The book was called “The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant.” It was written in the 1950s when the Yankees were perennial champions, and it made heroes of the Washington Senators — a team that was traveling in the opposite direction. The rap on Washington in those days was “First in war, first in peace and last in the American League.”
The title was changed to “Damn Yankees” when the musical was released. And now the middle school has changed it again — making it a politically correct “Darn Yankees.”
A preview of the performance shows why the Senators are having a problem. While the Yankees have Mantle, Berra, Ford and Rizzuto, most of the Washington players are girls. And the audience wouldn’t want it any other way. These kids may not be able to hit a curve ball (or maybe they can, who knows?), but they can sing and dance, and they look great in their uniforms. The most loyal fans of the Bronx Bombers will have no trouble rooting against them while the show is in progress.
When Joe Hardy (Danny Mulligan) arrives, the lowly Senators are transformed into contenders with the help of the devil (Josh Sandler). Remarkably, Josh has the same hair cut as Ray Walston, who created the part on the stage and in the movies.
And when Joe Hardy gets home sick and wants to back out of the deal, the devil calls on Lola (Isabel Gaztambide) to distract him. She proves to be tastefully seductive, which is what you’d want from a seventh-grader. (By the way, Patty Pettus plays the part for two of the performances.)
The show looks like it should be a home run. You don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy it. And you don’t have to remember the 50s to recognize the music. Most of the songs are still familiar.
The performance dates are March 10, 11 and 12. The curtain goes up at the middle school at 7 p.m.
