Time for Disney musical to ‘Seize the Day’?
Posted by Mark Smith on Sunday, February 19, 2017
Disney's musical Newsies at last made it to the UK today – not
live in the theatre but in cinemas throughout the country where a one-off,
filmed version of the show was shown. Originally a live-action film – not a hit
at the box office in 1992 – Newsies the musical was unexpectedly
popular at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, from where it transferred to
Broadway in 2012 where I saw Jeremy Jordan lead the original cast
just prior to leaving the show to film Smash. Newsies ran for
over two years on Broadway and another two years on tour in America.
This cinema version was filmed live on stage at the Pantages Theatre in
Hollywood, where Jeremy Jordan and other originals re-joined the cast.
Newsies features a very American story - albeit a story that could be told in any place. It's the summer of 1899 and when newspaper owner Joseph Pulitzer decides to increase the price that the 'newsies' – the newspaper boys who sell the paper on the streets of New York – pay for each copy, the boys decide to rebel. Under the leadership of Jack Kelly (Jordan) – a dreamer who dreams of life in Sante Fe and who has hidden artistic talent – the boys strike.
This is a world where a spit and a handshake means that a man is true to his word and is worth more than a contract with a million clauses. It's a terrific David and Goliath story as many of the children were homeless, without families to support them, and they form a union to gain empowerment in the face of injustice and to earn respect. The newsies briefly succeed in shutting down the newspaper powerhouses run by Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst and prove that there is strength in numbers and that it is possible to follow your dreams.
Alan Menken and Jack Feldman's show, with book by Harvey Fierstein, features a string of upbeat dance numbers – dance is a strong element of the show with the young male ensemble projecting energy even on screen in the cinema. The distinctive huge metal grid of a set, with walkways and staircases, is also a good feature.
Jeremy Jordan might not as fresh faced as when he did the show on Broadway but brings great realism to the leading role of Jack Kelly. Also returning from the Broadway company, Kara Lindsay as Jack’s potential love Katherine is prepared to stand for what is right against the wishes of her powerful father in a slightly off-the-wall love story, while Ben Fankhauser provides a different perpective to Jack’s as Davey, and Andrew Keenan-Bolger continues to win our hearts as Crutchy. Newcomer Aisha de Haas as Medda Larkin – owner and star of a burlesque theatre – makes the most of her big number in one of the sub plots too.
Around two years ago speculative casting calls went out for a potential West End production of Newsies but nothing has happened...yet. Maybe this cinema version will be the push Disney needs to finally bring it over.
Newsies features a very American story - albeit a story that could be told in any place. It's the summer of 1899 and when newspaper owner Joseph Pulitzer decides to increase the price that the 'newsies' – the newspaper boys who sell the paper on the streets of New York – pay for each copy, the boys decide to rebel. Under the leadership of Jack Kelly (Jordan) – a dreamer who dreams of life in Sante Fe and who has hidden artistic talent – the boys strike.
This is a world where a spit and a handshake means that a man is true to his word and is worth more than a contract with a million clauses. It's a terrific David and Goliath story as many of the children were homeless, without families to support them, and they form a union to gain empowerment in the face of injustice and to earn respect. The newsies briefly succeed in shutting down the newspaper powerhouses run by Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst and prove that there is strength in numbers and that it is possible to follow your dreams.
Alan Menken and Jack Feldman's show, with book by Harvey Fierstein, features a string of upbeat dance numbers – dance is a strong element of the show with the young male ensemble projecting energy even on screen in the cinema. The distinctive huge metal grid of a set, with walkways and staircases, is also a good feature.
Jeremy Jordan might not as fresh faced as when he did the show on Broadway but brings great realism to the leading role of Jack Kelly. Also returning from the Broadway company, Kara Lindsay as Jack’s potential love Katherine is prepared to stand for what is right against the wishes of her powerful father in a slightly off-the-wall love story, while Ben Fankhauser provides a different perpective to Jack’s as Davey, and Andrew Keenan-Bolger continues to win our hearts as Crutchy. Newcomer Aisha de Haas as Medda Larkin – owner and star of a burlesque theatre – makes the most of her big number in one of the sub plots too.
Around two years ago speculative casting calls went out for a potential West End production of Newsies but nothing has happened...yet. Maybe this cinema version will be the push Disney needs to finally bring it over.
