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Damn Yankees
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DC/Arena Stage/Damn Yankees

Damn Yankees

Arena Stage · Southwest Waterfront

RunningSep 9 – Nov 9
Art Formtheater
Who It's Good For

If you love classic musicals but find yourself bored by reverent revivals, this is the antidote—it's got enough theatrical wit to satisfy serious theater-goers while remaining genuinely fun. Baseball fans will appreciate the premise, but you don't need to care about sports; this is really about the Faustian bargains we make for our obsessions.

Arena Stage brings back this 1955 Lerner & Loewe classic with the irreverent energy it deserves. Damn Yankees is ostensibly about a middle-aged fan who sells his soul to the devil for a shot at baseball glory, but it's really a wry meditation on American obsession, masculinity, and whether winning is worth the cost of your soul—literally. The show bounces between sharp comedy, impressive dance numbers, and genuinely catchy songs that have aged better than you'd expect. At the Waterfront venue, this production should capture both the theatrical pizzazz and the underlying cynicism that made the original a cultural phenomenon.

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Arena Stage is in Southwest Waterfront. The nearest Metro station is Navy Yard-Ballpark (Green Line), about a 10-15 minute walk from the venue. The waterfront location is also accessible via the Green Line, making it convenient for public transit users.
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Last updated April 5, 2026 · Summaries written by Theaterloop editors with AI assistance

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