MunOpCo Music Theatre opens its 95th season with a playful and good- hearted "Damn Yankees." The classic musical continues through Sept. 25 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1533 Hamilton St., Allentown.
The musical is a retelling of the Faust legend set in Washington, D.C. during the 1950s when the New York Yankees dominated Major League Baseball. The show follows middle-aged real estate agent Joe Boyd who makes a deal with the devil to become a star hitter for his favorite baseball team, the beleaguered Washington Senators, so they can win the pennant.
The show opens heartily with a fun performance of "Six months Out of Every Year" led by a delightful Gabrielle Visser Trumbull as Joe Boyds long-suffering wife. Trumbull is an enchanting singer who laments her husbands obsession with baseball, humorously backed by two competing groups of other wives and their baseball-loving spouses.
Bob Calder is amiable as the kind but distracted Joe, who sets the plot in motion when he inadvertently says out loud he would be willing to sell his soul to get a winning team.
Enter Mr. Applegate. Mike Daniels is hilariously over-the-top as the oily Applegate aka the devil. Gleefully rubbing his hands and sporting an evil grin, Applegate tells the out-of-shape Joe he can become a youthful star hitter who will lead his beloved team to the pennant.
Joes younger incarnation Joe Hardy is played by Justan Parker Fields. Fields is very appealing and his Hardy has a sweet innocent air about him, that works particularly well in his scenes with the Trumbulls deserted Meg. Especially touching is their duet on "A Man Doesnt Know."
Krystal Spiegler is sleek and slinky as Applegates top homewrecker Lola. Her signature number "Whatever Lola Wants," in which she tries to seduce the naive Joe Hardy, is lots of fun.
Stepping up the plate at the last moment with a solid performance is Ali Santos as dogged reporter Gloria Thorpe who is determined to get the real story behind the mysterious star hitter. She leads the entertaining "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO," and is a featured dancer in the extended dance break in "Two Lost Souls" along with Tessa DeJesus and Melissa Dorflinger.
Sue Matol and Cindy Ernst add character and are enjoyable as Megs devoted friends who have her back.
Tony Kohl is gruff as team owner Mr. Welch while Mike Corcoran is enthusiastic as the team manager who exhorts the perennially losing team to have "Heart" in the shows best known song.
Kudos to Connie Santos for the colorful and authentic looking costumes.
Director Shannon OGrady keeps the action moving and the cast of more than 20, including children, on pace.
Since the show was written in 1955, some of the material is dated and the playbill contains a warning that some dialogue may be considered culturally insensitive.
Performances are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17, 23 and 24 and 2 p.m. Sept. 18 and 25.
Tickets are $25 for adults; $22 for seniors and $15 for students.
For information, call 610-437-2441, or go to www.munopco.org/.