Notre Dame gives baseball fans something light at the right time

Whether it was done on purpose or it was just providence, Notre Dame Regional High School picked a good week at an interesting time in baseball history to put on its production of "Damn Yankees."

The play comes during the opening week of the new season, one clouded with dark doubt and anger over a scandal unlike the sport has ever seen -- steroids.

Ask any baseball fan, and they'll tell you they need something light to digest right now. Kudos to Notre Dame for fulfilling that need with a fun and spirited production, 17 years after its first go-around with the classic musical.

"Damn Yankees" is a humorous snapshot of the idealized version of baseball the game's fans fell in love with -- the hatred of the Yankees (that's still the same), the devotion of a fan who sticks with his team through thick and thin.

And heroism.

Sure, the main character cheats, bringing up nasty images of Barry Bonds, but his transgression is somewhat more genuine than Bonds' supposed narcissistic motivations. Joe Boyd wants his team to win, finally.

The story has become part of the American cultural lexicon. Joe Boyd is a fan of the hapless Washington Senators, who sells his soul to a devil called Applegate. In exchange, the 40-year-old Joe turns into a 22-year-old megaplayer named Joe Hardy.

Everything from the live orchestra music -- which features some really cool improv to set the mood for Applegate's trickery -- to the big ensemble song and dance numbers help really keep the energy up throughout the musical.

While Joe Hardy, played by Adam Reinagel, is the chief protagonist, it's Applegate who has the most character. With some small pyrotechnics and on-stage magic tricks, the devil really lightens the mood. Blake Palmer plays the character with an evil way of hovering around and a voice something akin to Vincent Price.

Katelyn Vance plays Lola -- some sort of demon in Applegate's employ sent to seduce him to hell. Lola is a part that's almost too provocative for the high school stage, but harmless fun at the same time, as Vance doesn't go near as far as the character has in the past.

Quick changes of scenery keep the backdrop of the story flowing across time and space, as Joe experiences an unheard-of season.

And all the lights, music and movement are enough to fulfill that need for a glut of sensory information we see these musicals for in the first place.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182

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Want to go?

What: Notre Dame Regional High School's "Damn Yankees"

When: 8 p.m. today (Apr. 6) through Sunday

Where: Notre Dame cafetorium

Info: 335-6772