Damn Yankees, based on Douglas Wallop's The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, gives a new twist to the legend of Faust when a middle-aged baseball fan sells his soul to the Devil, a.k.a. Mr. Applegate, for the chance to play for the Washington Senators. Transformed into a young man, this over-eager fan's dreams are soon fulfilled when he finds himself leading the team in both hitting and pitching, but Damn Yankees keeps the story interesting, for there is a price to be paid, and the Devil and his seductive assistant Lola (Gwen Verdon) are waiting to collect.

Damn Yankees shattered the jinx that had plagued other baseball related shows. It opened at the 46th Street Theatre on May 5, 1955 and ran for 1,019 performances. Miss Verdon, who was rocketed to stardom by the original production, reprised her role in the 1958 screen version.

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