Review: Arena Stage’s Reinvented Damn Yankees Is a Grand Slam

Baseball will soon be going through its most exciting time of the season with the fall classic just a month away, and while the local teams in the area will soon be heading to the golf courses—sorry, Nationals and Orioles fans—Arena Stage is keeping the thrill of baseball alive with a dazzling reimagined production of Damn Yankees, playing through November 9.

The original book, by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, retold the Faust tale through the eyes of Joe Boyd, a long-suffering Washington Senators fan who would give anything to see his team overtake the Yankees and win the pennant—even if that means selling his soul to the devil.

For this production, freshly adapted by Doug Wright and Will Power, the writers change Boyd’s team to the Baltimore Orioles and the timeline switches from the 1950s to the early 2000s, when the Bronx Bombers were in the midst of another dynasty.

Wright and Power do an exceptional job blending the heart of the original with a modern flair, referencing Derek Jeter, casting different couple combinations for the opening number, “Six Months Out of Every Year,” and even adding in a place for the audience to do the wave.

This retelling also casts a Black actor at the center of the story, with the character looking to live out the big-league dreams of his dad, a Negro Leagues standout who never had the opportunity to play in the major leagues, adding more depth than what the original book provided where a fan just wanted his team to win.

Quentin Earl Darrington is pitch-perfect as Joe Boyd, displaying all the anger and desperation of a devoted fan seeing his team go through a 21-game losing streak, but never giving up hope. His voice sends chills in “Goodbye, Old Girl” and brings Richard Adler and Jerry Ross’s music and lyrics poignantly to life.

Some fun theatrical magic is used when Boyd becomes Joe Hardy, a young superstar who possesses the hitting skills like no one before him. Jordan Donica embodies a “Casey at the Bat” presence—tall, athletic—and the actor reminds one of Yankee slugger Aaron Judge with the charisma of Derek Jeter. Donica has winning chemistry with temptress Lola and Boyd’s wife, Meg, and brings a sweetness to each relationship that was missing in earlier versions of the musical.

As the devilish Applegate, Rob McClure delivers a deliciously sly performance, blending comedy with menace in equal measure. At first, he leans into the role with the smarmy charm of a crooked salesman, luring Boyd in with smooth-talking wit and impeccable timing. But as the stakes rise, McClure reveals the darker, more formidable side of Applegate, unleashing bursts of fury that remind us of his true power. His ability to shift seamlessly between humor and intimidation makes his performance entertaining and unsettling.

Ana Villafañe is nothing short of electrifying as Lola, owning every moment she’s onstage. Her vocals soar with confidence and flair, and her dancing is both sexy and daring. In “A Little Brains, A Little Talent,” she exudes playful cunning and raw sensuality, making Lola’s ambition feel magnetic. And when she launches into the iconic “Whatever Lola Wants,” Villafañe channels every ounce of Lola’s seduction and swagger.

Bryonha Marie is an emotional dynamo as Meg, who has strong duets with both young and old Joes, impressing on “Near to You” and “A Man Doesn’t Know.” Alysha Umphress is solid though underused as spunky female sportswriter Gloria, while Hardy’s Orioles teammates each get a moment to shine.

The ensemble is loaded with a roster of heavy hitters. Even the Bronx Bombers themselves would tip their caps to the lineup of amazing performers and their dancing of Sergio Trujillo’s spectacular choreography. Throughout the show, the dancing is reminiscent of old-time Broadway big spectacles and is absolute fun. Trujillo makes “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo” an absolute showstopper with the ensemble moving as one unstoppable, joyous force.

Robert Brill’s set design draws on his Hell’s Kitchen sensibilities, crafting a world that feels larger-than-life yet sharply grounded through the baseball field, Applegate’s lair and the home of the Boyds. Linda Cho’s costumes are equally stunning, perfectly capturing the personalities and ambitions of this world. From the flashy, seductive looks of Lola to the sharp, cunning attire of Applegate, she presents theatrical boldness.

Baseball die-hards may be thrown by some things, most notably Hardy’s nickname as “Shoeless Joe,” which is already tied to an infamous legend of the game. This would have been a smart place to make a change to the original book. And as any true fan will tell you, in the modern game, one big slugger is not enough to win a team the pennant like it may have in the ’50s; just ask the Angels who had two of the best players in the game (Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani) for seven years and never even sniffed the postseason. Still, those minor details do nothing to curve the enjoyment of the musical, baseball aficionado or not.

Just like Joe Hardy at the plate, Arena’s production keeps fans on the edge of their seats, delivering a home run of a production.