I'll Be Damned is a new musical down in the Vineyard Theater space. It is presented by Jaradoa Theater Company, which is a new theater company that is trying to present artistic work. The cast is pretty good, including the terrific Mary Testa, which I think is why a lot of people came down to see this play. There are some cute moments in it, but basically the cast is significantly better than the material. The material seems like a slightly sophisticated junior high school skit. The idea is that a home schooled kid, which is a standing joke through the whole thing, has sold his soul to the devil, who is quite charming, in exchange for a friend. There was actually not a bad story here some place, although it's not exactly original, but the writing is really uneven. It probably should have been 90 minutes with a couple of the weaker songs taken out. I didn't hate it, and it's only $18, which is only slightly more than a movie, and it's certainly more fun than a movie. Your kids may like it, but as great theater, it's not. I'd give it two stars.

Joy Meter: 2