Dealing with the Devil

Jun. 30, 2008

midnight

Thoughthe show remains highly popular, it’s been more than a decade since the lastmajor revival of Ross, Adler, Abbott and Wallop’s Damn Yankees. And, in an interesting twist, the mid-’90s Broadwayrevival may have cost the Sunset Playhouse’s Mark Salentine a spot in the BlueMan Group.

Atthe time, Salentine had delivered a promising audition with the group in Chicago and had been sent to New York to go through a final week ofauditions before “turning blue.” With some time to kill during the week in New York, Salentine wentto see a performance of Damn Yankees featuringJerry Lewis in the role of Mr. Applegate, the devil’s slick alter ego. Afterseeing the show, Salentine was called in for a late audition. Under theinfluence of Lewis’ slapstick performance as the devil in Damn Yankees, Salentine says he was unable to present the distinctBlue Man style at the audition. He wasn’t hired.

“Iwent home rejected,” Salentine says, “but when I wrote to the Marquis Theatrewhere Yankees was being performed,Mr. Lewis sent an autographed photo for me to cry on.”

Fast-forwardto the present and Salentine is now the artistic director of the SunsetPlayhouse, where he’s decided to end the current season by paying homage to themusical that had a hand in guiding him to Elm Grove.

TheSunset Playhouse typically ends its season with a musical, and Damn Yankees fits the bill. The musicaltells the story of a man willing to sell his soul to the devil for a chance tohelp his favorite baseball team win the pennant race against the New YorkYankees.

Accomplishedactor/director Bryce Lord, who appeared in last year’s Sunset production of Footloose and previously directed Sylvia for Sunset,is slated to direct. Lord brings an impressive history in localtheater that includes work with nearly every major commercial theater group.

SomeSunset subscribers expressed concern that Salentine wouldn’t be the one todirect the musical this year, which Salentine says is “flattering in one way,but very stressful in other ways,” adding, “Bryce is a great choice to provethat the success of our musicals isn’t based solely on my doing the direction.”

Thecast of 24 includes Bill Jackson in the role of Applegate. Jacksononce performed in a Chicagoproduction of the musical with two of the original leads(Ray Walston and Gwen Verdon). He is part of a mix of talent that includes awide variety of ages and experience.

“Thatcreates a wonderful energy offstage around Sunset and will translate to a greatspark onstage as well,” Salentine says.

TheSunset Playhouse’s production of DamnYankees opens July 11and closesAug. 3.