Stephen Douglass and Gwen Verdon
May 5, 1955: The musical Damn Yankees premieres at the 46th Street Theatre in Midtown Manhattan. It is based on Douglass Wallop's 1954 novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant -- ironically, published in the 1 season between 1949 and 1958 that the Yankees did lose the Pennant. And, of course, before Brian "We don't need no stinkin' Pennants" Cashman was born. Wallop and George Abbott combined to write the "book," Richard Adler the music, and Jerry Ross the lyrics.
It is a retelling of the legend of Faust, a German doctor who is highly successful, yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a crossroads, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. "Faust" and the adjective "Faustian" imply sacrificing spiritual values for power, knowledge, or material gain.
In 1592, Christopher Marlowe, a contemporary of William Shakespeare, wrote "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus," although it was not staged until after his death. In his version, Faust dies without redemption, and his soul is damned. But in 1831, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published Faust, and while the protagonist is shown to commit numerous sins and wicked acts, including the seduction of a pious girl who commits suicide, he is ultimately saved from damnation by the virtue of pure-hearted women.
Wallop's novel and the musical based on it are about Joe Boyd, played by Robert Shafer, a middle-aged real estate agent who roots for the Washington Senators, who have won just 1 World Series, in 1924, and haven't won an American League Pennant since 1933. In the story, it is 1958, and the New York Yankees have won the AL Pennant every year since 1949. Joe says that if the Senators just had a "long ball hitter," they could beat "those damn Yankees."
(Wallop couldn't have foreseen the Yankees' failure to win the Pennant in 1954, with the Cleveland Indians winning it. He also couldn't foresee the Senators getting that power hitter, Harmon Killebrew -- or the team moving in 1961, to become the Minnesota Twins, replaced by an expansion team just as bad, which also moved, becoming the Texas Rangers in 1972.)
Suddenly, the smooth-talking Mr. Applegate appears, played by Ray Walston. He offers Joe the chance to become Joe Hardy" -- or, as a song says, "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo." (Missouri), the young slugger the Senators need. He accepts, even though he must leave his wife, Meg, played by Shannon Bolin. After his transformation into Hardy, the character was played by Stephen Douglass. However, his business sense makes him insist on an escape clause. The Senators' last game is on September 25, and if he plays in it, he is to stay as Joe Hardy forever. If not, he has until 9:00 the night before to walk away from the deal and return to his normal life.
At the ballpark, the hapless Senators, managed by Benny Van Buren, played by Russ Brown, vow to play their best despite their failings, singing "Heart" (as in, "You gotta have... "). Then, "Joe Hardy" is suddenly discovered, joins the team, and his hitting helps the team to move up in the standings.
But Joe misses his wife, Meg, and moves into her house as a boarder in his Joe Hardy persona. She doesn't recognize him, and they begin to bond, especially over her "lost" husband.
Fearful of losing his deal, Applegate calls Lola, "the best homewrecker on my staff," to seduce Joe and ensure he loses the bet. She was played by Gwen Verdon, and she and the show's choreographer, Bob Fosse, began a working relationship that lasted for the rest of his life, but also an affair that led to a marriage -- and a divorce, because he couldn't stay faithful.
Applegate introduces her as a sultry South American dancer, who sings "Whatever Lola Wants." (As in, "Lola gets." She should not be confused with the Lola that The Kinks sang about, or the one Barry Manilow sang about in "Copacabana.") But Joe's devotion to Meg proves too strong, even for her. Applegate fires her.
Applegate decides to switch tactics to ensure Joe's failure. He releases false information about Joe's true identity being "Shifty McCoy", an escaped criminal and con artist. When reporter Gloria Thorpe, played by Rae Allen, who had previously boosted Joe in the papers, discovers this information, she presses charges, and he is forced into court.
The Senators prepare for the final game against the Yankees, which will decide the Pennant. Joe's trial is held on September 24, the last day he can back out of his deal. As he technically does not exist, he cannot produce any kind of identification. The owner of the Senators, their coach, and even Lola (disguised as "Señora McCoy") testify, but their opinions carry no weight.
Gloria suggests that Applegate take the stand, but he is unable to take the oath since it requires him to tell the truth. Joe realizes that Applegate is simply stalling to keep him from meeting his 9:00 deadline. Applegate claims that Joe "just needs time to think" and sends him to where Lola is, where history's most famous lovers wait. Lola meets him there and realizes that he truly loves Meg. She helps him by sending him into the final game and delays Applegate by coercing him into a duet: "Two Lost Souls."
(In the book, Applegate has an ulterior motive, above and beyond wanting Joe Boyd's soul: He's a Yankee fan, and figures the Senators getting close but losing will lead more of their fans to him. This fandom is not mentioned in the show.)
When Applegate finally arrives at the game, it is 8:55, and Joe is at bat. As time runs out, Meg, her friends, and even Lola begin cheering for him. Applegate uses his powers to give Joe two strikes. The clock strikes 9:00, and Applegate claims victory, but at the last second, Joe cries, "Let me go!" The deal is broken, and he reverts to his old self ,but is still able to hit a home run, winning the pennant for the Senators.
Back at home, Joe rushes into Meg's arms. Applegate appears on the scene, claiming that Joe owes him his prize. Joe begs Meg to hold him and not let go. Applegate promises to make him young again, and even ensure a victory in the upcoming World Series. But his powers are useless against their true love, as Lola points out. Applegate and Lola return to where they came from, defeated, with Joe and Meg reunited.
The show was nominated for 9 Tony Awards, winning 6, including Best Musical, Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Walston, Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Brown, Best Leading Actress in a Musical for Verdon, and Best Choreography for Fosse.
Jean Stapleton, later to star on All in the Family, was also in the original Broadway cast. So was James Komack, then listed as "Jimmy Komack," as one of the Senators players. He went on to create the TV sitcoms Chico and the Man and Welcome Back, Kotter. Walston became more famous by starring in the title role of the sitcom My Favorite Martian, and for playing grumpy old men, a teacher in Fast Times at Ridgemont High and a judge on Picket Fences.
A film version premiered on September 26, 1958, directed by Abbott and Stanley Donen. Verdon, Walston, Shafer, Bolin, Allen, Brown, Stapleton and Komack all reprised their roles. But Douglass was replaced as Joe Hardy by singer-actor Tab Hunter, who, to be fair, did bear a little bit of a resemblance to Mickey Mantle.
Surprisingly, the Hays Code permitted a film to be released in America with the word "Damn" in the title. And with Gwen Verdon dancing around in little more than a corset. And with men dancing and doing chorus-girl kicks while wearing only towels. But Elvis Presley could only be shown on TV from the waist up... And it was not yet widely known that Tab Hunter was gay.
Ross died on November 11, 1955, just 6 months after the musical's premiere, only 29 years old, from a lung disease. Brown died in 1964, Shafer in 1981, Wallop in 1985, Fosse in 1987, Abbott in 1995 (at the age of 107), Komack in 1997, Verdon in 2000, Walston in 2001, Douglass in 2011, Adler in 2012, Stapleton in 2013, Bolin in 2016 (9 months short of turning 100), Hunter in 2018, Donen in 2019, and Allen in 2022.
The 46th Street Theatre, built in 1925 at 226 West 46th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, was renamed the Richard Rodgers Theatre, and it still stands. It also hosted the original productions of Of Thee I Sing in 1932, Anything Goes in 1935, Hellzapoppin in 1938, DuBarry Was a Lady in 1939, Panama Hattie in 1940, Finian's Rainbow in 1947, Guys and Dolls in 1950, On Your Toes in 1954, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in 1961, 1776 in 1969, Chicago (run by Fosse and starring Verdon) in 1975, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 1978, Nine in 1982, Brighton Beach Memoirs in 1985, Fences in 1987, Lost in Yonkers in 1991, and Lin-Manuel Miranda's musicals In the Heights in 2008 and Hamilton in 2015.
Damn Yankees established the Yankees as traditional baseball-story villains: They would be the opponents in the last game in the 1989 film Major League, and a Little League team called the Yankees would be the arrogant opponents in the last game in the 1976 film The Bad News Bears.
In 2002, Boston Red Sox team president Larry Lucchino labeled the Yankees "the Evil Empire," trying to connect them with the Galactic Empire in the Star Wars story, forgetting that "an evil empire" is what President Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union in 1983; and, as the American sports team most identified with unregulated capitalism, the Yankees were as close to an opposite of the U.S.S.R. as you could get.
In 2005, the Montreal Expos moved, becoming the Washington Nationals. In 2019, they won the World Series, the capital's 1st title in 95 years.
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May 5, 1955 -- 5/5/55 -- was a Thursday. In real-life baseball, these 4 games were played:
* The New York Giants beat the Chicago Cubs, 6-3 at the Polo Grounds. Sal Maglie outpitched Harry Perkowski. Willie Mays went 0-for-4 with a walk. Ernie Banks also went 0-for-4.
* The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3 at Ebbets Field. Tommy Lasorda -- yes, that one -- started, but only lasted 1 inning, despite allowing just 1 run. A sacrifice fly by Rube Walker got Duke Snider home with the winning run in the bottom of the 8th inning, to make a winning pitcher of Ed Roebuck. Clem Labine pitched 6 innings, and even hit a home run, but did not get the decision. Jackie Robinson went 0-for-3. Stan Musial went 1-for-4.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Braves, 9-4 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Roberto Clemente went 2-for-2 with 2 walks and an RBI. Hank Aaron went 1-for-3 with a walk. Eddie Mathews went 1-for-5.
* And the Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox, 3-2 at Briggs Stadium (later renamed Tiger Stadium) in Detroit. Al Kaline went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Ted Williams did not play.
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