Disney’s ‘Newsies the Musical’ @ The Firehouse Theatre
—Hannah Kneen
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Disney’s Newsies the Musical is running at The Firehouse Theatre from July 20 to August 13. The hit Broadway show, based on the 1899 Newsboys Strike in New York City (and the 1992 Disney movie, of course), is directed by Kris Allen and choreographed by Bethany Lorentzen, with musical direction by Kristal Seid.
The show kicks off with protagonist Jack Kelly (Max Morgan) sharing his dream of a wide-open, free life in “Santa Fe” with Crutchie (Tyler Halbrooks), a fellow “newsie” who uses a crutch as a walking aid. The newsboys who sell papers on the streets face tough living conditions, and barely eke out enough money to feed themselves and buy the “papes” they re-sell each day.
When newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer (Beau Dameron), concerned only with his bottom line, raises the price of his newspapers, he sparks anger and discontent—and the newsboys make an attempt to unionize. Jack is voted president, Davey (Galileo Segura) is the brains of the movement, and Katherine (Emily Frerich) writes an article about their strike that makes front-page news.
Their effort is not all smooth sailing, however, and Pulitzer doesn’t pull punches. Violence breaks out and the newsies are thrashed. Many of them fear being caught and placed in Snyder’s (Lucas Haupert) “Refuge”—a newsies boardinghouse that’s more like a prison.
Jack fears his actions will only get people hurt, but Katherine, Davey, and Davey’s cute little brother Les (Lola Chabot) urge him to move forward. At the end of the day Jack must decide if he believes this group of Davids can take on Goliath. And as Katherine teaches him, dreaming is all well and good, but it must be backed with action to become reality.
The whole cast works together perfectly—exactly what’s needed for such an ensemble-focused show. Emily Frerich’s Katherine is a joy to watch; she’s filled with attitude, takes no nonsense, and plays off Max Morgan’s Jack nicely. Tyler Halbrooks’s Crutchie is exactly as earnest and sincere as the part demands. And Lucas Haupert’s performance deserves mention as well. He plays both the shy Seitz (who works for Pulitzer) and the nasty Snyder who chases and locks up the newsboys. The switch between these two very different characters was seamless; I probably would not have noticed the two roles were being played by the same actor if I hadn’t been looking carefully at the program.
I was very impressed with Firehouse for pulling off this big show in such a small space. Scenic designers and builders Logan Uhtenwoldt and Maggie Sproul have created a multi-level set that allows the actors a lot of freedom and space to play. One large section moves to different positions throughout the show, providing space for dancing and a climbable platform to be used as needed.
Overall, the use of space and the ensemble work was fantastic. Thanks to choreographer Lorentzen, assistant Isaiah Christopher, and dance captain Abbey Copeland, the dancing was very well-executed and clean—not an easy thing to do with a large cast on a small stage. No one lagged behind and the whole production worked like a well- oiled machine. The singing was strong, and musical director Kristal Seid, along with sound designer Michael Marby, put together a sound I couldn’t fault if I tried.
This may not be Broadway, but TFT’s Newsies is sure to be a fun night out—and a great way to get yourself in the rebellious spirit.
WHEN: July 20 - August 13, 2023
WHERE: The Firehouse Theatre, 2535 Valley View Lane, Farmers Branch, TX
