The 2011 World Series will be over when "Damn Yankees" takes the stage at Hereford High School, but the musical is sure to be a hit with fans of both baseball and Broadway.
The show will be held on Nov. 17, 18 and 19 at Hereford's auditorium.
The action takes place in Washington, D.C., in the 1950s as the New York Yankees continue to dominate baseball. (This year, the Yankees lost in the division playoffs to the Detroit Tigers.)
In the musical, Joe Boyd, a fanatic about the lackluster Washington Senators, will do anything to see the team have a winning season.
"He's a middle-aged guy who's losing his hair and all he wants in life is for the Senators to win," said Hereford junior Teddy Mullin, who plays Boyd. "He is so blinded by baseball that he allows himself to get fooled by the devil."
The devil, a salesman named Mr. Applegate who is played by Will Meister, a senior, makes a deal. He'll turn Boyd into a young baseball sensation if Boyd gives the devil his soul.
"When I heard we were doing 'Damn Yankees,' I researched it and auditioned for this part," said Meister, whose father, David, played the same role when he was at Dickinson College. "Mr. Applegate is very suave and composed and I'm playing him with a Bronx accent."
Boyd leaves his wife, Meg, a note saying he is away, and allows himself to be transformed into Joe Hardy.
"I didn't know this play before, but I love it," said Emily Mignini, a senior, who plays Meg. "I enjoy not just this role, but the whole experience."
Hudson Imhoff, a junior, plays young Hardy, who said his character knows he's really Boyd, but sees what it's like to be young and a hitting phenomenon.
The devil's assistant, Lola, is played by senior Celine Schmidt. Bri Mooney, a junior, has the role of Gloria Thorpe, a reporter who probes the truth behind Hardy's success.
Since the show's director, Chris Rose, will be in the orchestra pit playing piano during the performances, he has named Natalie Fitzgerald and Maddy Toannan, both seniors, as student directors who will manage the productions.
Performances are Nov. 17, 18 and 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 at http://www.seatyourself.biz or $10 at the door.
Hereford Parents of Performing Students is serving dinner before the Nov. 17 show as a scholarship fundraiser. Those tickets can be purchased at the SeatYourself website, too.
Hereford High School is located at 17301 York Road. For information, call 410-887-1905.