By Preston Gisch Arts & Entertainment Editor Heritage Repertory Theatre's "Damn Yankees" ($14 for students; 8 p.m. at Culbreth Theatre through Saturday) is the most remarkable dramatic production I have ever seen at U.Va. From the detailed, versatile set to the creative, kinetic choreography to the strong, expressive voices in all the right places, the story of the worst-to-first place Washington Senators is a grand slam.
With his beloved baseball team in last place, Joe (Steve Tharp) makes a pact with the Devil (the animated Geno Carr). In exchange for his soul, Joe trades his aged, arthritic body for that of an agile, athletic 20-something baseball phenom (Rob Marnell). The resulting musical follows Joe's rise superstardom as he takes the Senators to the top of the division, all the while coping with a worried wife (the nuanced Catherine Ogden), a manic Devil and a muck-raking journalist.
Greg Harris directs a hefty orchestra, 19-strong by my count, which does justice to "Yankees'" eclectic score -- only a few cracked notes from the trumpets and the occasional tonal mishap in the strings section marred the otherwise on-pitch, on-tempo instrumental work. The leads' voice work is even stronger, with the exception of Tharp's upper-range solo, "Goodbye, Old Girl," which is noticeably thin and wobbly next to the younger Marnell's sturdy baritone.
Kiira Schmidt's fantastic choreography starts the show with a wheeled-recliner chorus line and thrills with chaotic locker room dance sequences. A shining moment is the sultry solo number, "Whatever Lola Wants," with Heather Mayes as the inimitable Lola.
Shawn Paul Evans' stage-swallowing scenic design features enormous painted backdrops and well-crafted, sensible sets -- Joe's home is intimate, the locker room is realistically rendered and the silvery night club set is simply stunning.
None of the scenes or choreography would work without R. Lee Kennedy's imaginative lighting design. Synchronized flashes enhance dance numbers, calibrated dimmers clearly distinguish outdoor and indoor scenes and the occasional spotlight draws audience attention without detracting from ensemble pieces.
But for all its homeruns, Robert Chapel's direction strikes out here and there. Near the end of the quite long first act, the curtain drops for a bewildering, out-of-context fan club chorus praising Joe's baseball prowess. And the first of "Damn Yankees'" many, tiered climaxes, the last out of the pennant-clinching game, feels rushed and underdeveloped.
Minor complaints aside, this production is a major league success. From start to finish, "Damn Yankees" knocks it out of the park. And at $14 a head, it's a steal.
If it's any indication of the quality line-up Heritage Repertory Theatre has in store, then this summer is sure to be a winning season.
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