Damn Yankees is returning to Broadway for its first revival in more than 30 years, with Neil Patrick Harris, Julianne Hough and Austin Scott leading a newly reimagined production.

Harris will play Applegate, Hough will take on Lola in her Broadway musical debut, and Scott will appear as Young Joe. Previews begin Wednesday, March 24, 2027, at the Marquis Theatre, 210 W. 46th St., ahead of an official opening on Tuesday, April 20, 2027.

Producers Lia Vollack, Haley Swindal and Julie Boardman announced the Broadway run following a sold-out engagement at Arena Stage last fall. That staging received 13 Helen Hayes Award nominations—the most for any musical that season—and won eight awards, including Best Musical.

A new era for Joe Boyd

The adaptation moves the story to the early 2000s, where devoted baseball fan Joe Boyd longs to see the Baltimore Orioles return to glory. A charming stranger and his captivating accomplice present Joe with a deal that could offer both him and his team a second chance, although the offer comes with a catch.

Will Power and Doug Wright have written the new book, while Lynn Ahrens has contributed additional lyrics. Sergio Trujillo is directing and choreographing the production.

Trujillo described the show as a “revisal” rather than a straightforward revival, saying the new approach retains the musical’s “heart, wit and soaring score.” He added that the production is intended to bring joy to the theater and celebrate the qualities of a great American musical.

Vollack, whose credits include MJ and Eurovision the Musical, called the combination of Harris, Hough and Scott “irresistible” and described the production as a joyful, high-energy Broadway musical.

Major League Baseball joins the production

Major League Baseball and its Emmy Award-winning production label, MLB Studios, will partner on the show. It marks the first time MLB has taken that role on a Broadway musical.

Noah Garden, MLB’s deputy commissioner of business and media, said the partnership reflects the importance of baseball continuing to connect with culture beyond the diamond. He also pointed to the shared appeal of high drama, high stakes and high hopes for baseball and Broadway audiences.

The project has a personal baseball connection for lead producer Haley Swindal. She is the eldest granddaughter of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who invested in six Broadway productions. Those shows included the 1970 Tony Award-winning musical Applause and the 1974 Best Musical nominee Seesaw.

“Baseball is mythology. Broadway is mythology,” Swindal said, describing the new production as a meeting of American icons rather than simply another revival.

The show’s Broadway history

Damn Yankees is based on Douglass Wallop’s novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1955 and won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

The score was written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, with the original book by George Abbott and Wallop. Its songs include “Heart” and “Whatever Lola Wants.”

Harris arrives in the role of Applegate as a Tony Award and five-time Emmy Award winner. He is known for playing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother and Count Olaf in Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. He originated the title role in Broadway’s Tony-winning production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and his stage credits also include Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Into the Woods, Assassins, Proof, Cabaret, Company, Sweeney Todd, Rent and the revival of Yasmina Reza’s ART.

His directing work includes the Hollywood Bowl production of Rent and Tick, Tick… Boom! at the Kennedy Center, in which he also starred. Harris produced the Off-Broadway production In & Of Itself and co-produced The Lost Boys: A New Musical.

Hough, an Emmy Award winner, became the youngest professional dancer to win Dancing with the Stars twice before serving as a judge and later becoming the show’s host. Her film credits include Burlesque, Footloose, Rock of Ages, Safe Haven, Grease Live! and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride. Although Damn Yankees will be her first Broadway musical, she previously made her Broadway debut in 2022 in POTUS. She also founded the movement platform KINRGY and co-founded the dance convention tour Ovation.

Scott made his debut playing the title role in Hamilton on Broadway and on tour. He went on to originate Joe Scott in Girl From the North Country, played Shakespeare in Broadway’s & Juliet and starred as Omari in GODDESS at The Public Theater. His screen credits include A Jazzman’s Blues, Clipped, Mr. Monk’s Last Case, Sistas and Pose.

What Happens Next?

Additional casting will be announced shortly. Foresight Theatrical is handling general management, with Mark Shacket serving as executive producer. Single tickets are on sale now through DamnYankeesBroadway.com.