Given that there will be upcoming battles in baseball’s postseason culminating in the MLB World Series, the Iowa City Community Theater opened the play Damn Yankees, based on the novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, by Douglass Wallop, on Sept. 18.

I sat in the back of the theater in what appeared to be the only remaining seat, letting the vivacious music of the live orchestra carry me into the plot. Joe Boyd, played by Tom Schulein, is a die-hard Washington Senator fan sick of seeing his team struggle at the bottom of the league. In an attempt to save the team he loves and beat the Yankees, he makes a deal with the devil and leaves his wife behind.

In a spectacularly choreographed visual, Boyd runs through a door mid-song and is instantly transformed into a younger version of himself, played by Jaecob Lynn. Boyd goes on to adopt the persona Joe Hardy. But had the magical switch not caught my attention, Lynn completing the song “Goodbye, Old Girl” certainly would have. In that moment, it was easy to see why he was cast as the lead.

The first act carried on with an energetic and upbeat tone, introducing a host of new characters, from a tap-dancing baseball manager to an inquisitive journalist. Perhaps the most impressively executed of these supporting roles were Josh Sazon and Sydney Hayes, playing the devil known as Mr. Applegate and his partner Lola, respectively. During the song “Whatever Lola Wants,” Lola performs a striptease of sorts after being tasked with making Joe forget his wife. Either people found the scene hilarious or they were just plain uncomfortable, as it elicited huge laughter from the audience.

Though the performance was expertly directed, the scenic design was little more than average. The two stationary walls consisted of a locker room and a dugout with a painting of a baseball field in the upper third, significantly undermining the beauty of green turf. However, the movement in scenery was effective and engaging in songs such as “Six Months Out of Every Year” with recliners on wheels.

At inconsistent moments throughout opening night, the cast was met with an unexpected challenge. With thunder rumbling and rain crashing onto the roof of the building, it sounded as though the theater was under fire from a heavily loaded army. The sound was deafening and could have easily rendered a stage full of people empty. I searched the faces of the onstage actors and was surprised to find no creased brows or darting eyes. No appearance of fear or worry. Instead they simply elevated their voices over the sound of the storm and carried on without hesitation.

The energy level in Damn Yankees never lulled, propelled by catchy music and charming performances. The Community Theater exemplified how community theater should be.

THEATER
*Damn Yankees*
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: Johnson County Fairgrounds, 4261 Oak Crest Hill Road S.E.