Musicals At Richter To Open Season With ‘Damn Yankees’

DANBURY — Musicals at Richter, celebrating its 22nd season as the longest-running outdoor theater in Connecticut, will kick off summer with Jerry Ross and Richard Adler’s lively and comic musical tribute to America’s baseball obsession, Damn Yankees, playing June 22 through July 8.  Staged on the grounds of the Richter Arts Center, performances take place outdoors under the stars Friday through Sunday evenings at 8:30 pm, with a specially discounted preview the first Thursday of the run, June 22.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $12 for children; season tickets and group rates are also available.

Penned by the same team who wrote Broadway’s current hit revival The Pajama Game, this classic musical comedy follows the story of middle-aged baseball fanatic Joe Boyd who trades his soul to the Devil (the charming Mr Applegate) for a chance to lead his favorite team to victory in the pennant race against the New York Yankees.

Boyd is transformed into 22-year-old baseball sensation Joe Hardy, who reinvigorates the hapless Washington Senators and turns them into a winning team. While Joe enjoys this newfound youth, he realizes how much he misses the life (and wife) he’s left behind.  As Joe considers exercising the “escape clause” he managed to negotiate in his pact with the Devil, Mr Applegate employs an impressive arsenal of underhanded trickery to convince Joe to keep his bargain, including enlisting the aid of a seductive witch named Lola.

Songs from the memorable score include “Six Months Out of Every Year,” “Goodbye, Old Girl,” “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo.,” “Whatever Lola Wants,” “Who Gets the Pain When They Do the Mambo,” “Near to You,” “Heart” and “Those Were The Good Old Days.”

Directed, vocally directed and choreographed by Musicals at Richter founding artistic director Brad Blake, this rousing celebration of our national pastime features Leo Brown as Joe Boyd, Jody Bayer as his long-suffering wife Meg, Matt Schmiedel as young Joe Hardy, Stephen DiRocco as the cunning Mr Applegate, and Shannon MacKeil as the fiery Lola.

The principal cast also includes Stephen Sedlak as Senators manager Benny Van Buren, Bridget Krompinger as reporter Gloria Thorpe, and Mike Lozier as team owner Mr Welch.

Nancy Edwards and Dolly Conner portray Meg’s friends Sister and Doris Miller. Featured in ensemble roles are Jessica Alex, Erin McDonald and Kate Valiska.

The determined Washington Senators team includes John Curran, Billy Dempster Matt Farina, Benjamin Panzarino, Stephen Papallo Nick Petrovich and Brendan Padgett, Robert Sniffin, Mike Tedaldi and Patrick Zaia.

Charles Wade is serving as musical director for the production. Scenic design is by Brad Blake, with lighting design by Eric Schutz. Costumes are by Alison Murphy. Alicia Dempster is production stage manager and Marie Gelston is producer.

Musicals at Richter’s 2006 main stage musical season will continue with Titanic (July 13-29), Maury Yeston’s hauntingly beautiful retelling of the doomed ship’s voyage, also directed by Mr Blake; and The King and I (August 3-19), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s sumptuous, time-honored tale of East meets West, directed by Kyle Minor. 

Richter Arts Center, next to Richter Park Golf Course at 100 Aunt Hack Road, has served as the scenic backdrop for over 60 musicals produced by Musicals at Richter, as well as a professional springboard for hundreds of up-and-coming performers.

In the event of rain: If it rains and Richter cancels a performance before the start of the second act, tickets can be used for any future performance at the arts center. If the performers begin the second act it is considered a performance by the licensing companies and the theater is obligated to pay royalties.

For further information including ticket reservations, visit MusicalsAtRichter.org, leave a message at 748-6873 or send email to info@MusicalsAtRichter.org.