DAMN YANKEES reviews

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 2:26pm

3.5 stars from Matt Windman, AM NY:

"John Rando's production is unapologetically old-fashioned. It's as though the show were still being performed in 1955. Pulling off such an air of authenticity is extremely difficult, and the result is a grand slam of pure entertainment that knocks it out of the ballpark. You'll leave the theater with a smile that stretches all the way down 55th Street.

Leading the cast as Mr. Applegate (a.k.a. the devil) is Sean Hayes, whose character Jack on "Will & Grace" dreamed of performing in such a musical. Truth be told, Hayes is the weakest link of the cast, looking pale and nervous, lacking stage presence and vocal chops. Still, he works hard, lands the one-liners, has the audience rooting for him, and even showcases his piano-playing skills. It is a solid rookie effort.

Far more at ease is Cheyenne Jackson, who is truly perfect as baseball player Joe Hardy, an alpha male with tight abs, strong shoulders and even stronger morals.

Jane Krakowski also scores as the glorified sexpot Lola, whose mission is to seduce Joe away from his faithful wife...Krakowski is both a triple-threat diva and a stage siren."

http://www.amny.com/entertainment/amj-yankees0710,0,281771.story

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 2:28pm

Jacques LeSourd (already posted), The Journal News:

"The last time "Damn Yankees" was on Broadway, in 1994, Jerry Lewis (not known as a singer either) had a turn as Mr. Applegate, and Bebe Neuwirth was a very frosty Lola.

This production, directed by John Rando ("Urinetown"), is a good deal warmer than that. What it may have lost, though, is much of the sex appeal that presumably was injected by Gwen Verdon in the original production (and in the 1958 movie). Verdon was doing early dances by her husband, the choreographer Bob Fosse, most famously in the seduction ballet "Whatever Lola Wants." It's interesting to note that in 1955 Fosse hadn't yet found his signature style, which reached its apotheosis in "Chicago."

Those original Fosse dances are carefully reproduced here, but Krakowski's naturally sunny disposition removes all sultriness from them. Later, she is revealed to be a sweetheart - when Applegate made her a deal, she reportedly was "the ugliest woman in Providence, Rhode Island" - and anything but a sexpot.

Nor is there much chemistry between Lola and Shoeless Joe, though this show is likely to propel Jackson beyond his Elvis impersonation in "All Shook Up" and his campy role on skates in "Xanadu."

This production is part of City Center's Summer Stars series, which last year gave us Patti LuPone's "Gypsy." It certainly isn't on a par with that, and no one should consider taking it to Broadway.

But the show is amusing if somewhat dated summer entertainment for those who still respond to classic Broadway musicals."

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008807100372

[Ftworthguy]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 2:49pm

Decent reviews -- can't wait to see this on the 19th!!!

[folkyboy]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 6:32pm

though this show is likely to propel Jackson beyond his Elvis impersonation in "All Shook Up" and his campy role on skates in "Xanadu."

how much do i love Cheyenne Jackson?!

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 6:46pm

The Associated Press

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/10/arts/Theater-Review-Damn-Yankees.php

[madame_no]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 6:58pm

I love that second review simply for the use of the word "apotheosis". What a spectacular word.

[Maurice]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 8:11pm

Talkin' Broadway is up.
Talkin' Broadway

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 8:11pm

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/ob/07_10_08.html

Murray liked it better than GYPSY.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 8:22pm

Eek.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 8:24pm

Why eek?

GYPSY at CC didn't have that great of reviews either. These reviews are pretty good so far.
Updated On: 7/10/08 at 08:24 PM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 8:25pm

Eek at Murray's review of Cheyenne.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 8:26pm

Oh. Well he's not the first to say that about Cheyenne in this.
Some members on here and ATC had the same reaction to his performance. Updated On: 7/10/08 at 08:26 PM

[jewishboy]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 8:49pm

I pretty much agree with his assessment of the performances. Except I thought Hayes was better (possibly had to do with the fact I was sitting in center orchestra?). But, I thought Krakowski had more in the acting department and less in the dance than Mr. Murray seemed to think.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 9:07pm

ljay889, I felt the same way about Cheyenne's performance, but I just thought Murray's "gym" comment was unnecessarily bitchy.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 9:08pm

It's Murray. He's like a wannabe. What do ya expect? lol

[nmartin]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 10:20pm

NY Times

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 10:21pm

Isherwood -

"Although it does not rank among the first tier of classics from Broadway’s prime years, “Damn Yankees” was a popular hit. It sports a handful of still-lovable songs by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, and was the second show choreographed by Bob Fosse, whose dances have been retained here. (The first was the similarly fizzy “Pajama Game” of the year before, from the same songwriters.) The stars who headline this staging — Sean Hayes of “Will & Grace” as the conniving Devil, Jane Krakowski of current “30 Rock” fame as his sex-kitten helpmate and Cheyenne Jackson from Broadway’s “Xanadu” as the slugger who pines for the wife he left behind — seemed to be expertly aligned.

And yet the production, directed by John Rando (“Urinetown”), is pleasant but a little pizazz-deficient. Everyone involved performs his or her chores capably, but the show does not shimmy off the dust of 50-plus years truly to tickle us anew. It’s a solid double, maybe, but hardly the grand slam that was last summer’s “Gypsy,” which subsequently transferred to Broadway and scored three Tonys.

Ms. Krakowski executes the signature numbers — the striptease “Whatever Lola Wants” and the hipster mambo “Who’s Got the Pain?” — with determination and sufficient skill, but she’s like an eager student recreating moves learned by rote. The steps are not naturally in her bones, so the wiggling hips and the rolling shoulders never transmit the sizzling jolts of electricity they should. (She’s best in the more free-form “Two Lost Souls.”)

Vocal honors for the evening go to Mr. Jackson, in a walk. Although “Whatever Lola Wants” and the cheery anthem “Heart” became familiar standards, the show’s score contains a couple of lovely if lesser-known ballads, mostly sung by Mr. Jackson’s Joe Hardy, who has no sooner become a slugging sensation than he begins to regret in melody leaving the good wife and the comfy armchair behind. Mr. Jackson has a nice comic moment when Joe sinks blissfully back into that armchair, but his laid-back performance enchants primarily when his lustrous voice soars into one of the tender phrases from “A Man Doesn’t Know” or “Near to You.”"


http://theater2.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/theater/reviews/11damn.html?ref=theater

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 10:23pm

Variety -

"More due to the show's traditional marketing than anything else, Lola is its default star, and Krakowski has the unenviable task of stepping into the far-more-seasoned dance shoes of Gwen Verdon in the original and Bebe Neuwirth in the '94 revival. She gets through the sassy innuendo of "A Little Brains, a Little Talent" and the sultry tango "Whatever Lola Wants" with humor, but Krakowski doesn't have the effortless precision moves of an ace Fosse dancer. And in "Who's Got the Pain?," the superior technique of her partner John Selya ("Movin' Out") downgrades Krakowski into a tag-along.

But, costumed by William Ivey Long to evoke Marilyn Monroe, the actress has a daffy sexiness, warmth and sweetness that make her Lola endearing and help sell the notion that this jaded seductress could be willingly suckered into complicity by her intended victim's love for his wife.

Uncovering different shades from his "Will & Grace" persona, Hayes slyly mines every laugh he can dig out of the material. And while the sitcom training sometimes shows in his idiosyncratic shtick, it works in this vaudevillian role, often recalling Ray Walston, who played Applegate on Broadway and in the 1958 movie. Hayes gets only one number, the gleefully malevolent "Those Were the Good Old Days," but it's a scene-stealer, allowing him to show off his accomplished musicianship in a devilish boudoir that's like Liberace's room at the Playboy mansion.

The talented Jackson has mostly turned on his big voice and big charm in jokey contexts like "All Shook Up" and "Xanadu," and it's nice to see him maturing into a traditional leading man in the hunky John Raitt mold. He's in splendid voice here, notably when paired with Graff, who etches a moving character out of lovesick baseball widow Meg while keeping the sentimentality on a low flame."

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117937689.html?categoryid=33&cs=1

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 10:25pm

Pleasant reviews - a lot kinder than I would have been - but none that scream for a transfer.

Ljay - the only negative reviews GYPSY got were from both gentlemen at the Times.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 10:34pm

Yeah. I think there were some mixed though. I remember everyone saying Brantley and Isherwood killed GYPSY'S chances of transferring.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 10:35pm

Just got back--- thought it was a very enjoyable evening, but was far from blown away by it. Thought Cheyenne was excellent-- what a voice !!!

I liked Hayes better than many others, and LOVED Veanne Cox (as usual)in a very understated part (she makes the most of it !)

In my opinion, Krakowski is the weak link. Her dancing just seemed to be so uncomfortable to her. Just not natural at all, and her acting was just okay.

Jackson, in my opinion, is reason to see this production !

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:23am

I don't think this could transfer. Am I wrong, or doesn't Krakowski have to get back to filming "30 Rock."

[shh282]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:24am

she said she'd be dead -but she would fix her schedule to do both. thereby putting off her thoughts of also having a kid.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:32am

I think anything can happen, regarding a transfer. While many fanatics hoped and hoped GYPSY would transfer, many said it wouldn't happen or be viable. And look what happened.

I can see producers wanting to take a chance on Hayes' and Krakowski's star power. But who knows what will happen.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:37am

Krakowski doesn't have any star power. It's just Hayes. And if Megan Mullally couldn't bring 'em into a show written based on a popular Mel Brooks film, then Hayes isn't going to set the box office on fire starring in this old fashioned show.