From the moment the lights rose on the recent Arena Stage production of “Damn Yankees,” it was clear we were in for something both familiar and fresh. Staged in the round, the set revealed life-sized neon player outlines. Originally premiering on Broadway in 1955, “Damn Yankees” is a spirited musical that combines America’s pastime with the age-old Faustian legend: a baseball fan, Joe Boyd, sells his soul to become a slugger and help his losing team take down the mighty Yankees.
But this was no run-of-the-mill revival. Arena Stage’s version, which ended a successful run on November 9, 2025, was billed as a “revisal,” updated with a fresh book. The tale shifts from the Washington Senators in the 1950s to the year 2000 and the Baltimore Orioles. With direction and choreography by Sergio Trujillo, and a creative team including book writers Doug Wright and Will Power plus lyricist Lynn Ahrens, this new production gave the show a sharper cultural lens.
We sat down with Raúl Contreras, a cast member and the show’s Dance Captain to talk about what it meant to step into one of musical theatre’s most beloved classics with a freshly swung bat.
Were you familiar with “Damn Yankees” before you got into the show? How did you feel about doing a classic musical after doing two more contemporary shows (“Moulin Rouge”and “Sunset Blvd”) back to back?
I wasn’t! I grew up as a dancer (although I did sing in a kid’s choir with my siblings), so Golden Age Musicals weren’t something I was familiar with. It has been such a cool experience to learn about the art form that is Musical Theatre from within by doing these shows and from my colleagues.
I knew what a ‘Jukebox musical’ was but I didn’t fully understand it until I joined “Moulin Rouge.” Similarly, I did know the term ‘Musical Comedy,’ but I was able to understand it by doing “Damn Yankees.” The way in which this specific genre of theatre comes alive when it gets an audience is something so precious and wonderful that caught me by surprise. Our story is complete once the audience is there to receive it!
The show was updated to the year 2000 and now features the Baltimore Orioles. What was the thinking behind not using the original team, the old Washington Senators?
I believe the goal is to center the story in a context where Black American culture is abundant and rich. Our main character, Joe Boyd, is a black man that could not make it to the major leagues, and throughout the show you discover the correlation between his failed baseball career and said context in 2000’s USA. Also, the Baltimore Orioles mascot is too cute?!
What was the philosophy behind the movement for “Damn Yankees”? Was the choreography inspired by baseball or athletic movements?
Yes! The choreography has a lot of inspiration from baseball moves: our choreographer and director, Sergio Trujillo, alongside virtuoso Associate Choreographer Brandt Martinez, created a vocabulary that pays homage to Fosse’s iconic style and is infused with a contemporary layer that feels fresh and exciting to watch. It is worth mentioning that Brandt is a big baseball aficionado and during rehearsals, any break he had, he spent it watching the World Series on his phone!
The show was led by the legendary Sergio Trujillo, who directed and choreographed. How was that experience? What is he like to work with?
Sergio is a fierce leader and legendary, indeed; he does not apologize for striving for excellence and makes everyone in the company row at the same pace as him. He stretched our skill sets and made us even more passionate and resilient performers than we were at the beginning of this contract. And do not be deceived! Even though he is not up on the stage with us, he is still the talented dancer we know him to be; during rehearsals he would throw his LaDuca boots on and was constantly showing us how to hit the step!
As Dance Captain, what are your main responsibilities? Do you have to know the choreography for all the parts? And if so, how is it possible for one person to learn all those parts?
My job has many responsibilities: Running auditions, maintaining the show’s integrity by giving notes, reminding the company of the quality and dynamics of the choreography, teaching our swings and understudies the roles they cover, running daily rehearsals or “lift calls” as we call them, as well as put-in rehearsals. Depending on the coverage we have, I am the one in charge of creating the documents for “split tracks” or cut shows where I put the puzzle of the show together, making sure we have enough people to keep the curtain open. There are other responsibilities, but I would say those are the main ones.
As DC, I work quite closely with the Stage Management team and I’d like to shoutout Christi Spann, Stefania Giron, and the SM team at Arena Stage—they have been such brilliant collaborators.
How is it possible for one person to learn all the parts? HA! It takes time to develop the skill—I previously was a swing and Dance Captain for “Moulin Rouge” on Broadway, and I learned so much about the job there, but I also use tools like archival videos on my iPad to help me with memory and an app called “Stage Write” where stage formations can be documented to reference during rehearsals.
What are some of your favorite moments in the show?
Ana’s “Little Brains” is exquisite, “Two Lost Souls” is such a joy to dance in, and to be honest, anything that Rob McClure does.
Washington D.C. is sometimes considered a conservative government town, but it actually has a very lively theater scene – how have the audiences reacted to the show? Did this surprise you?
I was chatting with the chairwoman of the Arena Stage Board of Trustees, Catherine Guttman-McCabe, and we agreed on the fact that given the current political climate, joy and laughter feel like—because they are—an act of resistance. Going to see live theatre, especially a show like “Damn Yankees,” is an act of resistance. The DC audiences we’ve had throughout the run have been so receptive to the show’s themes and that is also thanks to the incredibly talented cast that Sergio and the creative team put together. The caliber of artistry is quite exceptional. I feel very grateful to be a part of this company.
You are originally from Monterrey, Mexico. There seem to a fair number of Broadway performers from the area —Bianca Marroquín, Jaime Lozano, Roberta Colindrez, Sebastían Trevigño, Mauricio Martínez, Florencia Cuenco, and more—currently working in the theater business. Why do you think that is?
You said it first, ha! There is something in the water in el norte de México perhaps?! We are known to be hard workers and maybe we believe it—I know and admire every single one of the people you named and feel really proud of us regios y norteños.
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“Damn Yankees” concluded its run on November 9, 2025. For more information about Arena Stage, visit their website.
