Character guide
Mr. Applegate
from Damn Yankees
Mr. Applegate is the devil in disguise who drives the plot of Damn Yankees, the 1955 Adler and Ross musical about a fan's bargain to save his favorite baseball team.
- Show
- Damn Yankees
- Broadway premiere
- 1955
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Adler & Ross
Mr. Applegate on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 1958 film and 1967 TV movie
Ray Walston is the rare Broadway villain who carried his role straight onto the screen: he won a Tony as Applegate in the original 1955 production and played the devil again in the 1958 film, directed by George Abbott and Stanley Donen. His showcase, Those Were the Good Old Days, survives in the film.
Later Applegates went in different directions. Phil Silvers played him in NBC's 1967 TV movie, and on Broadway the 1994 revival cast Victor Garber before Jerry Lewis took over in March 1995, a role Lewis repeated in London's 1997 revival.
Who is Mr. Applegate?
Mr. Applegate is the smooth-talking stand-in for the devil who offers Joe Boyd the chance to become a young baseball star in exchange for his soul. He is charming, manipulative, and always working an angle, using flattery and temptation to keep Joe committed to their deal even as Joe starts having second thoughts.
Throughout the show, Applegate schemes to make sure Joe cannot back out, which sets up much of the show's comic conflict and its eventual battle of wits between man and devil.
Playing Mr. Applegate on stage
As a lead role, Mr. Applegate is a showcase part built for a performer with sharp comic timing and a magnetic, larger-than-life stage presence. The character thrives on wit and charisma rather than pure vocal power, though the role still includes memorable musical numbers that call for confident delivery and a strong sense of showmanship.
Audiences and performers alike are drawn to Applegate because he gets to be delightfully wicked without ever losing his charm. He is the kind of villain who can win over a crowd even while working against the hero, which makes him one of the most fun roles in the show to perform.
Mr. Applegate: frequently asked questions
What show is Mr. Applegate from?
Mr. Applegate appears in Damn Yankees, a 1955 musical with music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross.
Is Mr. Applegate a lead or supporting role?
Mr. Applegate is a lead role, one of the three central characters in the show.
What is Mr. Applegate's role in the story?
He is the devil figure who tempts Joe Boyd into a deal that transforms him into star player Joe Hardy.
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