Damn Yankees, playing at the Paper Mill Playhouse at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, is a home run hit. Playing through April 1, this award winning musical will thrill audiances eight times a week with it’s upbeat numbers like “Those Were the Good Old Days”, “Heart” and the saucy “Whatever Lola Wants”. Paper Mill Playhouse, winner of two 2011 People’s Choice Awards, makes great theater accessable to everyone. Bringing some of Broadway’s biggest blockbusters to New Jersey’s residents and casting brilliant actors, spending a night out at the theater doen’t have to break the bank.

You can see the lights of Broadway stars right here in NJ- such as the devilish Howard McGillin, who plays Mr. Applegate (and appeared on Broadway on The Phantom of the Opera’s title character for ten years) Joseph Kalinski, (who just appeared on Broadway in “Follies” and plays Joe Boyd in this production) and Patti Cohenour (“Meg”, whose career has spanned Broadway, opera, and the ballet). The Devil may care what goes on across the tunnel- Damn Yankees has an amazing and award winning team right here. Even if lots of us do love the Yankees.

Joe Boyd, the Washington Senators baseball team’s biggest fan, loves his team a little too much. Add to that a little nostalgia to his baseball playing days of yore, and this spells trouble. When a scoundrel with his eyes on Joe’s soul sets in, it’s too much for him, and he signs on the dotted line (so to speak). The devil offers Joe the chance to return to his youth, be 22 years old, and the best ballplayer the world has ever seen- and finally beat those “damn Yankees”. While Joe makes the team and leads them into victories, he misses his wife, Meg, whom he left with only a note more then he ever thought he would.
[Read more…]