George Abbott (1887–1995)

An entertaining musical play about Joe Boyd, an inveterate 40-ish fan of the Washington Senators, who would just once love to see his beloved baseball team beat the Damn Yankees. He is so obsessed with this thought that he blurts out a wish to sell his soul to achieve it, and immediately a smooth-talking dapper dresser shows up to make his wish come true. He offers to transform Joe into the greatest young baseball phenom that ever played, and use him to help the Senators win the Pennant... for the customary fee, of course. Joe agrees, but the shrewd real estate salesman in him negotiates an escape clause, to be exercised at his choice on the last day of the regular season. This is a well-crafted, intriguing play that makes me want to see it performed (does it exist as a movie?), although the final denouement is a little confusing.… (meer)