My thoughts on DAMN YANKEES- Page 4

[jeniferrenepatricia]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 4:03am

After watching the movie version of "Damn Yankees," I was convinced that no one could dance "Two Lost Souls" and "Who's Got The Pain" like Gwen did. She was fabulous; I wish I could've seen the original Broadway production, but it was way before my time. I also love Cheyenne and Jane, so I'm hoping they can do Fosse's choreography as well as Gwen. (or close to it)

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 4:26am

For someone to dance like Gwen Verdon...they'd have to be called Gwen Verdon. I'm not even sure that even Chita Rivera could dance like Gwen. She's the kind of dancer that comes once in a blue moon and this choreography was made specifically for her body, her acting/dancing style, and her strengths. I'm sure even Jane Krakowski herself would tell you that she can't dance like Verdon. It's the same as with "The Music and the Mirror," not Neuwirth, not Ziemba, not D'Amboisse could ever dance it like Donna McKechnie and that's okay. It's not their fault and that doesn't make their performance less impressive.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 5:29am

Reinking. The closest real thing to the other real thing.

[meredithchandler73]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 9:39am

I'm not really sure how you come close to being Gwen Verdon and even though Ann Reinking stepped into her shoes, I don't think she "comes close." Ann, like many other performers, has a style all her own. I agree with ray-allthatjazz86 - no one will ever be Gwen again - even having to do the same choreography she did - and that's OK. That's why we see live theater - to see each person's personal stamp on whatever work they do, be it something new (I was thrilled to see the first preview of TITLE OF SHOW) or not (way back when I was a bit of a CHICAGO groupie - I don't remember how many times I saw it).

[Tom1071]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 9:57am

Saw the show last night. I thought is was very lackluster and slow and not worth the price the I paid to see it.

I have to agree that Sean Hayes was doing "Jack McFarland does Damn Yankees." It was so tiresome.

I thought Jane Krakowski looked beautiful. She was very charming and did a servicable job. Same with Cheyenne. He was fine but not great.

Veanne Cox as Sister was the stand out for me. Hysterical! I honestly have to say that I have never been disappointed any of her performances. She's always right on the money.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 9:58am

Well, after reading these reviews, and seeing it last night, I have to say, the biggest disappointment for me was Cheyenne Jackson. I'm sure it will probably be unpopular, but for me, he was just all over the place. I thought Jane Krakowski was phenomenal, I thought her "Whatever Lola Wants" was the highlight of the show, and that she's a better dancer than anyone gives her credit for. Really, really loved her. And Sean Hayes was definitely channeling Jack, but I think it worked for the character, and you have to know your audience. People paying 110$ a ticket for him...that's what they want to see, and he definitely delivered. I thought he was hysterical, and that even if it was a little one-note, it worked for the show, and he and Jane had a great chemistry in their scenes together. However, Cheyenne was another story. He has a BEAUTIFUL voice on the score, and he sounded fantastic, but I just didn't feel enough in the acting department. In that scene before "Two Lost Souls", he was just so goofy, and I just felt like there should be such a morbid edge to all of his joking around and there just wasn't, and I didn't feel any connection between the older Joe and him at all, I didn't think they were the same person at all. There were a couple moments in the second act (at the end of the trial especially) where I thought he got it, but I think he definitely needs some more notes and time in the role, and he'll be much better, but for me, he was disappointing.

The show as a whole, for me, was AMAZING. I loved it, I really, really did. Just wish I would've connected w/ Cheyenne a little more.

Updated On: 7/7/08 at 09:58 AM

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 11:36am

I loved the show! Sean Hayes was funny and worked the stage very well. You people out there that are criticizing the show also have to remember that they only had like 3 weeks of rehearsal to learn this show. So give them a little bit of a break.

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 11:41am

Attended Sunday night's show. Had highly anticipated this show for weeks. Had a good time, but was underwhelmed. Sadly this is nothing like last summer's GYPSY.

IMO, the major problem was pacing. While I like the fact that they stuck with the material as written, there were many places where they needed to "pick it up." Scenes had slow cue pick up and scene changes were longer than needed. In some places energy from the performers seemed low, esp. with the ball players, and even a few tempos seemed slightly on the slow side.

Hayes seems to be having vocal trouble. I kept thinking he should clear his throat. Perhaps he is just not used to so much projecting? His "Will & Grace" shtick was familiar, but funny and served the role well. His singing was only okay, but that is a minor requirement for this role, more surprising was his lack of spark when he got up from the piano for the second half of his number. After the violin bit, it fell flat - majorly.

Krakowski was great. Dance 10, Looks 10. Her voice was a bit weak at times, but the whole package made up for it. Very impressed by her in the role. A traditional, but satisfying take on an iconic part. And I LOVED her wig!

Jackson (who I adore) left me a bit cold. His first vocal entrance was way off. Slightly under pitch and forced. It was better after that, with beautiful singing from him on "A Man Doesn't Know" and "Near to You." Although the role is not as showy as Lola and Applegate, I still felt he was undercooked in the scenes. He was there, and he was pretty, but that was about it. Nothing close to the spark he displays in Xanadu.

Randy Graff was great.
Veanne Cox and Kathy Fitzgerald were quite funny.
PJ Benjamin sang beautifully.

I kept wondering what, if anything, Victor Garber was thinking.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 11:42am

As far as not criticizing because of their short rehearsal period, that's silly. People are paying 110$ to see it.

[MarkK]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 11:44am

Kelly2 - Regarding Cheyenne, I completely disagree with your review. I saw the show Sunday. I thought the best part of Damn Yankees was Randy & Cheyenne's performance. Near to You & A Man Doesn't Know were incredibly beautiful. I thought the scenes that led into both songs were executed flawlessly.

Randy & Cheyenne had great chemistry, and IMO gave the most solid performances of the night, along with; PJ Benjamin, Veanne Cox, and Kathy Fitzgerald.

Although, Veanne Cox stold the show anytime she was on stage.

I usually love Jane Krakowski, but I thought she was doing a Marylin Monore impression throughout most of her scenes.

Sean Hayes seemed a bit out of his element, not sure if it was nerves, but he seemed to be uncomfortable most of the time.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 11:54am

I completely agree about Randi Graff and Cheyenne Jackson doing the best work of the evening. Their chemistry was very real, in a way that the chemistry between Hayes and Krakowski was not.

All in all, though, the show is just plain not very good. A couple of holes in the plot, and some really dreadfully flat staging: couldn't they have done SOMETHING to make the transformation from P.J. Benjamin to Cheyenne Jackson a little more interesting? Too many songs just felt shoehorned in: that lame "mambo" number must have been fascinating with Gwen Verdon performing it, but it just inspired a feeling of "what the hell was that?" the night I saw it.

[MarkK]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 12:02pm

Roscoe I agree with you. I don't like bashing people on this board. But, I never felt a connection between Jane & Sean.

[Morgaine885]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 12:03pm

I was there on Saturday night and I absolutely loved it. It was, by far, one of the best revivals I have seen in a long time. (Even better than Pajama Game.)

I think Cheyenne Jackson was born to play this role...for those saying he wasn't showing much personality, I strongly disagree. I think he was playing the role as an older man...just like he was supposed to be. It's a big change from the roles we have seen him in the past few years (Xanadu, All Shook Up, Altar Boyz) and I was really impressed with him. Beautiful voice, incredible presence...he is a true star.

I was always a Will and Grace fan, and I don't think Sean was playing Applegate as Jack at all...I think he did a wonderful job, and I was very pleasantly surprised by him.

Jane Krakowski--WOW!!!! Looked and sounded beautiful!!

Michael Mulherin was another stand-out for me...I think he's great in everything he does, no matter how big the role is.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 12:04pm

And I have a possibly SPOILER question:

How does Joe Hardy get his soul back? It didn't make any sense to me, and the people I was with didn't understand it either. It is spelled out pretty clearly that Joe has lost his soul to Applegate by not exercising the exit clause, but Joe seems to get his soul back by the play's end. Did I miss something?

[enteng2]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 12:10pm

I saw the show last night. It was a good show and understandably - it is really a summer stock production that needs to be thoroughly fixed and polished if and if they want to make it on Broadway.

As for those who says that the show is saved by Fosse's choreography? No, not even.

As for Hayes - whom I thought was okay for the role (he's comfortable with it), Krakowski (who did not bother to show up the stage door after the show) and Jackson (whew hot hot hot hot! white boxers - whoah!) they were all okay....I just don't know what are the reactions of the people who payed for $110 just to see the show without minding the three bigwigs.

Updated On: 7/7/08 at 12:10 PM

[sopranobiz]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 12:38pm

I was incredibly excited to see this production but I have to say I was disappointed.

The ensemble was fantastic. Lots of sound issues.

Sean Hayes annoyed me a little. He seemed too high strung to be Applegate.
Jane Krakowski looked AMAZING. A pretty good Lola. She gave a very understated performance.

The one pleasant surprise was Randy Graff. There wasn't much for her to do but her performance was very heartfelt and her vocals were beautiful.

I was angry that there were so many sounds issues!!!

[Morgaine885]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 12:42pm

My one major issue was the time...my gosh, it's way too long. Considering how many older people and younger kids are going to be seeing it (I think it's a good show for families), it's definitely too long.

[violet72]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 12:42pm

For the people that went last night...during the locker room scene right before Whatever Lola wants was there a mike on backstage? And was someone saying that they were stuck in the f**king elevator?

[shh282]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 1:03pm

Roscoe, Applegate turns Joe Hardy back into Joe Boyd during the game so that they don't win - but after that fails Joe Boyd runs home to Meg to reunite, from then on I just get the impression it's supposed to show love conquers all. and when Joe B refuses to go back to being Joe H - that's when Applegate realizes he's lost him.

[Tom1071]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 1:23pm

Did anyone else who was there last night notice "He's in the F***ing elevator!" during one of the locker room scenes?

What was that all about?
Updated On: 7/7/08 at 01:23 PM

[Roscoe]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 1:26pm

Thanks Shh, that's what it kind of looked like they were after, but it doesn't really make any sense, does it? Was there a "get out of hell free if you decide you love your wife" clause, too? It feels like a major hole in the story, but nobody seems to be bothered by it.

[shh282]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 1:55pm

Well Applegate did turn him back to Joe Boyd on his own terms so I guess they tried to play the - don't return to jail free card because love conquers all. if you don't think twice about it, it flows for a nice happy ending.

[BBBoy]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 2:12pm

I don't know. I had a pretty darn (dare I say damn) good time at DAMN YANKKES this weekend. Aside from the initial expected bumps from a show that only had three weeks of rehearsal - I found it to be a rollicking good time.

Very impressed with the cast - especially Jane Krakowski - who I never knew could dance! (phew)

Otherwise, Sean Hayes, Cheyenne Jackson, and Randy Graff were in fine form. An extra shout out deserved to Jimmy Smagula as, well, the big fat funny guy. (sorry for being un-pc

I do hate to say that SOME of the fosse choreography doesn't quite hold up (especially in the opening number...oh dear) but "Shoeless Joe" and "Two Lost Souls" are really quite remarkable to watch

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 2:13pm

MarkK, I agree with almost everything you said. (We were in the sixth row last night - maybe some others were too far back to see what was going on?)

Cheyenne was WONDERFUL. Amazing, spectacular, as were Randy Graff and Sean Hayes.

Krakowski tried very hard, but wasn't very good!

[Kelly2]

Posted: 7/7/08 at 2:17pm

I'd actually like to see the show from farther back. I had a wonderful seat in the seventh row, center, last night, thanks to a lucky coincidence, and my best friend was happy to take my ticket in row Q. So glad to have been sitting there though, beyond sitting right behind Victor Garber (*swoon*), seeing Jane's dancing straight on and up close was incredible, though I'm sure she is just as wonderful from the last row. It's so refreshing to see a tv actor who does stage shows purely out of a love for musical theatre.

And re: Cheyenne, I never said that he wasn't good. He was serviceable, and his voice was certainly as incredible and amazing as it always has been. I just questioned some of his acting choices, and for me, that left me with a disconnect from him as a character, and disappointment, since his casting was so exciting to me when I first heard about the production. I'm glad I'm seeing it again in a week or so, I'd like to see how he improves.

Updated On: 7/7/08 at 02:17 PM