Damn Yankees combines two of St. Louis' favorite things: summer nights at the Muny and baseball.

An aging Washington Senators fan would give up his soul if his beloved team could finally beat those damn Yankees and win the pennant. And, the devil just so happens to make his wildest dreams come true. Old Joe Boyd becomes 22-year-old long-ball phenom Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO, but he has to leave his wife and his life behind to do it.

The musical is fun, with songs I’m sure you've heard time and again, like "Heart" (you know: Ya gotta have heart....all you really need is heart..."), "Whatever Lola Wants" and "The Game," a naughty little number about the beautiful women the ball players turn down in order to be at their best on the diamond.

There are other numbers, too, that have absolutely nothing to do with the plot, and a couple of encores I think modern audiences could do without, but, all in all it's a fun show.

Lewis J. Stadlen, as the devilish Applegate, could make reading the phonebook funny. Eric Kunze is everything you could want in a gorgeous leading man, with a beautiful voice and tons of acting talent to boot. And St. Louis standouts include Zoe Vonder Haar and Lee Anne Mathews as a pair of smitten, matronly Shoeless Joe fans. But the highlight may be Mike Shannon's play-by-play of the crucial game. What fun to hear his voice booming through the Muny's speakers.

The lighting in the background and on-and-off sprinkles may have distracted more than the audience on opening night. Or perhaps the cast lost rehearsal time because of previous rainy nights, but the show seemed a bit unsteady at times. I'm sure that will clear up after Monday's opening.