This weekend I had the rare opportunity to see a Broadway Show from a movie theater in Scranton, Pennsylvania. An opportunity, I simply couldn’t pass up. Newsies, the Broadway Musical, filmed the stage production with the original case and the footage appeared in movie theaters for three select showings. Having been an obsessive fan of the movie for as long as I can remember, the concept of a stage production always filled me with a little bit of horror and a whole lot of fear. Now, I never expected the Broadway production to be bad but I’m something of a traditionalist when it comes to films being adapted into musicals (The Lion King, Grease, Mary Poppins to name a few). That being said, I was cautiously optimistic but I still have some thoughts….
First off, Jeremy Jordan is the absolute perfect casting for Jack Kelly on the stage. However, he lacks the charisma of a young Christian Bale and doesn’t dance nearly as much as Bale does in the film. What Jordan lacks in dancing abilities he makes up in vocal abilities. His rendition of “Santa Fe” had me, a girl with her heart set on living in Manhattan, dreaming of New Mexico in a bizarre twist of events. The alterations to Jack Kelly’s character make the character seem more personable and human. In the stage production, we see Jack Kelly as an aspiring artist, drawing his way out of his circumstances and inspiring his fellow Newsies.
Jordan’s love interest in the show is Katherine Plumber played by Kara Lindsey. Plumber is a rising reporter hoping her story on the Newsies strike will turn her into a serious reporter. This is a break from the film version, where Jack Kelly’s love interest is the sister of one of the Newsies. This change in love interest was more plausible and allowed for greater character development in terms of Jack Kelly. The biggest problem, I had with the stage production was that the story takes place in 1899 when female reporters were an unknown commodity. This change makes it seem as if they are trying to alter history in a way that is not plausible given the timeline.
I truly can not say enough wonderful things about Ben Fankhauser who plays Davey in the stage production. Serving as Jack’s right-hand-man and truly the brain’s behind the strike, Fankhauser’s version of Davey is likable, boyishly handsome and inspiring in all the right ways. I found myself absolutely flooded by emotion during his version of “Seize the Day” in ways I had never been while watching the film.
Andrew Keenan-Bolger is heart wrenching and humorous as Crutchie, the handicapped Newsie just trying to make a living. The opening of the production is a duet of Santa Fe with both Crutchie and Jack as they discuss their future as friends escaping their circumstances. The relationship between Crutchie and Jack is magnified in the stage production making the story more about a family than a group of lonely orphans. The focus on the stage production is more on the individuals rather than their horrible circumstances as orphaned teenagers.
The stage production adds six songs to the original score, which were effortlessly included into the storyline and beautifully written. These additional songs showcase additional characters that don’t even sing in the film. Major changes are brought to the order of songs in the show in a way that I think better suits the storyline. The staging of the Broadway production is absolutely spectacular and I credit that entirely to the sets they use and the extraordinarily talented cast. The sets are artfully constructed and effectively move the plot along. The sets are both interactive and brilliantly mobile.
Far and beyond the highlight of the production was the choreography. Kenny Ortega’s choreography from the original production is amazing but never have I ever seen dancing as spectacular and unique as in the Broadway production. Dancing on floor is extremely difficult, these actors were dancing on spinning newspaper and I was absolutely mesmerized.
The stage production makes major changes in terms of plot which overall seem to make more sense to the characters and basic storyline of the show. However, a good portion of the dialogue from the original film remains as does the sense of humor. I walked into the movie theater, a skeptical viewer and left amazed by the production and it’s alterations. If you get the chance to see the production in theaters, I encourage you to “Seize the Day” and head to your local movie theater!