Seize the Day This Holiday Season

Megan Rose Miller as Katherine (left) and Cobi Tappa as Jack Kelly (right) in Newsies at Waukesha Civic Theatre. Photo credit: Anne Kenny Creative.

A review of Newsies

by Ava Sabel, age 15

Newsies at Waukesha Civic Theatre is an absolute burst of energy, astonishing from start to finish. This theater lovers’ favorite is about a newsie boy named Jack Kelly who dreams about leaving New York and going to Santa Fe. With prices on the rise, Jack as the charming leader helps the newsies decide to go on strike. During this time, Jack meets a reporter named Katherine, who shows interest in the strike—but is she really what she appears to be?

The cast delivers a stellar performance, with vocals that showcase rich harmonies and a full-company sound that captures the spirit of rally cries and empowerment. Vocal Director Nicole McCarty did a fantastic job guiding the ensemble. "Seize the Day” and “Once and For All” were especially impressive, with harmonies that really came together to have the newsies as one unified voice.

The choreography is standout across the board thanks to the work of Abby Rasmussen. This production fully embraces the fast-paced style that Newsies is known for, and the dancers rise to that challenge beautifully. Clean formations, sharp movements, and high-energy leaps kept the momentum up through the show, often earning well-deserved cheers from the audience. Numbers like “King of New York” were incredibly tight and polished, and showed impressive technique. Each newsboy brought their own uniqueness to the numbers which was also fun to see!

The cast’s chemistry brings warmth and charm to the story. You can truly feel the friendship among the newsboys, and the banter between characters keeps the show fun and heartfelt. In particular Jack (Cobi Tappa) and Crutchie (Adam Frontera) stood out as having a really connected bond where you could really see that the characters cared about each other and their dreams.

Overall, Waukesha Civic Theatre’s Newsies is an inspiring, high-impact production full of heart, talent, and the feel-good moments we need this holiday season. If you get the chance to see it, seize the day and go!