THE BASICS: The story of Faust meets the great American pastime in this rather lavish revival of the hit 1955 Broadway musical. Brian Hill leads a large ensemble. It’s a long evening (or afternoon), which lasts more than 2h30 with its only intermission.

VIGNETTE SKETCH: (courtesy season brochure) “Joe Boyd is a middle-aged man out of shape who has the misfortune to be a Washington Senators fan. A deal with the devil later, it’s Joe Hardy, a young baseball player who is good at home runs. Can he help his favorite team finally beat the mighty New York Yankees?

THE PLAY, THE PLAYERS AND THE PRODUCTION: The script, by George Abbott and Douglas Wallop, based on a novel by Wallop, is something of an antique, but still manages to round off the basics. The score, by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, is best known for the hit song “Heart,” but it’s generally lively and winning, and has surprising range. Along with various cheeky song-and-dance numbers, there are old-school sentimental ballads like “A Man Doesn’t Know” and “Near to You.” A very pleasant ear (or three!)

The large cast is evenly capable. No weak links here. I kept waiting for one of the leads to burst out and blow us all away, but it never quite happened. I will say, though, that Mike Nadajewski gets close to the infamous Mr. Applegate, especially when he has a terrific specialty number like “Those Were the Good Old Days” to bite your teeth into. And James Daly is a fucking good Joe Hardy, with a great look, and a great set of pipes that are somewhat underutilized in this show. On the distaff side, Patty Jamieson as Joe’s longtime wife Meg Boyd and Olivia Sinclair Brisbane as curious reporter Gloria Thorpe get my top marks.

Clever set design is by Cory Sincennes, who is also responsible for the nostalgic ’50s costumes. Production values ​​are high everywhere, as is almost universally the case at the Shaw Festival.

All in all, if you’re dreaming of a swanky revival of a musical from Broadway’s golden age, a comedy not so incredibly familiar as to be met with contempt, this DAMN YANKEES probably has your name written on it. everywhere. It’s long, especially the first act, but, in the end, it’s terribly difficult NOT to enjoy it!

*BUFFALO HERD (Notes on scoring system)

A BUFFALO: That means trouble. A terrible play, a very flawed production, or both. Unless there’s a really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you’re the parent of someone attending), give this show a wide berth.

TWO BUFFALO: Passable, but no major shaking. Either the production is quite off base or the part itself is problematic. Unless you’re the kind of person who just goes to the theater, you might be looking for something else.

THREE BUFFALO: I’m still having my issues, but it’s been a damn good night at the theater. If you don’t come in with huge expectations, you’ll probably be satisfied.

FOUR BUFFALOS: The production and the piece are of high caliber. If the genre/content is right for you, I would make a real effort to attend.

FIVE BUFFALO: Truly superb – a rare rating. Comedies that leave you faint with laughter, dramas that truly touch your heart. As long as it’s the kind of show you like, you’d be crazy to miss it!