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Regional Reviews: Florida - Southern Newsies
The musical loosely follows the story of the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, when a seventeen-year-old newsboy named Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newspaper boys ("newsies") on a two-week-long non-unionized strike against New York City's most powerful newspaper publishers, including Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Newsies is based on the 1992 film of the same name written by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White. Set in New York City in the summer of 1899, Newsies centers on newsboy Jack Kelly, the leader of a ragged band of teenaged newsboys who live mostly on the streets. From his make-shift rooftop home Jack dreams of a better life far away in Santa Fe. He paints pictures of what he thinks it would like for a backdrop of a nearby theatre, owned by kindly Medda Larken. His dreams are not only for himself, however, as it is clear from the beginning that he looks out for his fellow newsies, and that they are his family. When publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise distribution prices at the newsboys' expense, Jack rallies all the newsboys from across the city to strike for what's right. Jack becomes enamored of a strong-willed female reporter named Katherine, who offers to help him further his cause. In the course of planning their protest, Jack and his friends are separated, bullied, and manipulated by Pulitzer who is not about to lose a fight to a bunch of newsboys. The newsies and their supporters band together to "Seize the Day" and claim what is theirs. The touring production bursts with nearly uncontainable physical energy. Exuberant, spunky newsboys cover every inch of the stage with impressively athletic choreography laced with gymnastics. As if the countless leaps, splits, summersaults, and backflips aren't enough to keep you visually occupied, there is a tap dance number as well as a routine in which they dance atop torn pages of newspaper beneath their feet. The talented cast gets through numerous exhausting-looking numbers without even breathing hard. My only complaint about choreography is the incessant cap tugging! Other than that, it is a treat to watch young musical theatre dancers at the top of their game. The tri-level set looks like a wall of fire escapes with bars, rungs and girders. It moves about to accommodate the action with crisp quickness, the actors always a step ahead of it all, frequently doing some of the set/prop moving. The show is visually engaging, as there is always movement, and something new to look at. Award winning composer Alan Menken is probably best known for his numerous scores for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Pocahontas, as well as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Enchanted and Tangled. With that said, the score of Disney's Newsies is best described as enjoyable but predictable. If you're looking for drama or to be moved, this may not be the show for you. The nature of the script follows Disney's standard formula as well. There is nothing truly fresh and new other than a few clever lyrics and rhyme schemes in songs such as "That's Rich." The live orchestra plays the score well, but a bit too loudly at times. On the night attended there was a nearly uniform lack of clarity and volume on the microphones, and some spoken and some sung words were lost. With a stage full of young men seemingly singing so ardently the resulting volume was underwhelming. This production features Dan DeLuca as Jack Kelly. He adds the right edge to his character, but has a somewhat small singing voice. He is well matched with his quirky leading lady Stephanie Styles as Katherine. Angela Grovey as Medda Larkin has a big smile and big stage presence. Zachary Sayle is endearing as Crutchie. But, somehow, this feels like more of an ensemble show than one would expect. No one performer overpowers the others, or emerges as a star. Perhaps this is because the star of Newsies is really the sensational dancing and choreography. Newsies will be appearing on the Lynn Wolfson Stage of the Ziff Ballet Opera House, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, through February 8, 2015, as part of the Broadway in Miami subscription season. The Adrienne Arsht Center is located at 1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33132. For tickets visit www.arshtcenter.org, or call the Box Office at 305-949-6722. FOr more information on the tour, visit www.newsiesthemusical.com. The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is one of the world's leading performing arts organizations and venues. Spotlighting legends and serving as a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage, the Center presents nearly 500 events each year across its eight flexible, state-of-the-art performance spaces. The Center programs 12 signature series, including the largest jazz series in South Florida, the biggest flamenco festival on the East Coast, and a robust program of new theatrical works as well as free programming for the community and an arts education program that serves nearly 30,000 children each year. Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has emerged as a leader in presenting innovative programming that mirrors South Florida's diversity as well as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area. Cast: Crew:
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