Broadway has a bad habit of exhuming dusty old musicals and slapping a fresh coat of paint on them, expecting audiences to cheer for nostalgia alone. Most of the time, it fails.
That is not what is happening with the upcoming revival of Damn Yankees.
Neil Patrick Harris is stepping into the shoes of the smooth-talking devil Applegate, leading the first Broadway revival of the 1955 classic in over thirty years. He will be joined by Julianne Hough making her Broadway musical debut as Lola, and Austin Scott as Young Joe. Previews kick off on March 24, 2027, at the Marquis Theatre, with an official opening night set for April 20, 2027.
If you think this is just another standard rehash of a mid-century baseball fable, you're missing the entire point. This production is taking a radically different approach.
Why This Isn't Your Grandparents’ Damn Yankees
Let's look at the pedigree. The show arrives on Broadway following a sold-out, critically acclaimed run at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., where it raked in eight Helen Hayes Awards, including Best Musical.
Instead of treating the original script like a sacred artifact that cannot be touched, the creative team blew the walls out. The book features a completely fresh adaptation by Will Power and Doug Wright, paired with additional lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. The setting shifts forward to the early 2000s, turning the frantic quest for a pennant into a modern obsession with seeing the Baltimore Orioles break a slump.
Director and choreographer Sergio Trujillo didn't want a museum piece. He wanted a high-octane celebration that speaks to modern audiences without losing the soaring score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross.
The Unprecedented MLB Partnership
Here is where the production breaks new ground. For the first time in Broadway history, Major League Baseball and its Emmy Award-winning production label, MLB Studios, are officially partnering on a theatrical run.
Think about that for a second. This isn't just cross-promotional marketing. Having MLB at the table bridges a massive gap between sports culture and theater culture. Both worlds run on high stakes, superstition, mythology, and the burning hope that tonight is the night something unforgettable happens. Noah Garden, Deputy Commissioner of Business and Media at MLB, noted that baseball needs to resonate outside the diamond and into broader cultural spaces. Putting America's pastime into the heart of a Broadway house is a massive swing.
The Star Power to Pull It Off
Casting can make or break a revival. Nail this trifecta, and you sell tickets for a year. Fail, and you close in three months.
Neil Patrick Harris brings theatrical electricity every single time he steps onto a stage. Winning a Tony for Hedwig and the Angry Inch proved he can balance dark comedy, powerhouse vocals, and magnetic showmanship. Playing the devil isn't a stretch for his brand of charismatic mischief; it's a home run waiting to happen.
Julianne Hough steps into Lola following her Emmy-winning choreography career and her Broadway debut in the comedy POTUS. Her dance background makes her uniquely equipped to handle the heavy choreographic demands of the role. Meanwhile, Austin Scott—who cut his teeth leading Hamilton—brings immense emotional depth to Young Joe, keeping the emotional core grounded while the high-concept comedy swirls around him.
What to Expect When You Sit in the Audience
You are not walking into a quiet, reverent preservation society event. The Arena Stage run proved this version is fast, funny, and relentlessly athletic. Trujillo's choreography relies on crisp, modern movement that honors the original Bob Fosse DNA while pushing it into aggressive new directions.
Tickets are already on sale via Broadway Direct. If you want a good seat for the spring of 2027, you shouldn't wait until the winter rush. Grab your tickets now, brush up on your baseball superstitions, and get ready to see how a classic gets rebuilt from the cleats up.
