Review: Newsies - Summer 2018

Disney's Broadway musical Newsies hits the stage this summer in Kansas City through a collaboration between The Coterie and White Theatre at The J. This first-time partnership produced a spectacular, charming, and crowd-pleasing production that brought the audience to their feet from the very start of the cast bows.

You may recall the 90s film starring Christian Bale. This film is either loved or hated and there doesn't seem to be much in-between. It is my belief that the problem is that Newsies was meant to be performed on stage. On stage, you get the drama, the emotion, the power of this group of ragtag newsboys and their passion. On stage, the songs are moving and entertaining, and film simply could not do it justice. This show belongs on stage.

This week, I took my 10-year-old daughter to see Newsies and she was absolutely enthralled. She loved every minute of the show and especially enjoyed the big musical numbers - clapping with total sincerity in awe at the choreography and music. She begged for the soundtrack on the way home and wants to see the show again. This show was absolutely phenomenal.

The cast of Disney's Newsies, a co-production of The Coterie and The White Theatre at The J . Directed & choreographed by Jerry Jay Cranford with music directed by Pam Williamson, Disney's Newsies is live on stage at The White Theatre, July 7-29, 2018. Photo by Rich Fabac and courtesy of The Coterie Theatre and The White Theatre at The J.

Newsies is a family-friendly show ideal for older elementary students and up. The show is set in New York City in the early 1900s as three publishing titans run the newspapers and influence the world. Business is down for the newspaper business. The war is over and the headlines are dull. To raise revenue, the wealthy newspaper owner, Joseph Pulitzer (played by Ron Meyer), raises the distribution prices requiring newsboys (who sell the papers on the streets, and purchase the papers before selling them - with no refund) to pay the higher rate out of pocket. These young men are living on the streets or at "The Refuge" and need every penny they can earn to survive. Led by the charismatic Jack Kelly (played by Noah Lindquist), the boys strike. Newsies is the story of their strike.

Along the way, a young female reporter, Katherine Plumber (played by Kelly Urschel), is captivated by the boys' plight and makes it her mission to write a compelling story with an angle that will bring about justice for the fledgling Union. The story bares a twist, a romance, and a lot of drama along the way.

Newsies showing thru July 29 at the White Theatre at The J (5801 W 115 St, Overland Park, KS). Purchase tickets at: www.thewhitetheatre.org or Call: 913.327.8054

Newsies features showstopping musical numbers by Alan Renken and Jack Feldman. With top-notch choreography and stunts (we lost count of how many back flips, hand stands, splits, and flips we saw), and an amazing chorus, the audience cheered for Carrying the Banner, The World Will Know, Seize the Day, and King of New York. The lead performers were outstanding. Noah Lindquist's vocals as Jack Kelly were stellar. Kelly Urschel's solos as Katherine Plumber were powerful and strong. All of the Newsies performed magnificent choreography and singing. The young, mostly local, cast found the perfect show to showcase their talents.

The cast of Disney's Newsies, a co-production of The Coterie and The White Theatre at The J . Directed & choreographed by Jerry Jay Cranford with music directed by Pam Williamson, Disney's Newsies is live on stage at The White Theatre, July 7-29, 2018. Photo by Rich Fabac and courtesy of The Coterie Theatre and The White Theatre at The J.

We give Newsies two hearty thumbs up! Your family will love this summer's musical production. Bonus: It is INSIDE! This is a great way to beat the heat!