NEWSIES Stops the World

From left to right: Copi Tappa as Jack Kelly, Kyla Johnson as Les, Megan Rose Miller as Katherine Plumber, and Jacob Cesar as Davey in Newsies at Waukesha Civic Theatre. Photo credit: Anne Kenny Creative.

A review of Newsies

by Ellory Woodford, age 12

I attended Newsies at Waukesha Civic Theatre on December 4th. Newsies was written by Harvey Fierstein, and this production was directed by Matt Matysik-Przybylski. Newsies the musical is the story of the newsboy strike in 1899 as they fight against Joseph Pulitzer for equal pay and equal rights. This show reminds us that even though we have to deal with challenges on a daily basis, our friends can help guide and support us along the way. The show reminds the audience of the themes that family isn't always in blood, but those who stand with you through it all; that running away won't solve your problems, but fighting them will; and most importantly that young people's voices matter, so let them be heard.  Overall, the production did a good job of character development, creating engaging dance numbers, and bringing familiar songs to life.

The actors in this show portrayed their roles wonderfully. While Newsies is typically fun and exciting, there are certainly moments of anger, fear, and sadness, all of which the actors did an excellent job showing. One moment that stood out to me was "Letter From the Refuge." In this song, we get to see Crutchie, played by Adam Frontera, going through all of these emotions. Frontera did this beautifully, really getting the audience to feel and connect to the character's struggles. Another moment this was shown was during the scene where Jack came to see Pulitzer (Karl Miller), and found out that Katherine was his daughter. All the actors on stage during this scene showed their separate emotions, from betrayed to maliciously gleeful.

Newsies is notorious for the complex dance numbers in the show, with choreography at Civic by Abby Rasmussen. She did a good job of creatively adapting these familiar dance numbers to Civic’s stage. Some specific ones that stand out to me are "King of New York" and "Carrying the Banner." "King of New York" is a tap number, which can be very hard to execute well on stage, especially for teenagers, but is still done well in some cases, including in this production. Civic added to this challenge by incorporating some newsies using cups and spoons instead of tapping in the background. 

Because Newsies is a beloved classic to many, certain songs have certain expectations. One of these songs, "Santa Fe," is a well known classic. Cobbi Tappa, who played the role of Jack, executed this song amazingly. This song is known for the high note at the end that can be very challenging, but Tappa pulled it off with incredible precision. One song that is less known is the song added for the stage musical, the reprise of "Watch What Happens." This song features Katherine (Megan Rose Miller), Davey (Jacob Cesar), Les (Kyla Johnson), and Jack, and has some very impressive harmonies which the four actors all did beautifully. Another vocal moment in the show that was particularly noticeable was in "Once and For All." This song has an electrifying key change in the middle that gave me goosebumps from how well the cast sang it.

I would recommend this show for people of all ages. Its fun and captivating energy could keep a child entertained, but it also holds many powerful messages that can speak to people of all ages. Overall, I would say that this cast did an incredible job of highlighting the idea that friends and found family can help us through life’s greatest challenges, and help us to overcome obstacles that seem impossible, even taking on the world. This was an incredible show and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Catch more shows like this at the Waukesha Civic Theatre!