Newsies: The Musical- SCERA Shell Outdoor Theater

Newsies: The Musical is an adaptation of the 1992 film of the same name. The musical and film tell the story of the 1899 newsboy’s strike in New York City. Jack Kelly is the fictional leader of the strike helping his fellow newsboys and newsgirls, though dreaming of going to Santa Fe. Newbie Newsie Davey helps lead the strike while younger brother Les tags along. Young female reporter Katherine Plumber is caught up reporting on the strike and in a budding romance with Jack. The Newsies’ strike catches on with other overworked children of New York City caught in impoverished conditions.

Direction:

The show was directed and choreographed by Brodee Ripple. Doing both of those jobs might sound like an impossible feat, but it wasn't for Ripple. The choreography that he chose for each number was engaging and well rehearsed. Each song was rehearsed enough that the actors could do both the challenging choreography and sing without sounding breathless. The number, "The World Will Know," was a stand out. The choreography was powerful and hit every beat of the song. What I loved most about it was the scene change that happened with the choreography. It was SO smooth and it took nothing away from the number. "Seize the Day" choreography was uniform and to the beat. The tap during "King of New York" was in-sync and quite impressive, especially with how many people were tapping together. "Brooklyn's Here," was surprising (in a good way) and was a delight to watch. Every stunt that Ripple added was a joy to watch and brought so much to the show.

The show was music directed by Christain Wawro. Wawro did a phenomenal job with musically directing the cast. Every time the ensemble sang together, it was powerful and strong. The duet during "Santa Fe" with Jack and Crutchie blended well and was a delight to listen to. The vocals during "Seize the Day," were gorgeous. 

Performances: 

Jack Kelly was played by William Madsen. Kelly's accent was very believable. His vocals were good. The end note of "Santa Fe" at the end of Act 1 gave me the chills. Kelly had a strong character he created. He put so much into his performance that you could tell that this was his dream roll. Every stunt he performed brought excitement to the audience. The contrast between Jack and Davey (played by Gage Gillette) was strong and played a good roll into their character when they swap who is taking charge of the strike. 

Crutchie was played by Brayden Phillips. Phillips vocals during "Seize the Day" and "Letter from the Refuge" were strong and gorgeous to listen to. His accent was spot on. Phillips character was well developed and shined every time he was on stage. 

Joseph Pulizer was played by Mike Handy. Knowing that Handy was sick, I was impressed with his vocals. He sang clear and was on key. He played a character that was a delight to hate on. He commanded the stage in a way that made it clear that his character was in charge and didn't care about what others thought.

Medda Larkin was played by Tanika Larsen. Her character was well fleshed out and had a wonderful stage presence. Her vocals were strong and were exactly what you would expect from Medda. She was able to put across a caring persona, but also had the firmness when it was needed. 

The Newsie ensemble as a whole deserves a shout out. They were the best thing about the whole entire show. You could see their passion in every single dance number. They were together and hit every beat. Their vocals were SO good. Every time the group sang together I got the chills.

Design:

The set was designed by Zippy Hellewell. The first thing one notices is how detailed the set was. The brick on the wall was painted well enough that it looked believable from far away. The signage on the wall added to the atmosphere. (I didn't understand why the barber shop sign was the largest sign, since it wasn't a big part of the show.) There were many levels on the stage that made it so everyone in the cast could be seen.

The costume designer was Deborah Bowman. The Newsie costumes were simple, but effective. The newsroom business executives looked professional.  Pulitzer was dressed up more, which was perfect. It gave him the appearance of being rich. The only costume I didn't understand was the one for Medda. She is meant to be a vaudeville performer and her costume didn't give that appearance at all.

The properties designer for the show was Karen Peck. Being one that has propped this show before, I was impressed with her props. Getting that many papers AND making them look as good is hard. Peck accomplished this. The lanterns that the ensemble used were gorgeous. 

The lightning designer for the show was Elizabeth Griffiths. The lights added so much to the show. The coloring of the lights were beautiful. Every time it was night, the lighting changed and looked dark, but it was still bright enough were the actors were able to be seen clearly. 

Hiccups:

During "Don't Come a-Knocking," one of the ensemble dancers accidentally kicked her heel off of her foot. Instead of letting it throw her, she took it like a champ. She slyly picked up her shoe and slid it under her arm. She kept dancing like nothing happened, raising her foot like she still had her heel on. She then slid off stage like nothing happened. 

Twice during the night props were dropped. The first time it took three actors walking on the prop until someone picked it up. The second time it happened the actor made it look like it was supposed to happen and went and retrieved the prop with no problems.

Final Impressions:

This show is a wonderful production for all ages to see. It is family friendly, with swears taken out of it. This is one of the best productions I have seen of Newsies. (I saw it at the Tuacahn and like the SCERA's version more than it.) With it being summer, go take the whole family to see this show. You will not be disappointed. 

Tickets

(Photo credit: Scera)