This page contains Damn Yankees songs, albums and video links. Music profile for Damn Yankees with events, tracks, videos, pictures, lyrics and band information.
''Damn Yankees'' is a musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (composer)|Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League Baseball. The musical is based on Wallop's novel ''The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant''.
''Damn Yankees'' ran for 1,019 performances in its original 1955 Broadway theatre|Broadway production. Adler and Ross's success with ''The Pajama Game'' and ''Damn Yankees'' seemed to point to a bright future for them, but Ross suddenly died of chronic bronchiectasis, at the age of twenty-nine, a few months after ''Damn Yankees'' opened.
Productions
The producers Harold Prince, Robert Griffith, and Frederick Brisson had decided that the lead actress for the part of "Lola" had to be a dancer. They offered the role to both the movie actress Mitzi Gaynor and ballet dancer Zizi Jeanmaire, each of whom turned down the role. Although Gwen Verdon had sung just one song in her previous show (''Can-Can''), the producers were willing to take a chance on her. She initially refused, preferring to assist another choreographer, but finally agreed. Bob Fosse insisted on meeting her before working with her, and after meeting and working for a brief time, they each agre... read all