this musical is a very recent discovery. yes i know im 12 years late to the fandom. yes i don't really care. yes i am going to write one-shots for newsies.
in my personal opinion, Newsies is amazing.
i will fight anyone that disagrees.
but lets talk about it.
CASTING: based off of the live recording at the pantages theatre
- Jeremy Jordan is a literal god. that man can sing Idina Menzel (go look it up on youtube, its there) i personally liked how Jeremy was not only slaying in Santa Fe, but acting through the whole song. Santa Fe is Jack's hope, and Jeremy really incorporated that in his portrayal of Jack. (Corey Cott was also pretty good, but Jeremy is the OG)
- Kara Lindsey is the queen of New York (literally) She portrayed Katherine Pulitzer/Plumber in the best way possible. Katherine was a headstrong woman who wanted to break free of society's norms, and honestly it was amazing
- Ben "Benonce" Fankhauser. wow. that man can riff. (just look up on youtube ben fankhauser riffing, it'll be there) personally, IN MY OPINION i think newsies did him dirty. yes, newsies gave him his big break (in terms of introducing him proffessionally to the world) but he only has a few solos in the musical overall (seize the day, once and for all, watch what happens reprise etc) however, he does a really good job in the acting category, showing the brotherly love with all the little boys who play Les, and with Jeremy and Kara, as Davey, Jack, and Katherine.
- "Hi, my name is Andrew Keenan-Bolger and I play Crutchie in Newsies" need i say more? he added such an innocent side to Crutchie that i didn't know i needed. also his performance in letter from the refuge had me in tears. LIKE UGLY ASS TEARS. but honestly he was an amazing crutchie. it tickles my brain that AKB and Ben Tyler Cook actually knew each other before the live recording (they were both in Tuck Everlasting on broadway)
- Ben Tyler Cook. yes i had to add the middle name. he has an impressive resume, and he's only 26 (as of the time i am writing this) like the fact that this guy had his big break before he turned 10? thats impressive. i love his way of portraying racetrack "race" higgins. and lets face it, the guy can DANCE. like i've never met someone that can dance with a cigar in their mouth. yea.
-JOSHUA BURRAGE. my bby boi, my smol bean. he is too precious for this earth. like his smile is so contagious, and thats final.
(okay, i had to come back and add more, because whats not to like about these dancing singing newsboys)
- Iain Young. aka Finch. although he's not as much a main character, he still gets a good chunk of lines. like the opening moment with Ben and Sky. and asking crutchie about the weather. and getting worried about the cops busting his head. and how spot conlon gets him a little jittery. finch is honestly one of my favorite newsies, and Iain is most likely the reason why. i have some more knowledge of Iain, mainly because he was also in Mean Girls (both on broadway and tour)
- Chaz Wolcott. he doesn't have as many lines as some of the others, but that one interaction between him and ben... Romeo: "what'd ya do wit da one ya had" *scoff* "he traded 'er for a box of cigars..." "HEY DEY WAS CORONAS" like 🤌🏻 (also he's a really good dancer.)
honestly theres not much more that i want to say about the cast. Sky Flahrety, Andy Richardson, Steve Blanchard, Merideth Inglesby and everyone else all slay. also I DIDN'T KNOW THAT STEVE AND MERIDETH WERE MARRIED AND HAD A KID. but Wren is so cute.
also SMALLS the girl newsie. yes smalls didn't make it into the live recording. yes i stilll love smalls. yes i strive to be smalls. yes smalls was played by the same woman who played hannah.
also shout out to the nuns, and their concrete donuts.
MUSIC:
THE MUSIC IS AMAZING.
IF I DIE, PLAY THE KEY CHANGE IN ONCE AND FOR ALL, AND I SHALL LIVE AGAIN.
but in all seriousness, the music is amazing. i love how during scene transitions, there is dance and singing to really help the transitions. yes i know the first song is technically Santa Fe prologue. but carrying the banner really sets the tone for the whole show. there is dancing, singing, dancing, and the introduction of the characters. as well as fun, laughs, smiles, crutchie, dancing, crazy stunts, papers etc. also the carrrying the banner playoff, as well as the little bit with "watching all the ladies watching me" i dunno what to call it.
watch what happens really helps dive into who Katherine is as a person caught between being Pulitzer's daughter and a woman in general.
the World will know is awesome. it captures the newsboy's anger, and while theres little to no dancing, the lyrics and vocals are just *chefs kiss* like the play on words for "the world" genius. and Les' little rant. like GO OFF LITTLE BOY. i feel like you can really see and feel the passion of the newsies, and it's sort of a "boy turns into man" kinda moment.
Once and for all. boom. dead. it has anger, it has passion, it has everything it needs. it turned the strike into something not just for the newsies, but for all kids. and it ends up leading to New York being shut down for a day. it might just be me, but i can CLEARLY hear Ben Fankhauser in the recording. the choreography and the towers moving forward at the same time the key changes is just *chefs kiss again* this is another song that i cried listening to because THOSE HARMONIES. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Santa Fe. slay Jeremy. thats it. not much of an elaboration on this song, since i kinda summed it up in my rant on Jeremy. so ya.
letter to the refuge. im in tears. thats it. same with santa fe, i elaborated a lot about this in AKB's rant.
thats rich. the only song we really get with Medda, but the only song we need with Medda. I love Medda as a character. she was a lot like a mother to Jack, and it showed. thats rich was a lovely song, and while it was just a placeholder, it gave us a feel for what the vaudville house was like, and also what Medda was like.
seize the day. this song is mostly dance, but its one of Ben Fankhausers (very few) solos. its amazing, its upbeat, and it tackles the newsboys energy after being let down by brooklyn. yes it ends in a fight. yes it ends with Crutchie being dragged away. yes. but before that its nice. also, the little seize the day playoffs that are sprinkled everywhere.
BROOKLYN'S HERE. finally. this song had no right to be that good. like, the little instrumental introduction at the beginning, like you KNOW that its gonna slay. also Tommy Bracco is amazing, even though he's short. (i was actually watching Newsies with my family the other day, and after Brooklyn's here, my mother was like, "that boy is short" but Ben Fankhauser is like 6 feet, so i can't tell lmao.
Choreo(grapy)
theres not much to say.
they got a bunch of dancing dudes together. AND IT WORKED. i personally think we need more shows in the theatre industry, that allow for men to dance, and sing in leading roles.
yea. thats really it
scenery:
they have a total of 5 towers, 2 of which that go offstage, and 3 that stay onstage. plus a number of different flys and props. i love how they used the towers to the fullness of their ability, from Snyder's chases, to Once and for all.
now i have written all of this in the span of one hour, non-stop (oh shit not hamilton)
my friends think im weird since i've been furiously typing on my computer like a weirdo.
yes.
if i think of anything else, i will prob make a part two, since i'm lazy and don't want to edit this chapter. (i ended coming back to edit this chapter smh) (TWICE LMAOOOO)
OK BYEEEE
