A familiar face to viewers of “Dancing With the Stars,” Julianne Hough will soon be making her Broadway debut.
As Variety reports, Hough will be joining Neil Patrick Harris in a Broadway revival of “Damn Yankees,” the beloved musical that won seven Tony Awards during its original run from 1955 to 1957.
The updated revival is set to premiere in spring 2027, featuring a book by Will Power and Doug Wright, with additional lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. Sergio Trujillo will be director and choreographer.
A Broadway Veteran
Harris, of course, is familiar to TV viewers for his roles on 1990s TV hit “Doogie Houser M.D.” and, subsequently, “How I Met Your Mother” and Netflix game show “What’s In the Box?”
Meanwhile, he’s also carved out a niche on Broadway, having made his Broadway debut in 2003 as the Master of Ceremonies in “Cabaret.” He went on to appear in such Broadway productions as “Proof,” “Assassins,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” “Peter Pan Goes Wrong” and “Art.”
Harris won a 2014 Tony for “Hedwig,” and has hosted the Tony Awards four times.
‘Damn Yankees’
“Damn Yankees” tells the story of middle-aged baseball fan Joe Boyd, disheartened at seeing the perennial last-place Washington Senators continually lose to the New York Yankees. After he loudly complains that he would sell his soul to the devil if the team could just beat “those damn Yankees,” he’s greeted by a smooth-taking stranger named Mr. Applegate, who transforms him into a baseball phenom named Joe Hardy.
“It’s the early 2000s, and diehard baseball fan Joe Boyd dreams of seeing his beloved Baltimore Orioles return to glory,” reads the logline for the updated revival. “So when a charming stranger and his captivating accomplice arrive with an offer too good to refuse, Joe makes a deal that could give both him and his team a second chance. There’s just one catch…”
Per Variety, Harris will play the devilish Applegate, while Hough will play Joe’s wife Lola. In addition, Austin Scott will play Young Joe, with the rest of the roles yet to be cast.
“Damn Yankees” was revived on Broadway in 1994, with a cast that included Jarrod Emick as Joe Hardy (for which he won a Tony), “Cheers” alum Bebe Neuwirth as Lola and Victor Garber as Applegate. That production ran until 1995, with the upcoming production marking the play’s return to Broadway after a 32-year absence.
Beyond the stage, the musical was adapted for the screen in a 1958 movie, starring Tab Hunter, Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston.
A Devil of a Role
The official announcement took place at a press conference on Sunday, September 27 at, appropriately enough, Yankee Stadium in NYC.
During the press conference, Harris was asked what attracted him to the role of the devil in “Damn Yankees.”
“I’ve been such a fan of Broadway since I was able to buy CDs,” Harris said of his affection for the play.
“I’ve always loved the big musicals … I’d see 12 shows in 10 days. I was that kid,” he added. “And I vividly remember the Victor Garber and Bebe Neuwirth revival of ‘Damn Yankees’ … and I just listened to it constantly and I loved it.”
Meanwhile, when looking back at the women who’d played Lola previously, Hough said that it was “an honor and a privilege to be able to try to fill those shoes, while also being original and creating my own version.”
“Damn Yankees” will play at the Marquis Theatre, with previews beginning March 24 ahead of opening night on April 20.
