Newsies
| Musical dates | |
|---|---|
| Original title: | Newsies |
| Original language: | English |
| Music: | Alan Menken |
| Book: | Harvey Fierstein |
| Lyrics: | Jack Feldman |
| Premiere: | September 25, 2011 |
| Place of premiere: | Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, New Jersey |
| Place and time of the action: | Lower Manhattan in the summer of 1899 |
| Roles / people | |
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Newsies is a musical based on the 1992 Disney film Newsies , which focuses on the New York newspaper boys' strike in 1899. The world premiere was in 2011 and from 2012 to August 2014 the musical ran on New York's Broadway .
content
1st act
Newsboy Jack Kelly, who dreams of one day leaving New York and moving to Santa Fe, lives with numerous other newsboys, most of whom are orphans and homeless, in a home in Manhattan. While buying the latest newspapers in the morning, Jack meets Davey and his little brother Les, who, unlike the others, have a home and a family. Since her father became unemployed due to an accident at work, they too have to earn money as a newsboy.
When Jack meets the young journalist Katherine Plumber, he tries to flirt with her, but is turned down by her. When the newsboys learn that Joseph Pulitzer , the editor of New York World , has raised the purchase prices of the newspapers, which further detracts from their low earnings, they organize a strike led by Jack. Katherine sees her opportunity to promote her career as a journalist by reporting on the strike. However, through the use of police and scabs, the strike fails and Jack's best friend, Crutchie, is beaten up and arrested.
2nd act
The next morning, when Katherine shows the news boys that her article about the strike made the front page of rival New York Sun , they are thrilled and filled with hope. But Jack doesn't want to put the news boys in danger again. When the others remind him that Crutchie needs to be freed, however, he begins to reconsider his mind.
In the New York World publishing building, Katherine secretly overhears a conversation in which Pulitzer learns that Jack is an escaped criminal who has stolen food and clothing. When Jack arrives to confront Pulitzer, Pulitzer offers him a deal: if he can see that the strike is canceled, Pulitzer will not only pay off his debts but also give him enough money to go to Santa Fe can. When Jack learns that Katherine is Pulitzer's daughter, he is deeply disappointed that she has kept this from him.
In the meantime, Spot Conlon, leader of the Brooklyn newspaper boys, has declared solidarity with the Manhattan newspaper boys and wants to work with them for better working conditions. But when Jack gathers the newspaper boys, he reluctantly recommends that they accept Pulitzer's offer. The other news boys are shocked and turn away from Jack. When Jack and Katherine meet again, she assures him that she was always on his side and criticizes him for not trusting her with the truth about his criminal past. When she sees a drawing by Jack showing the conditions in the home, she realizes that Jack stole the food and clothes for the other newsboys to help them.
Finally, the two help the other newspaper boys with the publication of their own strike newspaper, which reaches Governor Theodore Roosevelt, who takes their side. With his back to the wall, Pulitzer agrees to demand that any unsold newspaper be bought back from the newsboys so that they don't bear the loss. Crutchie is liberated, the home is closed and the strike is over. When Jack wants to say goodbye to Katherine in order to finally move to Santa Fe, Katherine explains that she wants to follow him everywhere. Finally, Jack decides to stay in New York and continue working as a newsboy.
Music track
1st act
- overture
- Santa Fe (Prologue) - Jack and Crutchie
- Carrying the Banner - Ensemble
- The Bottom Line - Pulitzer, Seitz, Bunsen, Hannah and Nunzio
- That's Rich - Medda
- Don't Come A-Knocking / I Never Planned on You - Jack, Katherine and Bowery Beauties
- The World Will Know - Jack, Davey, Les, and Newsboy
- The World Will Know (Reprise) - Jack, Davey, Les, and Newsboy
- Watch What Happens - Katherine
- Seize the Day - Davey and Ensemble
- Santa Fe - Jack
2nd act
- King of New York - Davey, Les, Katherine and Newsboy
- Watch What Happens (Reprise) - Jack, Davey, Katherine and Les
- The Bottom Line (Reprise) - Pulitzer, Seitz and Mayor
- Brooklyn's Here - Spot Conlon and Newsboy
- Something to Believe In - Jack and Katherine
- Seize the Day (Reprise) - Newsboy
- Once and for All - Jack, Davey, Les, Katherine, Darcy, Bill, and Newsboy
- Seize the Day (Reprise) - Davey and Newsboy
- Finale - ensemble
Performances
- September 25, 2011 - October 16, 2011: Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, New Jersey
- March 15, 2012 - August 24, 2014: Nederlander Theater, Broadway, New York City (1,005 performances)
- from October 2014: North America tour
- February 2017 - Cinema screening of a recording of the Broadway production in Germany, Austria and other countries.
Sound carrier
- Newsies - The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording, 2012)