City Center is my new favorite thing

I was a City Center virgin until Gypsy last summer. And we all know how that turned out, a zillion Tonys later.

Press photos for the upcoming Damn Yankees at City Center have come out.

I love (the idea of) this casting. Cheyenne Jackson is PERFECT. Truly, all Joe Hardy has to do is sing pretty, look pretty and be relatively convincing as a ball player. Check, check and HAVE YOU SEEN HIS MUSCLES????

Jane Krakowski meant nothing to me until I saw her in the revival of Nine (for which she won her well deserved Tony). She was riveting. She seemed to ooze sex out of every pore, and yet was so emotionally naked at the drop of a hat. And on 30 Rock she is just so unexpectedly funny. I think she is an inspired and wonderful choice for Lola. The only catch is, were Damn Yankees to have a longer life than City Center, I assume 30 Rock duties would prevent her from participating.

It seems that the casting of Sean Hayes is a little controversial, and I suppose it is. He played flaming gay so well on Will and Grace, it raises two questions. 1: Can it reign it in for this part? and 2: will audiences want to see him be anything but Just Jack?

I say "Well done, o you producers of Damn Yankees!" Sean Hayes is a great choice. He isn't Ray Walston. He isn't Victor Garber. He is incredibly different from both of those men (well... maybe not INCREDIBLY different... if you catch my drift). He is an interesting choice and I am sending positive vibes into the universe that it pays off. He is probably crapping his pants at the thought of re-inventing this role. Its a very tricky role in the sense that its open to a lot of interpretation, which leaves as much room for brilliance as it does for failure. This could be the exact thing that Sean Hayes needs-- to be lifted from the TV stereotype that he created and prove that he can do more! I wish you well, sir!