Newsies Jr

NEWSIES JR is a musical based on an historical event – the newsboys strike of 1899 when the newsboys (mainly orphans and homeless boys) took on the powerful publishers by taking industrial action as a result of their earnings being slashed when the owners increased the price of the papers.  It has music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Jack Feldman and book by Harvey Fierstein.   

The costumes were excellent and everyone’s costume suited their character and was relevant to the story; the boys in worn out trousers, shirts, jackets and caps.  Adult characters such as Pulitzer wore a suit, and Lily Cunningham as Katherine Plumber was in period long skirt and high neck blouse.  The costumes were, overall, a good reflection of the period and setting. 

The main backdrop was of the New York skyline and various areas were depicted with minimal set changes, such as Mr Pulitzer’s office with desk and chairs, and a theatre was shown by a single decorated flat. The props were varied and authentic looking such as the antique typewriter, globe, old style telephone.  All the newsies had bags for their papers and there was an excellent 1920s' style folding press camera.  

The sound and lighting were very good with voices clear most of the time, occasionally the volume did dip but this didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the show. There were some thought provoking solos as well as good group numbers with powerful harmonies.   The lighting was good and kept up with the action.  

Being in the round, this production felt immersive with some dancing in the aisles. This show has a great story with lovely score and an all-talented cast from the leads to the ensemble.   Mila Chalmers was terrific as Jack and Lily Cunningham as Katherine showed great maturity in this role. The choreography from Emily Hudson (who also directed) was top class with some dancing using the newspapers as stepping stones: very inventive!    This show was packed with energy and verve and carried the message of unity and inspiration.  This was an excellent choice for the group and the youngsters learned the show in an impressively short time.    Congratulations to all on another successful Limelight production.

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