A regular Joe Schmoe (Joe Hardy) wants his baseball team (the Washington Senators) to win the Pennant and says he's willing to make a deal with the devil to do so. The devil, with the help of succubus Lola, gets the schmoe to sell his soul for a new baseball-star body and he becomes "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO."
Spoiler alert: The Senators win, Joe Schmoe wins his soul back. Happy ending!
Biggest Hits:
"Whatever Lola Wants"
"Heart"
Tony Awards (1956):
- Best Musical
- Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Ray Walston as Mr. Applegate)
- Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Gwen Verdon as Lola)
- Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Russ Brown as Van Buren)
- Best Conductor and Musical Director (Hal Hastings)
- Best Choreography (Bob Fosse)
- Best Stage Technician (Harry Green)
Musical Numbers:
- Overture/Six Months Out of Every Year
- Goodbye, Old Girl
- Heart
- Shoeless Joe from Hannibal MO
- A Little Brains, a Little Talent
- A Man Doesn't Know
- Whatever Lola Wants
- Heart (reprise)
- Who's Got the Pain?
- The Game
- Near to You
- Those Were the Good Old Days
- Two Lost Souls
- A Man Doesn't Know (reprise)
- Finale
