Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...But this zesty new 2023 production, directed by James Vasquez, has an admirable crackle of the bat, some witty, fresh-facing choreography from Tyler Hanes and, yet more importantly, a pair of musically adroit lead performances that remind us, as the famous song goes, of the abiding musical truth that "all you really need is heart.""
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...For a story with such a high concept premise, “Damn Yankees” rounds the bases from first (“I’d like to make you an offer”) to home (“the power of love yada yada”) with veteran efficiency. With a roster of songs courtesy of composers Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, the smart play is to get from one to another as fast as possible. While the show has its fair share of tender ballads (“A Man Doesn’t Know,”) and upbeat group affairs (“Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO” and “The Game”), it’s when things get jazzier that the show really gets down. Cue: “Whatever Lola Wants.”"
Daily Herald - Recommended
"...Based on Douglass Wallop's novel "The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant," "Damn Yankees" -- with a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross and a book by Wallop and George Abbott -- is a Triple-A tuner: pleasant but creaky."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Under music director Ryan T. Nelson, the score’s red-hot sizzlers like “Whatever Lola Wants” and “A Little Brains, A Little Talent” burn as bright as the bat-swinging crowd-pleasers (“Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO”) and quirky classics (“Who’s Got the Pain?”). And as Joe Boyd’s long-suffering wife Meg, Daniella Dali shows the audience just what true devotion—as opposed to sportsball fanaticism—looks like."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...The musical based on the novel, "The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant," retells the Faust legend where a man exchanges his soul to the devil; however, in this musical, it's to a fanatic fan and his love for the game of baseball. Frustrated that his Washington Senators seem destined not to make the pennant race, Joe Body finds himself face to face with a devious, smooth-talking character named Applegate, that offers Joe a chance to live out his dreams of becoming a Hall of Fame baseball player that could help his beloved Senators win the pennant."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Baseball is "America's Pastime" or so they say. Growing up as a Chicago Cubs fan, I know the hurt in watching other teams constantly win, while my "loveable losers" were always the "bridesmaids". Those who grew up in the American League recall the mighty New York Yankees back in the 1950's ( and earlier)- they were always winners. The musical, "Damn Yankees" with a book by George Abbott and Douglas Wallop, music by Richard Adler, and lyrics by Jerry Ross is based on the novel by Wallop, "The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant" and in a way is the retelling of the Faust legend, of one selling their soul to the devil for victory!"
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...With superb lighting and sound, courtesy of technical geniuses Jesse Klug and Michael Daly, and a wardrobe of whimsical and colorful period costumes and wigs, designed by Theresa Ham and Miguel A. Armstrong, this production is a home run hit in every way. For a nostalgic trip back to the more innocent days of Ozzie and Harriet and Leave It to Beaver, Director James Vasquez’s fabulous, fast-paced Spring musical comedy from the 1950’s coincides perfectly with the opening of baseball season and is one All-Star Game of a show."
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...“Damn Yankees,” the vintage 1955 musical comedy at the Marriott Theatre in suburban Lincolnshire, has it all: a witty book, delicious songs, great choreography, and an excellent chorus. From the days when musical comedies were still rooted in operetta, it is truly musical, packed with memorable songs arranged in beautiful harmonies, and a Faustian storyline that gives heft to the drama."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...Fortunately for Chicagoland patrons—or unsurprisingly, given their batting average—Marriott Theatre’s new production of Damn Yankees is pitch-perfect. (That’s the last of the puns, maybe.)"
Chicago Theater and Arts - Highly Recommended
"...The choreography and dancers in Marriott Theatre's "Damn Yankees" were so amazing opening night (April 19, 2023) I could have sworn that Rachel Rockwell, an extraordinary director and choreographer who died in 2018, had somehow returned."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...In the 1950s, when pretty much everyone expected the New York Yankees to win the pennant every year, a writer named Douglass Wallop wrote a book called The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant. Crazy idea, no? Well, it was back then, so much so that Wallop’s book couldn’t even imagine it without someone having to sell their soul to make it happen. In an era when pretty much all baseball teams were tired of losing to the “Damn Yankees,” it was obviously a lot of fun to think that beating them would require supernatural assistance."
PicksInSix - Highly Recommended
"...Looking to fill your breezy summer evening with the crack of the bat and a stadium-size offering of blockbuster musical numbers mixed with an offer of immortality? All these merge in “Damn Yankees,” the 1955 award-winning hit with book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, lyrics and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, choreography by Bob Fosse and starring Ray Walston and Gwen Verdon. “Damn Yankees” received seven Tony Awards, spawned a hit film, and is playing now in a robust and rollicking revival at Marriott Theatre that’s a devil of a good time!"
Life and Times - Highly Recommended
"...You know you're in for a grand night of theatre when you get to your seat, and you open the program and you see the cast is a who's who of your favorite performers. Such was the case when I sat down to enjoy Marriott Theatre's new thrilling production of Damn Yankees."
Chicago Culture Authority - Highly Recommended
"...It’s a winning cast top to bottom, with strong performances from Alstat, Dalli, Rush, Rains, Heidi Kettenring (who legs out a standup double in the smallish role of Sister) and all the ballplayers. But Fortunato and Aravena elevate the show to a higher level, which is ironic given that their characters dwell far down below. These are juicy roles full of opportunity for comedic mischief and mayhem, and the Devil and his apprentice nail those moments at every turn, like a closer who fires blazing fastballs to seal his team’s victories."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...Despite the National Football League and National Basketball Association surpassing baseball in fan popularity. America's favorite pastime is still considered baseball, the historic Godfather of American sports. Spring is the perfect time to relish in the classic Damn Yankees Musical, a Faustian Baseball Fanatics dream that the Washington Senators finally beat those Damn Yankees. Opening night for the famed All-star starting line-up is April 19 through June 4. Douglas Wallop wrote the 1954 novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant during the heyday of baseball heroes unyieldingly loyal to their teams. Damn Yankees is the musical comedy based on his book."
BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended
"...The new production at Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire is Damn Yankees, a truly classic old time big Broadway musical. With a book by George Abbott (died at age 107) and Douglass Wallop and one of the great scores by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (died at the young age of 29), this has always been an underrated musical. It should not be. It has baseball, the devil and a world class seductress."
