What makes a great musical? More importantly, what makes a musical great when it’s already set in New York, has the turbulence of when the city was developing and masterfully reveals to us the beginnings of it being the place where dreams are heralded. “Newsies” simply adds the whimsical charm of misunderstood rebellious young men, leading a ragtag group of lost boys to a cause that marks the beginning of change. The musical is based on the 1992 Disney movie that starred a young Christian Bale, which sadly paled in comparison to other Disney masterpieces of the time such as “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “Tarzan” etc. So considering its history you would think the musical stood no hope of being such a hit, that is if it hadn’t immediately generated a large cult following that called themselves “Fansies.” The rest, as the cliché says, is history.
The musical, its preceding movie and the book that it was adapted from were all inspired by the real life newsboy strike of 1899, which began for many of the same reasons that the fictional one did: raised prices of the newspapers by the publishers. That same strike was headed by a young newsboy of great strength and charisma, who brought together the orphans and runaway newsies and demanded justice for them. In some ways, it hallmarked the beginning of the child labor movement.
Our fictional young fella, Jack Kelly, played in the musical by the talented Dan DeLuca, is silver-tongued, agile and quick-witted, so it doesn’t take long for the audience to be either charmed by him or swooning over him. His love interest is a female reporter in a male-dominated field trying to find her place by fighting for a story she believes in, and also the daughter of the man they’re leading the crusade against. The villains have the qualities and mannerisms you would expect from any exaggerated Disney bad guy; they swivel their chairs, wear excellent suits and they have those below them do their dirty work. They’re also excellently dressed in vests and fedoras, and like money.
Though “Newsies” is by no means a theatric masterpiece, it is incredibly charming with moments of pure entertainment sprinkled in. It is reminiscent of the true spirit of Disney that us ’90s kids remember growing up with. The score is just as much of a redeeming part of it as it is a true quality of classic Disney movies. Alan Menken (Disney’s go-to composer in the ’90s) and Jack Feldman (who wrote Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana”) spin out music that is perfect for each moment of the plot, be it one to inspire the newsies with a jaunty number, a lonesome one that croons out all the pain and doubts kept hidden or one that finally seals the love of two people. And then there are the dance numbers; seeing the entire cast of young boys and men do acrobatics, gymnastics, tap dancing and high energy dance moves all over the stage in sync is a true visual delight. From ballet to jazz, the show leaves no move and no discipline behind.
Stephanie Styles plays the only female lead in the musical as Kelly’s beloved, Katherine. She’s mentionable for her execution of a solo song that I personally deemed the plight of writer’s block. She struggles within herself to find the words that would do justice to Kelly and the boys’ cause, While also feeling acutely aware of how this could be her one moment to prove her writing chops to the world and her father who has constantly underestimated her. It is visually appealing and charming to see her antics on and around the typewriter, which is both a beloved tool to her and a hated archenemy. Anyone who has ever stared at the blank page in front of them, torn by the need for words, no doubt could relate to this solo.
Adorning the stage at the Overture all of this week through Sunday, “Newsies” is for anyone who ever wanted to stick it to the man. Anyone who always dreamed of rallying people up with a common cause and fighting for their right to have a chunk of this world. Any woman, who dreamt of having their abilities and talent recognized in the same way as a man’s in the professional world. Then this show gives you that little burst of pleasure and delight in seeing the underdogs win, with a fist thrown in the air Judd Nelson style.
