For the week of November 14 - 20, 2001

‘Damn Yankees’ opens

The Community School puts on a classic

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By ADAM TANOUS
Express Arts Editor

As salesmen and business types love to point out, everything is for sale. The only question in play, they would maintain, is, at what price?

From back left, Carina Covella, Elke Wiethorn, Quinn Orb and Blake Schnebly rehearse "Damn Yankees." Courtesy photo

For what would you sell your soul to the devil? Money? Love? Fame? How about the chance to spend a summer playing professional baseball? To not only play, but to lead your beloved Washington Senators in hitting and pitching? To, in a phrase, live your life with passion?

Joe, the middle-aged hero of "Damn Yankees," makes just this Faustian bargain. In the wake of yet another Yankees appearance in one of the great World Series of recent memory, it is perhaps fitting that The Community School is putting on this classic musical Thursday through Sunday at The Community School Theater in Sun Valley. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m., except for the Sunday performance, which has a 2:30 p.m. curtain time.

David Wallop’s novel "The Day the Yankees Lost the Pennant" is the basis for the musical "Damn Yankees," a show that opened in New York on May 5, 1955, and ran for 1,019 performances. The musical has since been produced countless other times off Broadway, in high school auditoriums, and on the silver screen starring Gwyn Verdon. Wallop and George Abbott dramatized the work. Richard Adler and Jerry Ross wrote the music and lyrics.

The Community School production stars Quinn Orb, playing Joe, an armchair athlete who sells his soul to the devil to play ball. Carina Covella plays Meg, Joe’s long-suffering wife. Senior Blake Schnebly takes on the role of the devil, also known as Mr. Applegate. And what would the devil be without a tempting seductress, Lola, played by Elke Wiethorn? In all, there are 30 actors, singers and dancers in the show.

Fritz Brun, who many saw bring Hans Christian Andersen to life in a one-man show last year, will direct "Damn Yankees." Dick Brown is the musical director for the show and conductor of a small, professional orchestra to accompany the singers. Choreography is being done by Hilarie Neeley and Michele Minailo. Pamela Doucette is in charge of sets and Lori Shepardson is head of costumes.

Tickets are $16 for adults, $8 for students. They are available at the door or at Chapter One in Ketchum and Read All About It in Hailey.

 

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