onStage Pittsburgh: Open the gates and seize the day with McKeesport Little Theater in their latest production of Disney’s Newsies. Based on the 1992 film of the same name, the stage adaptation brings the memorable scenes from the movie to life while adding a few new characters and songs to set it apart from its predecessor. While MLT’s production doesn’t capture the energy and heart that makes Newsies great, they make up for it with performances from brilliant cast members.
5 comments:
Based on this review, I’m skeptical about going to see this show. I really enjoyed Newsies when I saw it last, I think that the energy of the show is what makes it great. In the version I saw, it was quite the opposite of how Goodes felt, I thought they had the energy, but the talent wasn’t quite there. Even though that was the case, I still had a great time. They also had immersive experiences; throwing papers into the crowd, releasing papers from the catwalk at the end. I think it really is the energy that makes the show. I saw Newsies originally at The White Planes Performing Arts Center in White Plains, New York. They aren’t a huge theater there, but they’re one of the more prominent ones in that town specifically because they often take on a lot of cast members. Based on this, I disagree with Goodes on the point that this has to be a large scale production. I think there definitely has to be an ensemble, but the size of the set and scale of the stage does not make a difference in my opinion. As long as you are able to follow the energy of the show, I feel as though for this show, the set is not as important. Even though I’d love to design a set for Newsies one day, I think that it is one of those shows where the energy is more important than any other aspect.
Newises is one of my favorite musicals and since hearing about this production, I have been greatly looking forward to seeing it. However, I was a bit disheartened by this review. Like the review says, Newsies is one of those shows that can be very hard to do on a smaller scale. With a large cast and bold music, this is traditionally a big, flashy production. I've never been to the McKeesport Little Theater but from this review, it does not seem like the ideal place to be doing this show. Nevertheless, I am still excited to see it and support this community theater. Even if the production is not the best, I think it's important to support local theater. Broadway is not the only type of theater that matters. I also have a friend who is filling in playing the drums for this show and I am excited to see his work.
Okay anyone who knows me knows that Disney’s Newsies is my favorite musical of all time. The message about youth standing up to a corrupt system, the romance, the choreography, the Alan Menken score, and much more are why I truly adore that show. I had no idea that a community theater so close by was doing it and I wish that I was free enough to go watch it. If I’m not mistaken CMU Hillel actually purchased tickets for any Jewish drama student to go and see it. In the review, the critic - Jade Goodes - mentioned that this adaptation does not have the energy or heart like a production of Newsies should. The enthusiasm and optimism of these children under such strenuous circumstances is part of why the book is tremendous. Having a musical without that, might just make the whole thing seem lackluster. Obviously I have not seen this exact production so I am not sure how true Goodes’ review rings, but that is certainly not making me want to go and do so.
I agree with this reviewer that Newsies is best with a large cast. It is the easiest way to demonstrate the stakes, but I don’t think it is the only way to raise the stakes. I think the moment the reviewer mentions where there is acapella singing in “The World Will Know” would be a great way to add power to a small cast. I think there are other opportunities, particularly in the world of design, that can give the illusion of a larger group or generally draw more emotion. For instance, I think media could play a role by adding silhouettes behind the rest of the cast during “The World Will Know”. Maybe isolating the group with light can make them appear to fill the space more thoroughly. Essentially, while I agree Newsies is best with a full cast, it really doesn’t have to be. I think there are plenty of other solutions to raise stakes.
Probably contrary to many of my classmates, I am not super familiar with Newsies. I know the basics about it and the most popular songs from the show, but nothing really in depth. I do know how beloved and dear it is to some people, and that if done well, it's an exciting and engaging production filled with lots of opportunities for performers and designers. This review covered both the great and not-so-great aspects of the production of Newsies done by the McKeesport Little Theater, which I appreciate. I understand this show calls for a large, energetic cast, so it surprises me that the company chose to go in a different direction. Considering the small stage and small cast, you would think the few performers they did have would bring lots of energy and excitement to the show, but it seems that was not the case which is unfortunate. I find it interesting that this review is kept so short and concise- it makes me wonder if they could have gone slightly more in depth so the readers could understand exactly what elements were lacking energy if they didn’t see the performance personally.
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