WHAT: Newsies
WHERE: Seacoast Rep
BLURB: The vitality and passion are palpable
HIGH POINT: Incredible song and dance routines
TL;DR: A rousing musical, with incredible dance
Extra Extra: Newsies is a truly entertaining piece of theater - tight, well-performed, perfectly choreographed, smartly dressed and with impeccably musical accompaniment.
The show's score is by Alan Menken, with lyrics by Jack Feldman and book by Harvey Fierstein.
The storyline is based on the historical Newsboys Strike of 1899. While the play's characters and personal stories are fictionalized, the strike was real.
The newsies, kids 10 through early 20s, banded together, formed a union and took to the street to stand up to newspaper magnates Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, after their papers cut their profits.
In the musical, Jack Kelly (Matthew Clemetson) is one of hundreds of newsboys working for a Joseph Pulitzer (Jamie Bradley) selling "The World" publication. When it and other companies raise the prices hawkers pay for the papers they sell, Kelly convinces the newsies, including newcomer Davey (Jared LeMay) (and little brother Les played by Holden King-Farbstein), to form a union and strike.
Over time independent reporter Katherine Plumber (Morgan Kyle) comes to believe in the cause, and assists them in their charge.
The Manhattan newsies ask sellers in other New York Boroughs to join the cause, which proves a tough uphill battle.
The musical has five principal roles. But the importance of the 15 additional newsies makes it play more as an ensemble. It's as if the sellers are one, mighty and equal character with multiple personalities.
The unique, organic structure does nothing to detract from the principles; each delivers a strong acting and vocal performance.
Clemetson's Jack exudes a sense of born leadership. Both LeMay and King-Farbstein as brothers Davey and Les respectfully, deliver smooth performances, while Kyle as Katherine brings the spunk, not to mention the love interest.
Alexandra Mullaney is Medda Larkin, the saloon singer who offers the boys refuge in her business. Once again Mullaney delivers a perfectly polished performance.
Oh, and Bradley as Pulitzer? A delicious, dastardly bad guy.
Back to the newsies. Whether they have more fleshed out characters like Aidan Campbell as Crutchie (the perfect sidekick), handle principal dance roles, or just add to the riot in the street - they're all on point! Ditto for the additional ensemble performers.
This show is rife with dance; real dance, exuberant dance, and once again that word - powerful. The main hoofers in this show really deliver. There's the crowd-favorite tap, modern pieces, back flips, cartwheels, Balletic leaps and lots of rhythmic foot-stomping, making for some truly exciting scenes.
Given the incredible amount of dance numbers it makes sense Jason Faria, longtime Rep choreographer, actor and director, is at the helm of this one.
Faria weaves the show's movement beautifully, the scene changes, staging, and yes the dance routines that bring the necessary vitality.
This is no small feat, with this production. With as many as 30-plus people on stage, the smaller space could easily be overwhelmed. But Faria successfully works the logistics to achieve the needed immediacy and pulse the show requires for success.
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