Disney

I found out that my teenage neighbor was a HUGE Newsies fan and I decided that it would be interesting to get her perspective on the Newsies Broadway Musical.

First of all, what is Newsies all about?

NEWSIES is inspired by the real-life ‘Newsboy Strike of 1899,’ when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week-long action against Pulitzer, Hearst and other powerful newspaper publishers.  

The stage version introduces seven brand-new songs by the original team of Menken and Feldman,including a song written specifically for the tour called ‘Letter from the Refuge,’ while keeping many of the beloved songs from the film, including ‘Carrying the Banner, ‘Seize the Day,’ ‘King of New York’ and ‘Santa Fe.’

 Since the film’s 1992 theatrical release and subsequent DVD release, NEWSIES has grown into a cult phenomenon, and for years had been the single most requested title of all the Disney musical films not yet adapted for the stage.  (The film featured a screenplay by Bob Tzudiker & Noni White (Tarzan, 102 Dalmatians).

I asked Summer a few questions before and after attending the Broadway Musical.

Why did you want to see Newsies on Broadway?

Newsies is my favorite movie and I heard really good reviews on the play so I automatically wanted to go. I also love plays, so it also appealed to that interest.

What are the scenes you are looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to all of it. I am really excited to listen to “Seize the Day” since it’s my favorite song from the movie. Also, I can’t wait to see how they create one of the last scenes where all the kids and teens from New York meet in front of Polister’s building for the strike.

Do you have a favorite character from the movie? Who and why?

I have two.  Jack Kelly because he’s the more violent leader. The second is Davy. He’s the more brainy and less violent leader. I love their friendship. It balanced itself out. One is soft and brainy while the other is risky and an on the go thinker.

What did you like about the play?

My favorite thing was probably the dancing. I also liked how they added some songs to the show. I really liked the tap dancing scene and the music was amazing.

Would you recommend this Broadway play to other teenagers? Why?

I definitely would recommend it to other teenagers. It was an amazing play and it gave a look into the past when the Newsies strike was actually going on. I think others would very much enjoy watching all the fun dances and listening to the catchy songs.

What would you say to someone who’s only familiar with the movie?

Before this, I had only seen the movie and I didn’t know what to expect. I think that even though the movie and play had differences they were both good. There are definitely some surprises when watching the play, if you’ve only seen the movie.

Newsies, a Disney Theatrical Production under the direction of Thomas Schumacher presents Newsies, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman, book by Harvey Fierstein, starring Joey Barreiro (Jack Kelly), Steve Blanchard (Joseph Pulitzer), Morgan Keene (Katherine Plumber), Aisha de Haas (Medda Larkin), Stephen Michael Langton (Davey), Zachary Sayle (Crutchie), John Pitera or Ethan Steiner (Les) under the direction of Jeff Calhoun, choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, North American Tour

Thanks again to Summer for sharing her insight with us.  You can check out the tap dance number below.