NEW YORK – Mark down the dates.
The 2027 baseball season will get a fitting Broadway accompaniment when the musical classic "Damn Yankees" begins previews at the Marquis Theatre in Manhattan on March 24, ahead of its official opening on April 20. The play is based on the 1954 novel "The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant" by Douglass Wallop.
The play is produced by Lia Vollack, Haley Swindal (who is the granddaughter of George Steinbrenner) and Julie Boardman, with Sergio Trujillo serving as director and choreographer. In a first for a Broadway musical, Major League Baseball and its Emmy Award-winning production label, MLB Studios, will also partner on the production.
This newly adapted production will mark the first Broadway revival of "Damn Yankees" since 1994. The play will star Neil Patrick Harris as Applegate, with Julianne Hough making her Broadway musical debut as Lola and Austin Scott as Young Joe Hardy.
“We're thrilled to partner with the entire team on the return of 'Damn Yankees' to Broadway, led by such great talents in Neil, Julianne and Austin,” Noah Garden, deputy commissioner of business and media at Major League Baseball, said in a statement. “It's incredibly important that our game continues to resonate outside the diamond and into different areas of culture. Baseball and Broadway fans both love high drama, high stakes and high hopes that they’re about to watch something unforgettable happen. 'Damn Yankees' celebrates that shared spirit, and we’re proud to help bring that energy to the stage.”
The original play opened on May 5, 1955. But the revival is going to be different. After talking with fellow writers Will Power and Doug Wright, Trujillo decided to bring the story into the 21st century.
The updated version is set in 2000, when the Yankees were coming off three consecutive World Series titles. The original play also featured the Washington Senators, a team that no longer exists, so the Orioles will instead serve as New York's rival.
“I wanted to tell this story through an America that is diverse, an America that reflects today,” Trujillo said. “The year 2000 was 26 years ago. It seems like yesterday. We took that into consideration. In order for us to revive the show, we needed to look at the teams. …
“The Washington Nationals are a Washington team, but they are not in the [American] League [like the Senators were]. We were talking about which team would make sense and we thought the Baltimore Orioles made the most sense because we wanted … to bring a sense of authenticity.”
Harris said he can’t wait for Hough to make her Broadway musical debut. Hough is best known for her TV work on "Dancing with the Stars."
“Julianne is such a triple threat. I can’t wait for Broadway audiences to really sink their teeth into what she is capable of doing,” Harris said. “I know Sergio is going to be pushing her real hard. Her skills are unbelievable. It’s not just dancing. She can act. The whole thing is fantastic.”
The character Young Joe Hardy is also different in this adaptation. He is African American, plays for the Orioles and possesses superhuman abilities.
“It heightens the stakes for Joe’s story,” Scott said. “It’s not just about him allowing his team to win the pennant, but it's something incredibly personal. The team is very diverse. It reflects America. It reflects all that is happening in baseball today. Of course, it doesn’t matter if it’s the year 2000 or any other year, it’s a great opportunity to create and celebrate what America is.”
Harris, Hough and Scott visited Yankee Stadium late Sunday morning and met right fielder Aaron Judge, who was teaching Scott the nuances of the game of baseball.
“It would be disingenuous for me to say I’m a baseball expert. I’m coming in learning the baseball world – the culture and language of the sport through Joe my character,” Scott said. “But I’ve already been watching a lot of highlight reels and a lot of footage, especially Aaron Judge. I see why a lot of people are fascinated by this man. It’s not just his power. It’s the confidence that he has that is at play. That’s something I want to find in my Joe. [Judge] is an excellent role model.”