Newsies – Courtesy of Addie McMillan & Joey Mervis. Used with permission.
Newsies – Courtesy of Addie McMillan & Joey Mervis. Used with permission.
The energy radiating from the stage of the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts at Butler University was vivid during Wednesday’s preview of Newsies, the Broadway musical presented by Summer Stock Stage before a sold-out audience. That spark was matched by the enthusiasm of an adoring crowd.
Since 2003, Summer Stock Stage has given young artists from Central Indiana high schools a place to develop their voices, sharpen their craft and experience the demands of full-scale musical theater. The organization pairs student performers with experienced teaching artists, using ambitious productions and educational programs to build confidence, collaboration and a stronger local theater community. This production brought together a cast of 40, including two adults and 14 young performers from the SSS Academy (Grades 1-9), Under the assured direction of Devan O’Malia Mathias, the production reached a level of finish that helps distinguish SSS from many youth arts programs.
Newsies. – Courtesy of Addie McMillan & Joey Mervis. Used with permission.
Newsies has taken a winding path from screen to stage. The story first appeared as Disney’s 1992 film, drawing on the real Newsboys Strike of 1899, when young newspaper sellers in New York pushed back against powerful publishers. Its stage version later sharpened that underdog spirit with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman and a book by Harvey Fierstein, premiering at Paper Mill Playhouse in 2011 before reaching Broadway the following year.
The score is built to move, and that is a large part of its appeal. Songs such as “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” “Santa Fe,” “King of New York” and “The World Will Know” do more than fill the air; they push the story forward with a mix of hustle, hope and defiance. The music gives the newsboys room to sound scrappy one moment and soaring the next, while the lyrics keep returning to practical things — work, hunger, loyalty and the need to be heard. That balance is what makes the score easy to like without feeling empty.
Newsies – Courtesy of Addie McMillan & Joey Mervis. Used with permission.
As interpreted by a cast that showed exceptional vocal talent and supported by an 11-piece professional band led by music director-keyboardist Mike Raunick, the score — further strengthened by Zach Rosing’s sound design — became the driving force of the production.
Choreographer Philip Crawshaw captured both the exuberance and excitement of the young performers while shaping their movement with real artistry and impeccable technique. The dancing had the rush and release the score demands, but it was also clean, disciplined and sharply detailed. Lilly White’s tap choreography for the spectacular Act II opening, “King of New York,” deserves particular praise, giving the number a buoyant precision that matched the cast’s infectious energy.
Among the leads, Clive Guitdry as Jack Kelly, Sylvi Phillips as Katherine, Gabe Matthew as Crutchie, Ethan Wood as Davey and Teddy Wiegand as Les turned in performances that reflected their triple-threat talent and strong training. Also noteworthy were Keliyah Vincent as Hedda Larkin, Peter Scharrough as Joseph Pulitzer and Thomas Bowling as Roosevelt.
Newsies. Courtesy of Addie McMillan & Joey Mervis. Used with permission.
The production values had a Broadway-level sheen that immediately lifted the evening beyond what one might expect from a youth-centered company. Set designer David Orr, costume designer Allison Jones, lighting designer Michael Moffatt and wig designer Drew Bryson created a stage picture that felt complete, stylish and professionally finished, with each visual element serving the momentum and scale of the show.
Taken together, Summer Stock Stage’s Newsies offered the rush of a big-hearted Broadway musical with the polish, discipline and excitement of a production that far exceeded expectations. The run, which continues through June 19, is sold out, but readers can visit summerstockstage.com for information and tickets to the company’s next production, Dear Evan Hansen, running Aug. 5-9.
