Major League Baseball and its Emmy Award-winning production label, MLB Studios, have partnered with a star-studded Broadway revival of Damn Yankees, set to begin previews at the Marquis Theatre on March 24, 2027, according to a press conference announcement at Yankee Stadium. The production opens officially on April 20, 2027, arriving just a day after the start of the Yankees’ season.
Star-Studded Cast Leads the 2027 Revival
Tony Award and five-time Emmy Award winner Neil Patrick Harris will star as Applegate, joined by Emmy Award winner Julianne Hough in her first Broadway musical appearance as Lola. Austin Scott will play Young Joe, drawing specific inspiration for his character’s physical stillness and power from Yankees star Aaron Judge. Further casting announcements are expected at a later date.
Tony Award winner Sergio Trujillo is directing and choreographing the new adaptation, marking the first time the classic musical has returned to Broadway in thirty years. Lia Vollack, Haley Swindal, and Julie Boardman serve as lead producers, with Mark Shacket of Foresight Theatrical as Executive Producer.
Creative Shifts and Modern Storytelling Choices
Based on Douglass Wallop’s novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, the updated script features a new book by Lucille Lortel Award winner Will Power and Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Doug Wright, alongside additional lyrics by Tony Award winner Lynn Ahrens. The setting shifts to the early 2000s, following a diehard Baltimore Orioles fan named Joe Boyd who makes a Faustian bargain with a charming stranger.
Trujillo explained at the press conference that shifting the team from the defunct Washington Senators to the Baltimore Orioles established a “David and Goliath story” against the New York Yankees. The adaptation also introduces a new backstory reflecting Black baseball history, with Joe’s father having played in the legendary Negro Leagues.
Did you know? Damn Yankees is the first Broadway musical to officially partner with a major sports league, bridging two major American entertainment institutions in a unique collaboration with MLB Studios.
Bridging Broadway and Baseball History
The original 1955 Broadway production won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, featuring music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, and choreography by Bob Fosse. The newly reimagined version previously enjoyed a sold-out, critically acclaimed run at Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage, earning 13 Helen Hayes Award nominations.
While past productions like the NFL’s Lombardi in 2010 and MLB’s Bronx Bombers in 2014 explored sports themes on stage, this partnership marks a direct institutional collaboration between a major sports league and a theatrical production. Noah Garden, Deputy Commissioner of Business and Media at MLB, stated that the partnership reflects a shared cultural love for high drama and unforgettable moments.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Damn Yankees Revival
When does the Damn Yankees revival open on Broadway?
Previews begin at the Marquis Theatre on March 24, 2027, followed by an official opening night on April 20, 2027.
Who are the lead actors in the production?
Neil Patrick Harris stars as Applegate, Julianne Hough plays Lola, and Austin Scott portrays Young Joe.
Which baseball team is featured in the updated storyline?
The storyline centers on the Baltimore Orioles, replacing the Washington Senators from the original 1955 script to establish a David and Goliath narrative against the New York Yankees.
Who wrote the new adaptation?
The new book is written by Will Power and Doug Wright, featuring additional lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and direction and choreography by Sergio Trujillo.