'Damn Yankees' at Alhambra Theatre & Dining Is a Wickedly Fun, Nostalgia-Fueled Home Run

Alhambra Theatre & Dining’s Damn Yankees is pure old-school musical-comedy fun — nostalgic, high-energy and packed with standout performances that know exactly what show they’re in. Under Tod Booth’s direction, this revival leans into its midcentury charm without feeling dusty, delivering a production that is both lovingly retro and sharply alive in the moment.

At the center is Allan Baker’s Applegate, a performance built on gleeful, chaotic energy. Baker plays him like a man who is always half a beat ahead of everyone else, grinning through the mischief with an impish confidence that keeps the show humming whenever he is onstage. It is a performance full of comic precision without ever feeling overly controlled. His showstopping “Those Were the Good Old Days” absolutely brings down the house, with Baker leaning into the number’s swagger and comic bite to thrilling effect.

Bob O’Hara gives Joe Boyd an appealing, bright-eyed sincerity that grounds the show’s supernatural premise in real human longing. You believe his desperation and his naive hope, which makes the character’s bargain feel less like a gimmick and more like an emotional gamble. Thaddeus Walker’s Joe Hardy carries himself with impressive physical authority — especially for a character defined by youth. There is an “old soul in a young body” quality to Walker’s movement and posture that adds texture to the role and sharpens the contrast between Joe’s two selves.

Charity Walton’s Lola arrives with undeniable star power. Walton understands that Lola has to be more than a flashy entrance: She has to command attention, bend the room around her and still keep the audience invested in the story. She does all three. Natalie Drake is equally compelling as Gloria Thorpe, delivering a spectacular turn that brings polish, confidence and crisp comic timing whenever she steps into the spotlight.

One of the production’s strongest assets is Christopher Michael Milligan’s choreography, which is consistently sharp, inventive and faithful to the period style. This is where the show really finds its pulse. The movement vocabulary feels rooted in classic Broadway musical language, but never museum-like. It breathes. It pops. It entertains. Cathy Murphy Giddens sets the tone from the jump with “Six Months Out of Every Year,” opening the show with a bang and giving the ensemble an immediate musical spark. During “The Game,” the cast’s chemistry is especially electric, with strong variety in energy and attack — including a playful, punchy progression through the repeated “Yeah? Yeah? Yeah? Yeah?” under Giddens’ musical direction that lands as both musical comedy and character work.

Visually, the production makes smart use of stylized lighting that evokes the 1950s atmosphere without overcomplicating the storytelling. Johnny Pettegrew’s gobo work is especially effective, adding period texture and theatrical flair across multiple scenes. Some practical and prop effects do look inexpensive, but they are used with enough creativity and timing that they become part of the show’s charm rather than a distraction. In a musical like Damn Yankees, that is often the better choice: commit to the bit, play it cleanly and keep the story moving.

Musically, the production keeps a buoyant rhythm and supports the comedy well, while the ensemble maintains strong stage energy throughout. Even when individual moments vary in impact, the cast’s collective commitment never wavers. That consistency matters in a show that depends on momentum, tone and ensemble drive.

What makes this Damn Yankees work is not reinvention. It is confidence. Alhambra knows what kind of show this is and trusts the material’s mix of baseball mythology, romantic comedy and supernatural mischief. The result is a production that feels like a love letter to classic American musical theatre, delivered with enough contemporary bite and performance charisma to keep it fresh.

Bottom line: This is a blast — funny, stylish and thoroughly entertaining, with standout turns from Baker, Walton and Drake and a cast that embraces the show’s nostalgic spirit without coasting on it.

Damn Yankees runs Thursday, February 26 through Sunday, April 5 at the Alhambra Theatre.

For more information, full cast and crew credits and links to tickets, visit the Damn Yankees page here on JaxPlays.