Loveable Baseball Players Featured in Damn Yankees

March 4, 2012 Submitted article
Sports Reporter Gloria Thorpe (Alexis Pawlewicz) is trying to give her favorite baseball team some good publicity. Visiting with the Washington Senators she hopes she will find information for a story that her readers will enjoy. Pictured with Thorpe are members of the 1958 Washington Senators’ Baseball Team (kneeling – l to r): Brandon Webb, David Houck, Max Wood, Michael Mankiewicz, Justin Grower and Jeremy Herlowski. Seated (l to r): Logan Carvey, Mark Parry, Alex Bawarski. Standing (l to r): Mitch Lalik, Stephen Heywood, Cody Hockey, Brad Crofoot, Nathan Hawthorne, Markus Harter and Joe Medico. Damn Yankees plays at G. Ray Bodley High School March 8-9-10. Photo by Kelly LeVea
Sports Reporter Gloria Thorpe (Alexis Pawlewicz) is trying to give her favorite baseball team some good publicity. Visiting with the Washington Senators she hopes she will find information for a story that her readers will enjoy. Pictured with Thorpe are members of the 1958 Washington Senators’ Baseball Team (kneeling – l to r): Brandon Webb, David Houck, Max Wood, Michael Mankiewicz, Justin Grower and Jeremy Herlowski. Seated (l to r): Logan Carvey, Mark Parry, Alex Bawarski. Standing (l to r): Mitch Lalik, Stephen Heywood, Cody Hockey, Brad Crofoot, Nathan Hawthorne, Markus Harter and Joe Medico. Damn Yankees plays at G. Ray Bodley High School March 8-9-10. Photo by Kelly LeVea

FULTON, NY – This week Quirk’s Players of G. Ray Bodley High School will open their 2012 Broadway musical, Damn Yankees.

Performances for Damn Yankees are scheduled for March 8, 9 and 10 in the Bodley H.S. Auditorium.

Curtain time is set for 7:30 each evening.

Additionally there will be a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday as well.

“Damn Yankees is a great story with wonderful music,” explained Tom Briggs, theatre director at G. Ray Bodley High School. “It is a story of love, self-discovery and baseball. Set in the nostalgic 1950s, Damn Yankees is thought provoking and moving.”

Briggs explained that the story centers around middle aged real estate agent Joe Boyd who has two great loves in his life – his devoted wife, Meg, and his favorite baseball team, the Washington Senators.

Joe never loses faith in his Senators even though they are in last place and they are always crushed by the New York Yankees.

Mr. Applegate (played by Neil Devendorf – left) chats with his ‘recruit’ Joe Hardy (portrayed by Nate Deavers – right). Applegate assures Joe that his beloved team The Washington Senators will be victorious and that Hardy is the player who can make it all possible. Applegate reminds Joe though that such a wish comes at a high cost. Their ‘devilishly fun’ story will be featured on the Bodley stage this weekend as Quirk’s Players present the musical comedy Damn Yankees. Photo by Kelly LeVea.
Mr. Applegate (played by Neil Devendorf – left) chats with his ‘recruit’ Joe Hardy (portrayed by Nate Deavers – right). Applegate assures Joe that his beloved team The Washington Senators will be victorious and that Hardy is the player who can make it all possible. Applegate reminds Joe though that such a wish comes at a high cost. Their ‘devilishly fun’ story will be featured on the Bodley stage this weekend as Quirk’s Players present the musical comedy Damn Yankees. Photo by Kelly LeVea.

Furious after another loss, Joe says he would, “sell his soul” for one long-ball hitter.

Coincidentally at that moment an ominous character appears and offers Joe an opportunity of a lifetime.

Joe is given a chance to become THE one to lead the Senators to victory – but it comes at a huge price.

The audience then wonders if Joe will  accept such an offer or will he remain home in the world he knows so well.

Highlighted throughout the show Damn Yankees are the loveable Washington Senators.

While the Washington Senators are a great group of guys they are certainly not the best baseball players.

“They are more concerned with selling insurance, completing the crossword puzzle and thinking about a night out on the town,” stated Briggs. “Their baseball skills leave much to be desired – but these goofy guys prove to be loveable characters.”

Appearing as members of the hapless Washington Senators are several GRB students including Logan Carvey as Henry, Mark Parry as Sohovik, Nathan Hawthorne as Smokey, Mitchell Lalik as Linville, Joe Medico as Rocky, Markus Harter as Bryan, Brad Crofoot as Bouley, Stephen Heywood as Lowe and Cody Hockey as their manager, Benny VanBuren.

Also performing as members of the Washington Senators are Justin Grower, Jeremy Herlowski, David Houck, Michael Mankiewicz and Brandon Webb from the Fulton Junior High School and Max Wood from Lanigan Elementary.

The wives of the Washington Senators’ fans complain that they become ‘baseball widows’ in the song “Six Months Out of Every Year.” As they are lamenting baseball season, their husbands are following their favorite baseball team on television and in the stands. Shown here in the opening number from Quirk’s Players’ production of Damn Yankees are (l to r): Mitch Lalik, Paige Havener, Nathan Hawthorne, Krista Vann, Amanda Trombly, Alex Bawarski, Abby Field, Joe Medico, Kayla Hatch and Cody Hockey. Damn Yankees is under the direction of Tom Briggs, Tom Nami and Rob Lescarbeau with dances choreographed by Doreen Forbes and opens this week at G. Ray Bodley High School. Photo by Kelly LeVea.
The wives of the Washington Senators’ fans complain that they become ‘baseball widows’ in the song “Six Months Out of Every Year.” As they are lamenting baseball season, their husbands are following their favorite baseball team on television and in the stands. Shown here in the opening number from Quirk’s Players’ production of Damn Yankees are (l to r): Mitch Lalik, Paige Havener, Nathan Hawthorne, Krista Vann, Amanda Trombly, Alex Bawarski, Abby Field, Joe Medico, Kayla Hatch and Cody Hockey. Damn Yankees is under the direction of Tom Briggs, Tom Nami and Rob Lescarbeau with dances choreographed by Doreen Forbes and opens this week at G. Ray Bodley High School. Photo by Kelly LeVea.

The Washington Senators sing several memorable songs including, “Heart,”  “The Game,” and “Shoeless Joe.”

“The score is fun and the Senators bring a great amount of energy to the stage,” stated Thomas Nami, a music teacher at G. Ray Bodley High School and Music Director for Quirk’s Players. “They truly have some show-stopping numbers. Our students are doing a fantastic job and will certainly make the community proud.”

Quirk’s Players’ 2012 musical, Damn Yankees, is dedicated in memory of Mr. Joseph Campolieta, a long-time employee in the Fulton School District and retired principal of G. Ray Bodley High School.

Mr. Campolieta had a tremendous impact on the students at GRB and passed away a few months ago.

Tickets for Quirk’s Players’ upcoming production of Damn Yankees will be available at the door each evening.

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