Director Kelly Van Oosbree has had a soft spot for classic musicals for as long as she can remember.
"I grew up loving musical theater and watching tons of old movie musicals," says Oosbree, who is directing the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities' production of the 1955 musical comedy Damn Yankees. "As an adult, I feel like these seventy-year-old musicals still hold up; they have charm, wit and universal themes that we can all buy into and recognize in ourselves. And their scores just can’t be beaten."
One of the classic movie musicals that Oosbree fondly remembers watching in her childhood was the 1958 film adaptation of Damn Yankees starring Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston. Although she recalls the 1995 national tour starring Jerry Lewis passing through Saint Paul, near where she grew up, the fact that she was unable to attend the performance is still a sensitive subject.
"My mother went to see the tour, and I was so mad, because I grew up loving Jerry Lewis's movies, but my mom was never a fan," says Oosbree. "She thought he was a grotesque clown, but I couldn’t attend because I had a volleyball tournament that weekend. It is still a point of contention between the two of us, because she came back after seeing the show, and I was like, ‘How was it?’ and she said, ‘Jerry Lewis was fabulous’ — which was not what I wanted to hear."
When Oosbree got the chance to choreograph Damn Yankees for Performance Now Theatre Company in 2014, she leaped at the opportunity to work on the musical she had long adored.
"I didn’t know if I would get the chance to revisit the show after that [Performance Now] production, because the musical doesn’t get staged that often," says Oosbree. "But Damn Yankees is filled with such great characters and fun music that I think it deserves to make the rounds."
The musical is an adaption of the Faustian myth in which Joe Boyd, a real estate agency fan of the Washington Senators, sells his soul to Mr. Applegate (aka Satan) for the chance to become the team's star player. While the story holds up relatively well, it is not produced as often as other golden-age musicals.
"It’s strange because other shows, like Guys and Dolls and Gypsy, get done repetitively," says Robert Anthony Jones, who plays Mr. Applegate. "But something like Damn Yankees, which feels like it is in that same league of musicals, doesn’t."
Oosbree argues that it is not the story itself that prevents theater companies from tackling the musical. "Finding a large group of men who can sing and dance is part of it," she explains. "It’s a bigger show with a massive set, and even if it is kind of easy to costume, outfitting a baseball team is not inexpensive. There are some logistics that make Damn Yankees tricky from a producing standpoint, so that’s my only guess as to why it's not done more, because the show is super charming."
When Oosbree was approached to direct Damn Yankees as her first show at the Arvada Center, she was ecstatic. In preparation for the project, she revisited the movie and read the 1954 novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant on which the musical is based.
After reading the book, she quickly understood why the show's writers, George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, had chosen to adapt the story into a musical. "It is such a delightful little novel," says Oosbree. "It’s funny and really accessible, but there are a few things that vary from the novel to the musical."
One of the key things that Oosbree homed in on was the book's depiction of Lola, Mr. Applegate's assistant, whom he instructs to seduce Joe to drive him away from his wife. She was intrigued by how important the character was to the novel's climax, and worked with Adriane Leigh Robinson to make Lola as much of a hero as Joe.
"Lola has this massive character arc that is both challenging and exciting," says Robinson. "She moves from this manipulative monster to half the heart of the story when she puts her neck on the line to help Joe’s dream come true, because she falls in love with someone for the first time in maybe 172 years."
"For research, I started with the Satanic Bible," quipped Jones. "Actually, unless a show is based on something historic, I usually don’t research, because I like to come in and start from the ground up in rehearsal. But for this show, I watched the movie and read the book because Kelly was talking about them in rehearsals. The movie was fun in a 1960s way, but the book was really helpful. [Mr. Applegate] is charming and funny, but also this gluttonous, smarmy evil guy. He says something toward the end of the book like, ‘The one thing I don’t do is go back on a deal,' and it was so interesting to see how it gave him likability and integrity while still being the Devil."
Jones expressed gratitude to the Arvada Center team for trusting him to put his own spin on the character. When Ray Walston and Victor Garber played Mr. Applegate, both men could use their long and lean physicality to make themselves seem imposing.
"One of my challenges was figuring out why, when he came to Earth, Satan would choose to look like a character actor who is a lovable teddy bear kind of person," says Jones. "However, I think there is a lot of value in approaching the role from a more physical perspective. I'm not someone who'd normally be cast as the Devil for several reasons, but it’s great to think outside the box for this character, because there is no reason Mr. Applegate can’t be played by someone like me. It's so nice to have your quirky self not only accepted, but celebrated."
Oosbree has been passionate about bringing more diversity to Damn Yankees since being approached to direct the musical.
"Early on in the process, we knew we wanted to tell this story with a diverse group of people who would bring a lot of new ideas to the table," says Oosbree. "This cast is exceptional; they're all funny triple threats who sing like birds and dance like angels. It's hard not to be inspired by the talent in the room."
Robinson is proud to get the chance to play Lola from a Latina perspective. "Normally, it's a white lady putting on this almost offensively thick Latina accent," says Robinson. "I'm just very proud to get to bring my own personal heritage to the part."
While Robinson was backstage getting into costume, she couldn't help but feel that her outfit made her look like someone from her past.
"I went searching around on my dad’s Facebook page and realized I literally look exactly like my abuela," says Robinson. "It's crazy to say my inspiration for the succubus was my grandmother, but she was this powerful single woman who had to use her looks to get what she wanted."
Along with a diverse cast, Oosbree is proud to have so many local artists in the show. "It's a fully local production and creative team, with a few out-of-town actors, but a majority of the people are originally from Colorado or people who consider it their home," she says. "Damn Yankees is a fabulous chance for the audience to come to support local artists."
In addition to the musical's month of public performances through May 7, the cast of Damn Yankees will also perform as a part of the Arvada Center's Second Annual Arts for All Gala on Saturday, April 15, 2023, which benefits its arts education programming, theater and gallery offerings.
"The Arts for All Gala is an unforgettable evening of community, entertainment and philanthropy," says director of individual giving and patron experience Jarrod Markman. Guests will enjoy drinks like the Triple Hitter and be treated to a meal provided by Footers Catering while bidding on live auction items before moving to the Arvada Center's Main Stage Theatre to watch Damn Yankees.
The cast promises that the music, which has been slightly reworked by music director David Nehls, will capture the hearts of patrons. "The Damn Yankees score has something for everyone," says Robinson. "Some of the songs are cheesy, but we love cheese."
Meanwhile, the creative team hopes that the show serves as a heartwarming alternative to the craziness going on in the rest of the world. "Damn Yankees is a throwback to the era of classical musical theater that, after COVID-19 and the two years we took off, I think will make for a really enjoyable evening for audiences," says Jones. "It is nostalgic, but with updated inclusivity that was needed all along."
Damn Yankees runs through May 7, Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada. Find tickets, starting at $45, and more information at arvadacenter.org.
"I grew up loving musical theater and watching tons of old movie musicals," says Oosbree, who is directing the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities' production of the 1955 musical comedy Damn Yankees. "As an adult, I feel like these seventy-year-old musicals still hold up; they have charm, wit and universal themes that we can all buy into and recognize in ourselves. And their scores just can’t be beaten."
One of the classic movie musicals that Oosbree fondly remembers watching in her childhood was the 1958 film adaptation of Damn Yankees starring Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston. Although she recalls the 1995 national tour starring Jerry Lewis passing through Saint Paul, near where she grew up, the fact that she was unable to attend the performance is still a sensitive subject.
"My mother went to see the tour, and I was so mad, because I grew up loving Jerry Lewis's movies, but my mom was never a fan," says Oosbree. "She thought he was a grotesque clown, but I couldn’t attend because I had a volleyball tournament that weekend. It is still a point of contention between the two of us, because she came back after seeing the show, and I was like, ‘How was it?’ and she said, ‘Jerry Lewis was fabulous’ — which was not what I wanted to hear."
When Oosbree got the chance to choreograph Damn Yankees for Performance Now Theatre Company in 2014, she leaped at the opportunity to work on the musical she had long adored.
"I didn’t know if I would get the chance to revisit the show after that [Performance Now] production, because the musical doesn’t get staged that often," says Oosbree. "But Damn Yankees is filled with such great characters and fun music that I think it deserves to make the rounds."
The musical is an adaption of the Faustian myth in which Joe Boyd, a real estate agency fan of the Washington Senators, sells his soul to Mr. Applegate (aka Satan) for the chance to become the team's star player. While the story holds up relatively well, it is not produced as often as other golden-age musicals.
Robert Anthony Jones and Ty-Gabriel Jones talk about the terms of the bargain Joe has made in Mr. Applegate's office.
Courtesy of the Arvada Center
Oosbree argues that it is not the story itself that prevents theater companies from tackling the musical. "Finding a large group of men who can sing and dance is part of it," she explains. "It’s a bigger show with a massive set, and even if it is kind of easy to costume, outfitting a baseball team is not inexpensive. There are some logistics that make Damn Yankees tricky from a producing standpoint, so that’s my only guess as to why it's not done more, because the show is super charming."
When Oosbree was approached to direct Damn Yankees as her first show at the Arvada Center, she was ecstatic. In preparation for the project, she revisited the movie and read the 1954 novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant on which the musical is based.
After reading the book, she quickly understood why the show's writers, George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, had chosen to adapt the story into a musical. "It is such a delightful little novel," says Oosbree. "It’s funny and really accessible, but there are a few things that vary from the novel to the musical."
One of the key things that Oosbree homed in on was the book's depiction of Lola, Mr. Applegate's assistant, whom he instructs to seduce Joe to drive him away from his wife. She was intrigued by how important the character was to the novel's climax, and worked with Adriane Leigh Robinson to make Lola as much of a hero as Joe.
"Lola has this massive character arc that is both challenging and exciting," says Robinson. "She moves from this manipulative monster to half the heart of the story when she puts her neck on the line to help Joe’s dream come true, because she falls in love with someone for the first time in maybe 172 years."
Demons come to Arvada played with devilish charm by Robert Anthony Jones and Adriane Leigh Robinson.
Courtesy of the Arvada Center
Jones expressed gratitude to the Arvada Center team for trusting him to put his own spin on the character. When Ray Walston and Victor Garber played Mr. Applegate, both men could use their long and lean physicality to make themselves seem imposing.
"One of my challenges was figuring out why, when he came to Earth, Satan would choose to look like a character actor who is a lovable teddy bear kind of person," says Jones. "However, I think there is a lot of value in approaching the role from a more physical perspective. I'm not someone who'd normally be cast as the Devil for several reasons, but it’s great to think outside the box for this character, because there is no reason Mr. Applegate can’t be played by someone like me. It's so nice to have your quirky self not only accepted, but celebrated."
Oosbree has been passionate about bringing more diversity to Damn Yankees since being approached to direct the musical.
Ty-Gabriel Jones, who plays Joe Hardy, attempts to resist Adriane Leigh Robinson's advances in the locker room during "Whatever Lola Wants."
Courtesy of the Arvada Center
Robinson is proud to get the chance to play Lola from a Latina perspective. "Normally, it's a white lady putting on this almost offensively thick Latina accent," says Robinson. "I'm just very proud to get to bring my own personal heritage to the part."
While Robinson was backstage getting into costume, she couldn't help but feel that her outfit made her look like someone from her past.
"I went searching around on my dad’s Facebook page and realized I literally look exactly like my abuela," says Robinson. "It's crazy to say my inspiration for the succubus was my grandmother, but she was this powerful single woman who had to use her looks to get what she wanted."
Guadalupe de la Rosa (top) plays Adriane Leigh Robinson's abuela; Robinson (below) as Lola.
Courtesy of Adriane Leigh Robinson
In addition to the musical's month of public performances through May 7, the cast of Damn Yankees will also perform as a part of the Arvada Center's Second Annual Arts for All Gala on Saturday, April 15, 2023, which benefits its arts education programming, theater and gallery offerings.
"The Arts for All Gala is an unforgettable evening of community, entertainment and philanthropy," says director of individual giving and patron experience Jarrod Markman. Guests will enjoy drinks like the Triple Hitter and be treated to a meal provided by Footers Catering while bidding on live auction items before moving to the Arvada Center's Main Stage Theatre to watch Damn Yankees.
The cast promises that the music, which has been slightly reworked by music director David Nehls, will capture the hearts of patrons. "The Damn Yankees score has something for everyone," says Robinson. "Some of the songs are cheesy, but we love cheese."
Meanwhile, the creative team hopes that the show serves as a heartwarming alternative to the craziness going on in the rest of the world. "Damn Yankees is a throwback to the era of classical musical theater that, after COVID-19 and the two years we took off, I think will make for a really enjoyable evening for audiences," says Jones. "It is nostalgic, but with updated inclusivity that was needed all along."
Adriane Leigh Robinson dances with ensemble members during a musical number in the Arvada Center's production of Damn Yankees.
Courtesy of the Arvada Center
