PHOTOS: EMS to Perform “Damn Yankees”

 

The Eastern Middle School 8th Grade Show Chorus will perform the musical DAMN YANKEES from Thursday, January 29th through Saturday, January 31st in the school’s Lee Book Auditorium. Show times are as follows: Thursday, January 29th at 4:00 p.m., Friday, January 30th at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, January 31st at 7:30 p.m. Thursday tickets are $5, and Friday and Saturday tickets are $15. Tickets are sold in the main lobby of the school beginning on January 20th every day before school from 7:15-7:45. Ticket reservations can all be made via email by contacting Mrs. Tara Hoffman at tara [email protected]

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Contributed photo courtesy Eastern Middle School/Leslie Perry.

There are 98 students in the cast, directed by Matthew Tracey and assisted by EMS teachers Jennifer Badillo, Kat Fairchild, Tara Hoffman, Emily Turano, Christopher Wasko, Peter Hohmeister and Bruce Johnson.

Based on the novel by Douglas Wallop called The Year The Yankees Lost The Pennant, DAMN YANKEES relates the adventures of Joe Boyd, a middle-aged baseball fan who makes a deal with the devil to trade his soul for a major league career. He leaves his wife and middle-class existence behind to chase after this elusive dream. However, he soon discovers the true cost of the tradeoffs he must make in exchange for his new life.

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Contributed photo courtesy Eastern Middle School/Leslie Perry.

The cast includes Daniel McDermott in the role of young Joe Hardy, and Madelyn Yu in the role of Meg Boyd.

Playing the devilish Applegate is Hayden Sherr, and playing his equally calculated sidekick Lola is Lindsey Smiles.

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Contributed photo courtesy Eastern Middle School/Leslie Perry.

The supporting cast includes Jackie Cochran as Gloria Thorpe, the overbearing lead reporter; Oliver White as the Van Buren, the Washington Senator’s Baseball Manager, and Marcos Eizayaga as Joe Boyd, the older and seasoned version of Joe Hardy. The members ofthe Washington Senator’s Baseball Team include: Cameron DelCristo, Toby Turnbull, Will Harford, Hayden Witmer, Yoshi Takahashi, John Callahan, Nick Fata, Summit Gillespie and Wassim Diouri. The wise, yet slightly nosey, sisters will be played by Eva Serra, Eva Moore, and Lucy Saleeby.

The show’s music and lyrics were by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, the libretto was by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop. DAMN YANKEES was choreographed by Bob Fosse and directed by Mr. Abbott. The score, which includes some musical theatre standards as “Heart”, “Whatever Lola Wants” and “Shoeless Joe From Hannibal, Mo.” was one of the most successful Broadway scores of the 1950’s. DAMN YANKEES is a musical theatre classic, which not only relates a powerful storyline through its exciting score and cleverly crafted book, but also presents a powerful message for audiences today by addressing the clash between personal values and ambition, and the personal cost of trying to hold on to youth. The show is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MT I).

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Contributed photo courtesy Eastern Middle School/Leslie Perry.