At The Arts Hub, crisp direction and a strong cast bring to life a long-ago newspaper war
The Disney musical Newsies is enjoying a full-on resurgence in Colorado, with two major productions in the metro area in Lakewood and Lafayette. Much to my delight, I had the opportunity to see the production presented by The Arts Hub in Lafayette and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Directed and choreographed by Jessica Swanson, this production of Newsies is a high-energy, show-stopping musical that has something for everyone.
Newsies is a true story about a real-life newsboys’ strike in New York City in 1899. The title is derived from the common name, “newsies,” bestowed upon the young people who hawked newspapers for extremely low wages. When the powers-that-be decided to raise the price of newspapers, our protagonist, Jack Kelly (Jason Jones), decides to take it upon himself to fight the titans of the newspaper industry including Joseph Pulitzer (Adam Odekirk) to save the Newsies from being squeezed out of selling their papers. In the meantime, Jack falls in love with Katherine (Olivia Vail), a reporter who happens to be covering the strike for a prominent newspaper. This adds a level of intrigue to the storyline that neatly plays out with a happy resolution.
In the role of Jack Kelly, Jones is extremely charismatic. He is a triple threat with strong acting, singing and dance skills that help to capture his high-octane performance swirling through the production. In the role of Katherine, Vail is the perfect ingenue and love interest for Kelly. Giving a superb performance, Vail shines a bright light on the action whenever she is on stage. Her comedic timing is impeccable, and her singing voice fills the auditorium.
Others in the cast who give standout performances include Zane Zakroff as Davey — the new kid on the block, and Issy Leustig as Crutchie, Kelly’s best friend. Both actors are appealing and give solid characterizations that prove to be invaluable contributions to the overall strong cast. A particular highlight of the production is Eli Harvey as Roosevelt. In a unique performance, Harvey manages to steal the show within a very short period with her take on Roosevelt, the governor of New York. Harvey is knee-slapping hilarious.
As directed and choreographed by Jessica Swanson, Newsies is clean and crisp with energy that never lets up. The dance moves are fully realized by the cast and move the action along with joyful exuberance. With a large cast with 27 performers, Swanson manages to find the right combination of intimacy and full-out performance values.
There is no doubting the fact that the music by Alan Menken (also known for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast) and lyrics by Jack Feldman create an atmospheric time bomb reaching new heights with every musical number. Harvey Fierstein’s book offers a powerful and polished story through smart and oftentimes thought-provoking dialogue.
My theatre companion and I traveled to Lafayette on one of the coldest days of the year, never reaching above zero degrees all day. Despite the bitter cold temperatures, it was well worth a trip to The Arts Hub for this excellent and winning production of Newsies.
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