So begins this diverting musical comedy of Bibles and baseball that opened last weekend in Balboa Park’s Starlight Bowl. Rising from the pit to the stage as the mockingly evil but lovable Mr. Applegate is Steve Glaudini fresh off of directing last month’s Triumph of Love. Here the slick and cocky Glaudini plays the mortals like puppets while poking fun at them in a variety of witty ways whenever the other actors “freeze” for the planes passing overhead. Kim Neblett plays the middle-aged, diehard Senators fan Joe Boyd who bets his soul to save their season. As part of the deal, he gets transformed into Joe Hardy, a young baseball sensation who gets the nickname “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO” and spearheads their rise in the standings.

Robert Townsend lends his strong yet sensitive vocals to the show as young Joe while providing the emotional crux to the story teamed with his wife Meg (Anita Colet) whom he has to leave in order to help the Senators win. And he plays the straight man to the conniving Applegate and the devil’s sinfully sensual assistant Lola (Monica Schneider) whom Applegate hires to seduce Joe and make him forget about his wife Meg. As the best little home-wrecker in Hell, Lola’s magnetic presence, dancing, and singing makes it impossible not to believe that Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets.

Performs through July 25, 2004.

Rob Hopper
San Diego Playbill