There have been so many productions of ''Newsies'' this summer: Connecticut Repertory Theatre (July 6-16); Red Mountain Theatre Co. (July 7-30) in Birmingham, Ala.; Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (July 18-23); MUNY (Aug. 7-13) in St. Louis, with Jay Armstrong Johnson; to name but a few.
But the one that might intrigue me the most is the ''Newsies'' at Tuacahn Amphitheatre in southern Utah. (Has anyone been to Tuacahn?) Jeffry Denman, a name known to many N.Y. musical buffs, has gotten rave reviews for directing and choreographing it. And it sounds like Denman really made good use of Tuacahn's unique setting: It's a huge outdoor theater that sits at the base of Padre Canyon. So when Jack Kelly (played by Ryan Farnsworth) belts the Act I closer, he turns to face the surrounding cliffs, which have been lit in red, as the backdrop for ''Santa Fe.'' Cool!
Tuacahn's ''Newsies,'' which opened in June, plays in repertory with ''Mamma Mia!'' and ''Shrek'' through Oct. 18: more info at tuacahn.org. |
