Inspired by the Newsboy Strike of 1899, “Newsies” uses the power of dance and song to tell the story of a group of teenagers and children who stand up to the powerful men running the newspapers of New York City, defending the rights of children workers everywhere. Jack Kelly is the leader of the “Newsies” gang, but dreams of a life out west far away from the mean streets of New York where he can focus on his true passion, art. When Pulitzer raises the price of newspapers, Jack rallies the rest of the “Newsies” across the city and fights back. With the help of an up and coming reporter, with an interesting heritage, the “Newsies” become front page news and fight for justice growing new friendships, strengthening old ones and also sparking a romance along the way.
From the opening number, through to the end of the show, “Newsies” is non-stop dancing and singing sensation. With a large ensemble cast and powerful choreography by Christopher Gattelli it creates a high energy atmosphere that sticks with you long after the curtain falls and the show is over. The dancing is continually moving across, up and over the entire stage, with dancers jumping, turning, flipping and of course tapping. Music, by Alan Menken, and lyrics, by Jack Feldman, capture the emotions and tensions of the “Newsies” echoing to the last row of the balcony, giving the audience chills. To top it all off, the set design, by Tobin Ost, is simple, but creatively flexible. Comprised of a few metal structures that stand 3 stories tall and can be moved and rotated, it created scenes that filled the stage and took the choreography to a whole new level.
While this show is predominantly an ensemble show, there were some strong main character performances starting with Joey Barreiro as Jack Kelly. He captured the smooth charm of the character and followed it up with a strong singing voice and amazing dancing. Stephen Michael Langton as Davey is the perfect complement to Jack. And because no show is complete without a good love story, Morgan Keene as Katherine has great chemistry with Jack and brings some great girl power to a cast that is predominantly male. Steve Blanchard, as Joseph Pulitzer, plays a great bad guy, one you love to hate.
Overall, “Newsies” delivers a thrilling and adrenaline charged performance from the opening minute to the closing note. It never relies on sparkling costumes, fancy lighting but lets the singing and dancing speak for itself. And speak it does! The audience will fall in love with the characters, be wowed by the dramatic flips and perfectly precise choreography, and share in the emotional battle of the “Newsies”.
“Newsies” is playing at the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago, but be sure to get your tickets soon because it is only here for a limited time!
