Now is the time to seize the day! After over a year of live-theatre being suspended due to the Covid-19 Global Pandemic, the world is slowly starting to open up again and that includes the stage. And the stage at Mount Saint Joseph High School with their three-performance production of Disney’s Newsies. Directed by Michael V. Hartsfield with Musical Direction by Susan Esserwein and Choreography by Katie Sheldon and Brook Urquhart, this energizing tale of Newsboys on strike for their rights as working members of society is a fantastic way to welcome audiences back to the stage after such long, dramatic pause.
Newsies has a simple setup— the streets of New York City at the turn of the 20th century and the Technical Crew (featuring director Michael V. Hartsfield, costumer Marge McGugan— with help from LMP and the cast— and Stage Crew Director Stacey Sender) have enticed the audience to suspend our disbelief and join the newsies as they scale the rooftops of Big Apple City over some scaffolding and cleverly placed and painted periaktos. There’s just enough scenery and costume (those of both the Katherine Plumber and Medda Larkin character are worth noting because they standout from the grungy street-urchin aesthetic) to invite the audience into the world of Newsies, allowing the talent of these fine performers and their impressive storytelling capabilities to shine through.
Using a pre-recording of a live pit-orchestra (Mimi McGinness & Justin Tsai, keyboards; Brandon Uebel, guitar; Riley Payne, bass; Mike Alfieri, pit conductor and drums) gave the feel of live music without overwhelming the sound system in the auditorium or adding any unnecessary risks to the production. This production of Newsies was adapted for the current world we live in, which means performing in transparent (and sometimes for ensemble cast, opaque) face masks, occasionally using handheld microphones for spoken lines, and not having live wind instruments present in the pit. These safety precautions were implemented flawlessly and do not detract from the production; its reminiscent of the puppeteers in many newer musicals— you see them on the stage, controlling their puppets, and within minutes you’ve absorbed them as a normal, functioning part of the show. The cast and crew should be commended for how well they were able to adjust to this new, and hopefully temporary, way of performing.
This production is packed full of passionate individuals, loaded with talent and enthusiasm for singing, dancing, storytelling, and overall being a part of the unique and thrilling experience we call live theatre. Everyone from the Police Ensemble (Lily Canuel, Bridget Linthicum, Hans Raven, Chris Smith, Amanda Warren)— who engage in some exhilarating fight choreography at the end of the first act— to the Bowery Beauties (Charlotte ‘CC’ Conklin, Erin Dunaway, Regina Hrabinski, Nina Lindquist, Alize Michaud, Asia Robillard-Hill)— who are featured in an array of Vaudeville-style costumes for a dance number in Miss Medda’s theatre— have a heart and soul to give to this production. Asia Robillard-Hill, who is later cast as the Mayor, is worth noting for her incredible smile, which faces forward during the entire Bowery Beauties feature, and her engaging presence of mind; she feels like she’s in the moment and not at all afraid of her dance moves. When Robillard-Hill delivers her lines as Mayor they are crisp and well-articulated, if delivered with a bit of haste. She’s one to keep an eye on in the ensemble for sure.
Other impressive, featured players include the pristinely polished Chris Smith as Governor Teddy Roosevelt. While the Governor only appears near the show’s conclusion and has just a smattering of lines, Smith delivers them with a robust richness that makes the character feel honest, rather than the cliché of “trying to be Teddy Roosevelt”, which is easy to fall into when playing a historical character. Snyder The Spider (Andrew Whipp), Wiesel (Joseph Darrow) and The Delancey Brothers Oscar (Jordan Robinson) and Morris (Lucy Peters) are your stereotypical Disney ‘baddie’ for this show. Whipp has a mean streak a mile wide as the vicious and nefarious ‘Master of the Refuge’ and when he takes to chasing Jack Kelly across the stage, he moves like a very, spindly, speedy spider! Joseph Darrow, as the reedy and disagreeable Wiesel— often called Weasel by the newsies— delivers a great vocal affectation for the character and has a good handle on how to deliver his lines with punch. Jordan Robinson and Lucy Peters are the ‘muscle’ when it comes to keeping those newsies in check and both are great when it comes to throwing and taking stage-combat punches.
The real ‘baddie’ in Newsies is the man in the high tower, Joseph Pulitzer (Aidan Donnelly.) The role of Pulitzer toes a fine line, treading on being a mere antagonist to a raging, bullying Goliath and Donnelly does a fine job of finding the balance between those two aspects of the character. There’s a subtleness to the way Donnelly brings Pulitzer to life, so much so that you almost don’t want to dislike the character at first. With a clean voice for singing “The Bottom Line”, Donnelly eases into the role of “antagonizing villain” or “villainous antagonist” and really has the world turned against Pulitzer by the time the show wraps to its conclusion.
One can’t talk about Newsies without mentioning all of the dancing. The Mount Saint Joseph High School production has been blessed with seasoned choreographers Katie Sheldon and Brook Urquhart who worked to recreate the emotional feel of some of the Broadway Production’s original choreography while maintaining a level of clean execution suitable for the skill level of burgeoning high school performers. Urquhart, who has meted out crisp marching moves for “Carrying the Banner”, lends an athletic flare to the choreographic routine featured during “Seize The Day.” The Crutchie character, played by Zach Polignone, hops over his ‘bum’ leg in a very impressive feat, only to be outdone by a full-bodied flip executed near the end of the number by newsies ensemblists Ryan Wilson.
And the daring feats of mesmerizing choreography don’t stop there. Co-choreographer Katie Sheldon unites the company during “The World Will Know”, with fist-pumping, foot-stomping, meticulous turns and moves that match the driving vocal strength of this intense first-act number. Sheldon also brings her strong working knowledge of tap-dance to the front of the show for “King of New York”, which kicks off the top of the second act. There’s tapping, broom-splashing, and even some spoon-playing that Sheldon has worked into the number, all in homage to the original Broadway choreography. Featured praises go out to Felicity Robertson (playing Newsie Elmer) and Amanda Brotzman (playing Newsie Buttons) as they take on the tap solo featured during this number. Robertson is fierce as she leads the tap-solo-feature, accompanied by Brotzman to really thrill the audience with fancy footwork. And let’s not forget Race (Enzo Leone) who is a powerhouse tap force all his own, doing splits with Davy (Lukas O’Boyle) towards the end of this number as well.
The aforementioned Enzo Leone is a true triple threat when it comes to performing. He can sing, with a beautiful, crystal-carrying voice that lights up his solo-feature moments every time he opens his mouth. He can dance, as he proves with gusto and vigor during “King of New York” and he is snappy with the comic timing from the beginning with the cigars, right through all the bits leading into the second act opener. Leone is an impressive force on stage and will catch the audiences’ eye easily. Other standout Newsies include the mouthy Spot Conlon (Nina Lindquist) of Brooklyn, Romeo (Alphonso Faltz) who is an impressive dancer and has excellent delivery of his feature line when the Katherine Plumber character calls him out for trying to be a little too charming, and Les (Casey Scott), who is the ten-year-old little brother of Davey. Scott, who is clearly not ten, does a great job of acting the younger age and gives the character a great amount of pluck, especially when delivering funny lines in Miss Medda’s Theatre.
Davey (Lukas O’Boyle) is a good, mellow companion for the fiery, hot-headed Jack Kelly. O’Boyle has a strong voice which carries through “Seize The Day” and other harmonies that he delivers in trio and quartet throughout the production. O’Boyle is a good storyteller and that’s important in any show but especially in Newsies where so much can easily get lost in the spectacle of the flashy choreography and the big musical numbers.
Zach Polignone, playing the iconic Crutchie, is a kid to keep an eye on in the future. With an astonishing and impressive level of commitment to his character’s physical limitations, Polignone creates a sympathetic, earnest character in his delivery of Crutchie. There is something humble and open and yet indefatigably genial in the way Polignone brings Crutchie to life. His song, which is spoken and sung in equal parts, “Letter From the Refuge” is both beautiful and tragic. Polignone manages to keep the character’s outlook hopeful, even in the bleakest of moments, which brings a great amount of raw emotion out into the audience for theatergoers to feel and share. He understands the balance of sincerity and comedy and handles both sublimely.
As Newsies has just two major scripted female roles— the leading lady Katherine Plumber and the comic support of Miss Medda Larkin— Sydney McGee tackles the challenge of creating this larger-than-life character out of Medda Larkin, biggest name in the Bowery. Coming into her own vocally, McGee does not shy away from really pushing the lower octaves of her vocal range during “That’s Rich”, a song which exists in the show for sheer entertainment and comic relief. McGee has a strong stage presence, with a sassy attitude that precedes her character’s lines every time she steps on stage. Her use of body language and physical comportment gets everyone to notice— she’s a real scene stealer in the best way possible.
With a voice you’d swear was professional, Isabelle Somma absorb the role of Katherine Plumber and truly makes it her own while living firmly in the confines that Disney has scripted for the character. Somma brings a refreshing personality to Katherine Plumber, making her more than just the “Jack Kelly love interest/plot-twist come home” that Disney intended for the character. The way Somma crafts chemistry between Katherine and Jack Kelly is superb; it’s a zesty bubble which rockets hard and fast between them, really driving the story’s narrative forward. Her vocal prowess is both mesmerizing and striking. She finds the perfect balance for the vocally complex number “Watch What Happens” which features switchbacks from high-octane patter to smooth belting; Somma masters them all. The audience is along for an emotionally intense roller coaster ride during this number, which is pristinely navigated and delivered by Somma. She’s even got some fancy footwork of her own, featured during “King of New York”, making this girl an ultimate well-rounded performer.
With dreams as big as the show itself, Patrick Scott becomes Jack Kelly and gives the audience everything they could hope for from the orphan-turned-strike-leader character. Scott has a sturdy voice, capable of vividly expressing emotion and carrying clear, sustainable notes through all renditions of “Santa Fe” and other solo features throughout the performance. Scott’s Jack Kelly is pumped full of emotion, vim and vigor, and a will to really make change in the world of Newsies. One of the most stunning moments is the end of act one where Scott delivers the “Santa Fe” reprise and there is fear and furry, anger and anguish present in his vocal sound, all of which ring through crystal clear without muddling the lyrics as he belts out the number from the scaffolding tops of the set. Scott moves lively on his feet as a dancer and carries a good deal of the charging energies required to ignite the flames of change and revolution during numbers like “The World Will Know” and “Seize the Day.”
Courage cannot erase our fear; courage is when we face our fear— and now is the time— to do as the newsies say— get out if you are able and feel the joy that is live theatre; what better way to do so than with this delightful production of Disney’s Newsies?
Newsies runs three live performances through Sunday April 25, 2021 in the Mount Saint Joseph High School Knott Fine Arts Auditorium. For viewing options please visit the school’s website, or you can purchase a live-stream pass here.