Displaying items by tag: Michelle Aravena
The Devil Makes Em Do It in Excellent Revival of Musical Classic 'Damn Yankees'
“Damn Yankees,” the vintage 1955 musical comedy at the Marriott Theatre in suburban Lincolnshire, has it all: a witty book, delicious songs, great choreography, and an excellent chorus. From the days when musical comedies were still rooted in operetta, it is truly musical, packed with memorable songs arranged in beautiful harmonies, and a Faustian storyline that gives heft to the drama.
It’s also very funny. Based on a 1954 novel, it tells the story of Joe Boyd (Ron E. Rains) a middle-aged, very rabid baseball fan who sells his soul to the devil to become a baseball great - Joe Hardy (Andrew Alstat) who uses his new-found powers to drive his beloved but terrible Washington Senators to win a Pennant and break the New York Yankees’ years-long lock on winning.
It’s wonderful to see “Damn Yankees” revived in such a definitive production. It is revisited less often than other Tony winning musicals from its era, like Richard Rodgers “South Pacific” (1949) or Frederick Lowe’s “My Fair Lady” (1956) and Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man” (1957). Perhaps it’s the challenge of creating a convincing chorus of baseball players who can sing, dance and play ball—but director James Vasquez and choreographer James Vasquez have built a winning team here.
“Damn Yankees” breaks out of the box with a big number—Six Months Out of Every Year—featuring a quartet of male fans in dueling counterpoint melodies sung by a quartet of their wives, who lament their husbands’ preoccupation with the baseball. “Six months out of every year/When I’m with him/I’m alone” laments Joe’s wife, Meg Boyd—Daniella Dalli—a rich sonorous singer who carries this classic as well as her major more romantic numbers beautifully.
Soon enough the silky smooth, fast talking devil Applegate arrives. Sean Fortunato is a scene stealer, and knows how to get the audience roaring with his sly humor. After he seals the deal and transforms Boyd into the batting wonder Joe Hardy, Applegate sees he must fully corrupt his soul to lock him in fully as a future denizen of hell.
Enter Lola. Michelle Aravena recreates a character made indelible by the original performance by Gewn Verdon on stage and screen. And she so truly does it, in spades. This Lola is not mimicking Verdon, but is an original creation that I think may be even better than Gwen Verdon’s original. Aravena’s arrival is like a vixen jumping from a birthday cake, and wins the attention of all eyes and ears when she is on stage. She sings and dances—”A Little Brains” and the tango classic “Whatever Lola Wants”—all real time excellence, in one of the most demanding roles on stage.
The baseball chorus is also notably good and convincingly athletic—dance captain is Brian Bandura—with a show-stopping jump rope performance by Ben Broughton. From living room to locker room, the vintage in-through-round Marriott Theatre (originally Drury Lane North) showcases this production of “Damn Yankees” with flair, and nary a bad seat. Highly recommended, “Damn Yankees” runs through June 4 @MarriottTheatre
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Artemisia’s 13th season kicks off with, GOODS, at their new home in The Fine Arts Building, July 8th -July 28th
Written by Buzz Center StageArtemisia announces it’s 13th season will open with a immersive soundscape production of GOODS by Lauren Ferebee, directed by Erin Nicole Eggers. Performances are July 8th - July 28th, 2024 at the Little Studio in the Fine Arts Building at… -
Steppenwolf Announces Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Show
Written by Buzz Center StageSteppenwolf Theatre is pleased to present Rachel Bloom's sell-out off Broadway hit Death, Let Me Do My Show, playing a limited engagement August 14 - 24, 2024 in the Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. A special Steppenwolf member pre-sale begins Tuesday, May 21 at…
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Written by Bill EslerChicago Opera Theater premiered a one-act opera, “Before It All Goes Dark,” in two performances over Memorial Day weekend at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago. Semi-staged with chamber orchestra conducted by Joseph Mechavich, the compact work was commissioned by Seattle-based… -
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Written by Sarz MaxwellI love stories about World War II, particularly about survivors of the Holocaust and the Camps. And I love stories based on real people. So naturally I was drawn to THE DANISH PLAY, which Canadian playwright Sonny Mills (he/him/they/them) wrote about…
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