My Book of Broadway

Newsies

So this is my official Newsies chapter!

So when I first heard of Newsies I was really skeptical because it was described to me as the "Broadway equivalent to a boyband" and immediately I thought it was overrated and overly happy and pop. (No offense to boybands I happen to like some) but that's just where my mind immediately went. So last summer I listened to it, and completely expected to hate it. As you all know that was wonderfully not the case and I actually loved it.

So then eventually I watched the original movie and enjoyed it and whatever. And then of course as you also know I saw the new filmed live version of the show last Saturday.

~~~~~~~

Favorite Character: Jack Kelly. I'm sure you guys would have never ever guessed that huh?! No, but Jack is actually one of my favorite characters of all time. He's got such a charming and tough personality on the outside but really he's sad and insecure which makes for great character development. *spoiler* After, Crutchie is taken to the refuge all Jack wants to do is give up. I love that because it's so much more of a real-life kind of thing. And I know that Newsies is based on a true story, but I mean that in real life you don't always get those completely resilient people who just keep going no matter what. Everyone has a breaking point and when Jack realizes that he's hurting the only sense of family he ever had, he gives up and he breaks... just like any normal person would! However, after he picks himself back up and does what he can to save his friend with the same confidence and charm he had in the beginning. He's actually a character I really look up to because of his way to bounce back and just the fact that he is a leader, but it proves that leaders don't have to be fearless. That's something I'll always love about him.

Least Favorite Character: Pulitzer. Usually I don't just hate the villains because they're villains, I usually like them better but something about Pulitzer has always made me angry. Because I know of his real life history I think that's why I find him so awful. He wasn't a good person in real life and since the musical depicts real life I just can't get around him. He really made life difficult for those kids as if it wasn't hard enough for them and just because all he cared about was money and his business. Business is important but so is human decency!

Favorite Song: Again... I bet you guys can't guess... yeah it's Santa Fe. I know that's like super cliche but it's such a good song. The emotion and meaning behind it is just so wonderful. This song ties so much into why I love Jack as a character so much. Also it's such a wonderful look at human life. Everyone has a safe place. Everyone has a place they want to go when they feel broken and need to get away. Of course this is much more extreme for Jack and his circumstances but I feel like it's something almost everyone can relate to on some level. Not to mention the song itself is just gorgeous. It's melody and lyrics are all just wonderfully done and thought out.

Least Favorite Song: I don't think I have one at all... If I had to choose I'd say maybe Brooklyn's Here? Only because it's the shortest. It's one of my favorite moments though....

Original Movie or Musical: No doubt, the musical! The movie isn't bad at all but it definitely has its flaws.... specifically the lack of Katherine and the existence of Sarah.... For those who aren't aware, in the original movie Sarah is Davey's sister and she and Jack fall in love.. it's quite random and she's barely in it. The addition of Katherine as a reporter and everything worked a lot better I think. Also Christian Bale is not a very talented singer... he's not awful like he's fine I guess but it's nothing compare to Jeremy or Dan or even Corey. Not to mention the new musical has a lot of lyrical changes that I prefer a lot. Again the movie is pretty good and I'd watch it again, in fact I've seen it several times, but having see both (ish) I prefer the changes and cast of the musical.

Jeremy or Corey: Okay I know this answer to this is actually so obvious, like you all know I prefer Jeremy, but I just want to talk about Corey and why I prefer Jeremy. I think Corey is incredibly talented. He has an amazing voice and I like a lot of other things he sings. However, there's something about his Jack that doesn't quite do it for me. It's not bad by any means but with his Santa Fe specifically I think he either under or over acts without finding that medium that I love. There are so many times when I listen to various versions of his Santa Fe and it doesn't bring me to the same kind of emotion that Jeremy's does. Sometimes he doesn't sound as if he's emotional either so that's obviously part of the reason why. And then other times he's a bit too over the top and too loud or yelly I suppose. However, most of the time he seems bored until the very end where he then either over or underacts. I think that also just goes along with his voice... I don't think it suits Jack as well as Jeremy's does, it's too smooth and melodic where when Jeremy plays Jack his voice is a bit rougher. And even before the more emotional part towards the end, Corey doesn't give it that dreamy kind of sense that I love. I'm not sure if that makes sense but I hope you can get a sense of what I mean. It just doesn't have the same feeling based on how he chooses to sing it I guess. Thus I prefer Jeremy's based on the way it makes me feel and just the sound of his voice. It's a bit hard to explain I guess but I hope you got my point!

~~~~~~~

Okay so just so you all know these are just my opinions and aren't meant to be offensive. Specifically when I talk about Corey, I know a lot of people who really like him and that's great! And I mean no offense to him either!

But yeah I hope you enjoyed this and I promise I'll stop talking about Newsies now! However it's playing again in America on March 4th in theaters and I am so so excited!!!

So yeah I hope you guys enjoyed! And as always thank you for all the reads and lovely comments! You're all really sweet!