Monday, October 21, 1996
THEATER:
At 70, world famous comedian and telethon icon Jerry Lewis plays
a devilishly funny Lucifer in the revival of ‘Damn Yankees.’By
Kathleen Rhames
Daily Bruin Contributor
Most people don’t associate the crazy comedy of Jerry Lewis with
the soul-snatching schemes of the devil. But in a new production of
the Broadway revival "Damn Yankees," Lewis proves that bad guys can
be funny and that big stars can be nice.
"It’s pretty shocking how available and big-hearted and insane
and ridiculous and concerned he is," says Valerie Wright, who plays
Lola, the female lead. "If someone’s having a bad time or if
something’s not right, he really steps in to try to make sure
everything’s running smoothly so everybody’s happy."
Since its re-opening on Broadway in 1994 , "Damn Yankees" has
been leaving audiences in an uproar and earning Lewis new respect
as a stage actor.
Supported by a talented cast and crew, the production has toured
40 cities nationwide for the past two years. On Oct. 22, it will
finally come to a close in Los Angeles, where "Damn Yankees" will
grace the Pantages Theater in Hollywood for a limited two-week
engagement.
The play, a musical comedy originally staged in 1955 under
director George Abbott, went on to win two Tony awards in 1956,
including Best Musical. Today, under the new direction of Jack
O’Brien and the choreography of Rob Marshall, the classic beauty of
the story remains the same.
Lewis plays the devil, disguised as the character of Mr.
Applegate, who convinces a young 1950s baseball fan to sell his
soul in exchange for becoming the world’s greatest ball player and
helping his team to beat the New York Yankees. Lewis’ character
calls on his seductive sidekick Lola to seduce the young man into
honoring his sinister contract.
"Lola is assigned to Joe Hardy, the young man, basically to
seduce and hook him into staying and not exercising his ‘escape
clause,’ which means he can get out of his deal at a certain time,"
Wright says of her character. "In doing so she realizes that he is
a very different man and a very moral, courageous fellow and it
teaches her something about him and something about herself; that
she still has her heart and her pride."
Playing the female lead opposite Jerry Lewis definitely has its
upside for Wright, who joined the show a year ago. While playing
Los Angeles can be intimidating for some stage actors who aren’t
used to the glamour and glitz of a town preoccupied with Hollywood,
Wright says she will feel right at home.
Perhaps this is because she attended college in southern
California or because she likes the movie town image, she says.
Whatever the reason, she feels very comfortable playing next to
Lewis, at least most of the time.
"It’s pretty fantastic," Wright says. "Sometimes you’re going
along and he’s just a co-worker, you know? He’s just my leading
man. And then sometimes I’m on stage and I think: ‘Oh my God I’m on
stage with Jerry Lewis!’ Even after all this time you still feel
that rush, that privilege."
The chemistry on stage permeates the entire cast. Dance captain
Rod McCune agrees that there is a definite radiance Lewis generates
to the rest of the cast. At 70 years old, Lewis masters dance
routines with grace and ease, adding his own style to the
performance.
"He’s actually a brilliant dancer. He’s got an incredible sense
of rhythm and timing and he can tap very well," McCune says. "He’s
got a great style. I mean, he’s 70 years old and with that he
brings 70 years experience from different eras of dance and
style."
Although the story remains the same, Rob Marshall has changed
the choreography in order to fit a ’90s audience. New musical
numbers have been added as well, like one called "Blooper Ballet,"
intended to add some modern day spice to the show. The choreography
is set to the 1950s era of major league baseball and reflects the
setting through dynamic steps like jumping jacks and other athletic
movements. Portraying a period piece like this is a challenge that
Wright finds exciting.
"The sets, the costumes ,the way people spoke and the phrases
they used were different and I love that," she says. "Values were
different back then. A man and a woman being in a room together
alone had different meaning. Our show hopefully tries to hold onto
the innocence of this era and the simplicity of it. I like being
able to try to capture these elements."
The choreography, the acting and the music may all add to the
grandeur of the production, but both Wright and McCune agree that
it is Lewis who is responsible for the incredible morale between
cast and crew. He is the first to set an example of true
professionalism and camaraderie among everyone involved in the
show. It is something McCune feels contributes to the success of
"Damn Yankees."
"He loves what he does and can’t wait to perform in the show
 with the cast and for the audience  and that trickles
down to everyone else," McCune says. "Everyone knows that he’s here
to really present a good product and he doesn’t want a half-ass
show. He really wants everyone on stage to be loving it, and I
would say that almost every night everyone does."
Wright agrees.
"Jerry and I have a pretty good relationship offstage and I
think that transfers to the stage," she says. "I think he has
tremendous respect and certainly I do for him! But he never lets us
feel under him. In some ways, he’s in awe of us and that’s
terrific, that gives us a lot of self-worth."
Wright reiterates that off-stage morale is Lewis’ goal in making
sure the production is a success. Though Lewis plays the devil on
stage, his role within the cast is almost parental.
"This is really his family and he’s very protective and doesn’t
want anything to jeopardize what we have out here," Wright says. It
is this feeling that translates onto the stage and creates
realistic emotions between the characters of Mr. Applegate and
Lola. For Wright, the best part of playing the female lead is the
metamorphosis her character undergoes throughout the course of the
show.
"She really learns a lot about herself given the time frame of
the show. She learns a lot about love which is something she’s
never experienced," she says.
Wright feels Lewis was perfect for the role of the devil
because, as a star, he emanates both a sense of familiarity and
fear that she feels are the same qualities the devil might
have.
"When you think about it, the devil should be someone who you
feel like, you really know but who you’re in fear of, like a star,"
she says. "You’re so familiar with movie stars because they’re on
the screen and in your home and you feel like you know them just as
you might feel you know the devil a little bit. Jerry uses his
comedy and his flair for the ridiculous like the devil would Â
on a whim."
Lewis’ flair for the ridiculous is no laughing matter. After
all, it’s how he rose to stardom in the ’50s and ’60s co-starring
with Dean Martin in screwball comedies. Stunts like walking around
on stage in just knee-socks and a silk bathrobe and putting
chocolate in his teeth to make it look like he doesn’t have any are
all part of what makes him truly unusual. It’s what Wright calls "a
pure laugh-riot."
Damn Yankees promises great success in Los Angeles. In a city
that knows Lewis through the films he’s done, along with the
talents of Wright and McCune, the production should attract large
audiences.
"The best part is feeling every night that I’ve reached an
audience," Wright says. "It’s the idea that I’m getting through and
making them understand. That in itself is very powerful."
THEATER: "Damn Yankees" begins at the Pantages Theater Oct. 22
and runs through Nov. 3. TICKETS: $25-$49 For more info call:
Pantages Box Office or Ticketmaster.
CAROL ROSEGG
(l.-r.) David Elder and Jerry Lewis star in the Broadway musical
"Damn Yankees," playing through Nov. 3 at the Pantages Theater. The
show concludes its two-year run in Los Angeles.CAROL ROSEGG
(l.-r.) Joseph R. Sicari, Jerry Lewis and Linda Gabler in "Damn
Yankees."