also one of the great musical comedy actors. Applegate is a nice choice but she can't deliver a song with the humor and wit of Krakowski. My second choice would be Karen Olivo if she ever wishes to return to Broadway. Jasmine Cephas Jones in Maria Reynolds' mode would be glorious.