NYTimes.com: THE 1992 Disney movie “Newsies,” inspired by the 1899 newsboy strike against the publishing tycoons Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, was hardly a box-office smash.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
‘Newsies,’ Reimagined by Harvey Fierstein, at the Paper Mill Playhouse
NYTimes.com: THE 1992 Disney movie “Newsies,” inspired by the 1899 newsboy strike against the publishing tycoons Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, was hardly a box-office smash.
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4 comments:
One of the shows I worked on at Hudson this summer was the set for Newsies, and it was fascinating to see how Disney handles it's lesser known intellectual properties. Normally Disney observes every aspect of project, but for Newsies they gave it a little bit more free rein and only stepped in when it seemed like ideas were conflicting with the image of Disney.
Wow! I'm really excited for this. Newsies is a really great film and very powerful. The soundtrack is so lovable as are all the characters. I'm so glad to hear that they are keeping in mind the existing fans who have many favorite numbers, lines, and characters. I know I do! I can see this being a great musical for the stage. It's a completely family friendly production but is definitely entertaining for anyone. Newsies never gets old for me. I listen to the soundtrack regularly and have the seen the movie a respectable number of times. I'm always surprised when people haven't heard of it. I don't know why Disney didn't try to blow it up more, it's worth it!
It was an interesting choice for Disney to revive a movie not necessarily present in current pop-culture. In a time where many people get their news via the Internet and don't even pick up a newspaper, this production seems already a bit nostalgic, in a good way. It is about real people and real problems, something Disney and Dreamworks have shied away from in their recent commercial productions involving lions, ogres, mermaids, oh my! Having seen a few rehearsal clips online, I'm pleasantly surprised that they aren't hamming up the show, trying to make it more than it is. Everything from the set to the choreography are appropriate for the world in which the story takes place and I anticipate that with some clever marketing the show could do quite well. At the very least, there are huge licensing implications since I can imagine many high schools and regional theatres are drooling to get their hands on the rights.
I disagree with Brian about the shows current relevance. The story isn't about newspapers, but about the people coming together and succeeding when the odds were against them. It is a classic David vs. Goliath story that when it comes to government and big business today I think it is completely valid. Furthermore, the newsboys triumph is due to their control over the flow of information. With the internet regular people's control over information is stronger than ever, making it particularly relevant to our times.
Additionally, I am a fan of the movie and am interested in seeing what they will do with a stage production. I appreciate that they are considering the fans in their remake for the stage but I am also they are adding and changing things. Especially, the love interest for Jack. In the screen play Sarah was so unimportant to the story she was almost unnecessary, I am glad she is getting updated and upgraded.
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