The film Newsies came out in 1992, but it is a movie I associate with high school, because that was the time when all my friends were obsessed with it. It's the story of a group of young newspaper sellers in 1899 New York who go on strike when the price of their papers is suddenly raised. The newsies don't have power or money, but as they stand firm, their movement grows in number. In the film, Christian Bale played the main newsie, Jack, which certainly contributed to its success, but stirring music by Alan Menken and lots of teen boys doing impressive dance moves were also factors in the film's appeal.
For the stage version, the writers expanded many of the side roles and turned Jack's love interest into an enterprising female journalist. New songs were added, but the play really relies on the familiar songs of the film--and many, many reprises. They're great songs, but sometimes it was a bit much.
Rosetown Playhouse performs in the Lake Como pavilion, which is a very nice spot; unlike other outdoor theaters, the show can even go on in the rain, although there will be fewer usable seats. As with other park shows, it's a good idea to plan extra time for finding a parking space and walking to the pavilion.
The other most notable feature of Rosetown is their extra-large casts; Newsies had a cast of 127. I have mixed feelings about this choice. On the one hand, the crowd scenes were impressive and the group songs had a lot of power. On the other, it could be difficult to pick out who said individual lines or know where to look. With 100 newsies, even with creative staging, many were simply not visible in the large-group scenes.
The show mostly follows a newsie named Jack, a young man who's eager to find a bigger life for himself by getting out of the city and going to Santa Fe. Michael Carey played Jack with a lot of energy and spirit--and a solid New York accent. He gave emotional performances in songs like "Santa Fe"; "Something to Believe In" was another especially nice moment.
Ellen Rizzardi played Katherine, a reporter covering the strike (replacing Bill Pullman's film character). Katherine wants to be a serious journalist but is relegated to the society pages, until she takes initiative and covers the newsies strike even though no other journalists are paying attention. The character is somewhat inspired by Nellie Bly but only somewhat (sadly Katherine isn't doing any daring undercover exposes so far). Still, Rizzardi's Katherine was spunky and ready for a challenge, and engaging whether interacting with the other actors or singing alone (as in "Watch What Happens"). Amanda Leger played Katherine's photographer, Gert, and the two worked well together.
While Jack is the main force in leading the newsies to strike, it's his friend Davey (Joe Voth) who provides the background knowledge about unions and guides the group's message. Davey and his little sister Les (played alternately by Lulu Larsen and Evie Vaillancourt) are new to the game but are quickly accepted as part of the group. Voth's best scene was the emotional moment in the second act when Davey confronts Jack, who is giving up on the fight. Les (played by Vaillancourt the night I went) was a real show-stealer; she had a lot of the funniest lines and they were all delivered perfectly.
Of the other newsies, the big standouts were Crutchie (Raphael Ruggero) and Race (Nick Eriksen). As Crutchie, Ruggero showed humor and charm in his scenes, and worked well with the physicality of the character. Eriksen's Race brought plenty of swagger to "The King of New York," probably the most fun scene in the show. As a group, the other newsies brought a lot of energy and had nice chemistry together. One person who caught my eye was ensemble member Edie Weinstein, who gave such intensity to the emotions and choreography that it was hard not to notice her in the crowd.
One of Jack's refuges from the newsie life is at the theater where Medda Larkin (Wachen Bedell Anderson) sings. Wachen was a delightful Medda and was engaging and funny in her song "That's Rich." Another notable performance was Janelle Tangonan Anderson as Mrs. Jacobi, owner of a deli the newsies frequent. Although the part is small, Janelle really made an impression as a waitress with an attitude who underneath is sympathetic to the newsies.
Ted Brand played the villain of the story, newspaper owner Joseph Pulitzer. Brand was just fine, but I found his introduction scene very jarring. The song "The Bottom Line" was almost cartoonishly villainous, and the tone just felt strange against the earnest sincerity of the songs around it. I was much happier to have Brand back in the second act, although there were other things in the script that distracted me from his performance--Jack seems to stroll right in to Pulitzer's office (how?), and then there's the revelation that Katherine is Pulitzer's daughter (what purpose does this really serve for the show???)... I do think Brand did a nice job and I'd like to see him in less confusing scenes.
Director Margot Olsen made good use of the available space, and the big group scenes featured newsies at every possible level. In the opening scene and the scene in the prison-like "refuge," the ramps were used to nice effect as a crowded sleeping area, and in the opening scene in particular the staging came off very well with clothes draped over the scenery that gave a very lived-in feel. The choreography (by Ariella Brown) was energetic, athletic, and had an organic feel; altogether it was appropriate for the tone and character of the show. "The King of New York" was an especially fun number--I didn't expect tap dancing but I was very excited to see it. As an aside, although it's very true to the source material, I do have to wonder how the newsies manage to come by so many brooms to dance with! How many brooms does a deli really need?
In terms of the costumes (designed by DeAnn O'Conell), most of the newsies may have provided their own looks; with a few exceptions they looked good for the time period and cohesive as a group. The adult ensemble had more variety, with some very nice period looks. Pulitzer and Katherine's costume designs expressed very well the contrast between their characters, fancy versus down-to-earth. The dancers at Medda's club also had a very cute look.
There's a part of me that thinks Newsies: the Musical would be better off as just a staged performance of parts of the movie; memorable songs like "Seize the Day" and "The King of New York" are what the audience is mostly there to see. (Katherine and the updated Medda can also be in my version.) On the other hand, it does make sense to sit down and watch a full story play out, and maybe the other additions to the play would grow on me with time. In any case, the show is a great opportunity for a large number of people to have a great time singing and dancing to songs that you may find yourself humming on the way home, and as an audience member it's hard not to be caught up in that energy. Rosetown's newsies did a great job connecting with each other and the audience and despite my reservations the show had genuinely stirring moments and was a lot of fun to watch.
For the stage version, the writers expanded many of the side roles and turned Jack's love interest into an enterprising female journalist. New songs were added, but the play really relies on the familiar songs of the film--and many, many reprises. They're great songs, but sometimes it was a bit much.
Rosetown Playhouse performs in the Lake Como pavilion, which is a very nice spot; unlike other outdoor theaters, the show can even go on in the rain, although there will be fewer usable seats. As with other park shows, it's a good idea to plan extra time for finding a parking space and walking to the pavilion.
The other most notable feature of Rosetown is their extra-large casts; Newsies had a cast of 127. I have mixed feelings about this choice. On the one hand, the crowd scenes were impressive and the group songs had a lot of power. On the other, it could be difficult to pick out who said individual lines or know where to look. With 100 newsies, even with creative staging, many were simply not visible in the large-group scenes.
The show mostly follows a newsie named Jack, a young man who's eager to find a bigger life for himself by getting out of the city and going to Santa Fe. Michael Carey played Jack with a lot of energy and spirit--and a solid New York accent. He gave emotional performances in songs like "Santa Fe"; "Something to Believe In" was another especially nice moment.
Ellen Rizzardi played Katherine, a reporter covering the strike (replacing Bill Pullman's film character). Katherine wants to be a serious journalist but is relegated to the society pages, until she takes initiative and covers the newsies strike even though no other journalists are paying attention. The character is somewhat inspired by Nellie Bly but only somewhat (sadly Katherine isn't doing any daring undercover exposes so far). Still, Rizzardi's Katherine was spunky and ready for a challenge, and engaging whether interacting with the other actors or singing alone (as in "Watch What Happens"). Amanda Leger played Katherine's photographer, Gert, and the two worked well together.
While Jack is the main force in leading the newsies to strike, it's his friend Davey (Joe Voth) who provides the background knowledge about unions and guides the group's message. Davey and his little sister Les (played alternately by Lulu Larsen and Evie Vaillancourt) are new to the game but are quickly accepted as part of the group. Voth's best scene was the emotional moment in the second act when Davey confronts Jack, who is giving up on the fight. Les (played by Vaillancourt the night I went) was a real show-stealer; she had a lot of the funniest lines and they were all delivered perfectly.
Of the other newsies, the big standouts were Crutchie (Raphael Ruggero) and Race (Nick Eriksen). As Crutchie, Ruggero showed humor and charm in his scenes, and worked well with the physicality of the character. Eriksen's Race brought plenty of swagger to "The King of New York," probably the most fun scene in the show. As a group, the other newsies brought a lot of energy and had nice chemistry together. One person who caught my eye was ensemble member Edie Weinstein, who gave such intensity to the emotions and choreography that it was hard not to notice her in the crowd.
One of Jack's refuges from the newsie life is at the theater where Medda Larkin (Wachen Bedell Anderson) sings. Wachen was a delightful Medda and was engaging and funny in her song "That's Rich." Another notable performance was Janelle Tangonan Anderson as Mrs. Jacobi, owner of a deli the newsies frequent. Although the part is small, Janelle really made an impression as a waitress with an attitude who underneath is sympathetic to the newsies.
Ted Brand played the villain of the story, newspaper owner Joseph Pulitzer. Brand was just fine, but I found his introduction scene very jarring. The song "The Bottom Line" was almost cartoonishly villainous, and the tone just felt strange against the earnest sincerity of the songs around it. I was much happier to have Brand back in the second act, although there were other things in the script that distracted me from his performance--Jack seems to stroll right in to Pulitzer's office (how?), and then there's the revelation that Katherine is Pulitzer's daughter (what purpose does this really serve for the show???)... I do think Brand did a nice job and I'd like to see him in less confusing scenes.
Director Margot Olsen made good use of the available space, and the big group scenes featured newsies at every possible level. In the opening scene and the scene in the prison-like "refuge," the ramps were used to nice effect as a crowded sleeping area, and in the opening scene in particular the staging came off very well with clothes draped over the scenery that gave a very lived-in feel. The choreography (by Ariella Brown) was energetic, athletic, and had an organic feel; altogether it was appropriate for the tone and character of the show. "The King of New York" was an especially fun number--I didn't expect tap dancing but I was very excited to see it. As an aside, although it's very true to the source material, I do have to wonder how the newsies manage to come by so many brooms to dance with! How many brooms does a deli really need?
In terms of the costumes (designed by DeAnn O'Conell), most of the newsies may have provided their own looks; with a few exceptions they looked good for the time period and cohesive as a group. The adult ensemble had more variety, with some very nice period looks. Pulitzer and Katherine's costume designs expressed very well the contrast between their characters, fancy versus down-to-earth. The dancers at Medda's club also had a very cute look.
There's a part of me that thinks Newsies: the Musical would be better off as just a staged performance of parts of the movie; memorable songs like "Seize the Day" and "The King of New York" are what the audience is mostly there to see. (Katherine and the updated Medda can also be in my version.) On the other hand, it does make sense to sit down and watch a full story play out, and maybe the other additions to the play would grow on me with time. In any case, the show is a great opportunity for a large number of people to have a great time singing and dancing to songs that you may find yourself humming on the way home, and as an audience member it's hard not to be caught up in that energy. Rosetown's newsies did a great job connecting with each other and the audience and despite my reservations the show had genuinely stirring moments and was a lot of fun to watch.
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