The colorful combination of the American dream, the magic of Walt Disney, and the spirit of musical theatre come together tonight in Torn Ticket II's production of "Newsies." Directed by sophomore Brian Smith, the show sets the energetic and heartfelt cacophony of New York City just before the turn of the twentieth century to music, complete with Brooklyn accents, lively dance numbers, and the feel-good fable of a hopeful underdog.
Smith makes his directing debut in "Newsies" after adapting the script from the original 1992 Walt Disney movie. He commented that the process of directing has been intense, but said simply of the cast and crew, "We're ready."
"Newsies" tells the story of a group of boy vagabonds in 1899 who made their meager living by selling newspapers to the denizens of New York City. The self-proclaimed "newsies" devoted themselves to selling the newspaper of Joseph Pulitzer, the bumbling bad guy in the show. Pulitzer's paper, "The World," is in fierce competition with William Randolph Hearst's paper, "The Journal."
When Pulitzer discovers that he is losing sales to Hearst's paper, he decides to raise the distribution price of his papers, making it nearly impossible for the newsies to make any kind of substantial profit. The newsies hold a strike in response, looking for support from their 17-year-old leader, Jack Kelly, who dreams of one day escaping to Santa Fe. The play then plunges into adventure and romance as the newsies try to beat the establishment like big-hearted punk rockers clad in tweed caps and knickers.
The play is upheld by its strong ensemble of various characters, ranging from the optimistic newsie Crutchy, who wobbles around the stage playing a harmonica, to the swinger Medda, whose sultry interludes help to evoke the working-class world the newsies inhabit. Supporting the efforts of Jack Kelly is the Jacobs family, which consists of the sweet love-interest Sarah, the lively nine-year-old Les, and David, the brains behind the newsie revolt.
Audience members should expect to be in the midst of the tumult when they come to "Newsies." They should anticipate sharing leg room with passing newsies, watching characters hang off of the banisters in authentic street kid form, and shifting in their seats to see Jack and the Delancey brothers run full circle around the arena - after all, news does travel fast.
Smith commented that he used the Balch Arena Theater in this dynamic way in order to create a highly interactive show that would connect the audience with the performers.
"The show is all about people coming together to achieve something," he said. "I used the space for that reason."
When asked about their experience working on the show, the cast was eager to comment on the excitement of bringing a favorite film from childhood to the stage. "There's an expectation you've got to live up to," said freshman Julie Hanlon, who plays little Les Jacobs. "You've got to continue 'carrying the banner,' if you will," she added, in reference to a song from the musical.
"Newsies" is about friendship, justice, teamwork and fighting for a cause, themes that give the show a constant heartbeat that actor Doug Foote called, "The triumph of the underdog."
"It's the male 'Annie,' but so much cooler," said cast member Katie Clark. "It's about sticking together to change your world."
The show is free to the public, playing first at 7:00 pm and again at 9:30 tonight in Balch.
