Newsies Jr.

Never scared of a challenge, the latest ambitious project from HC Vocal and Performance Academy was to use a 10-day Summer School to rehearse and perfect a full-scale production of Newsie’s Jr. As if that was not a big enough challenge, directors Holly and Robert decided to use the talent available and triple casted the main roles giving them and their hard-working cast even more to rehearse.

With HC’s recent shows having been the likes of Shrek and Beauty and The Beast it was great to see them take on something very different, a lot grittier with historic and social storylines behind it and it was excellent to see the depth to not only the dancing and singing but also characterisations built in the show.

For those who do not know the show, Newsie’s is based around the Newsboy’s strike in 1899 and very much based around the rich vs deprived New York society at the time. The set used and designed was perfect for the production with raised scaffolding platforms and a New York backdrop working well with moon and star light lighting. The smoke hazed effect was used well in the night scenes to build the suspense and tension on stage.

With a storyline based around a Strike you would hope that the ensemble would be strong, and it certainly was not lacking in numbers or ability. With cast members aged from as young as three in the cast they all not only looked the part, muddy and grubby with tatty waistcoats and flat caps but they gave so much passion and energy to all the scenes and big numbers.

In fact, the lack of numerous costume changes, simplified scenes and more unified dance routines actually gave the show more depth. It allowed a great flow for the show, allowed us to identify with the cast members more and certainly ran at a great pace. 

The big ensemble numbers were excellent and the amount of extra solo lines in these pieces gave lots of the cast a chance for a moment in the spotlight. With everyone dressed in Unison it was very hard to spot who was who in the ensemble however Lily Riley was a huge standout especially with her solo section opening Act Two with King of New York. This whole number had great energy with lovely vocals, a great routine with some outstanding tap and really set the second Act off with a bang. Also really delivering in their roles on the night were Adele Lightfoot, Izzy Wake, Ivy Munro, Francesca Lloyd, Darcey Freeman, Olivia Appleby, Matilda Best and Amber Evans who had to step into the role of Spot at short notice due to illness.

The triple casting gave so many performers the chance to shine on stage and if the others were anything like the talent I saw on the Saturday night, then I expect the other performances were also a huge hit.

The lead role Jack Kelly has almost become an iconic figure in modern musical theatre recently. With an excellent NY twang, Chloe Craig was seriously impressive in the role, the swagger and attitude throughout was excellent and she was a true leader of the strikers. Despite suffering with illness her vocals were sharp and gritty, and it was lovely to see the character develop from cocky arrogance to nervous excitement - she captured it all.

The character mixes with a lot of characters along the way, mostly her fellow Newsie’s and in Ellie Lofts as Davey, Zoe Hardy as Crutchie and Arabella Lowrie as Les the four of them certainly led from the front. Not only on the Picket Line but also in their group and solo performances. I could not pick a single fault with any of them. Ellie was absolutely brilliant, really commanding the stage. Her protectiveness over Les was honest from the start and it was great to see her in this principal role. Her lead vocals in Seize the Day not only delivered passion but also were absolutely flawless in tone and quality. 

Zoe was excellent as the lame Crutchie showing great passion and energy the whole way through and never once losing her limp. Navigating the crutches the whole show she demonstrated loyalty, friendship, and a sharp wit the whole way through. Her mood changes upon being captured and the beautiful storytelling in Letter From the Refuge was stunning. The best performance I have seen from Zoe to date. 

The performance of the night for me must go to young Arabella as Les. What stage presence for such a young performer. She may have been smaller than her fellow principals, but she delivered a towering performance. At times she completely owned the stage and even with loads of action going on you could not help but be drawn to her to observe all the little actions and expressions she was delivering. 

Now the action in the show does not just revolve around the striking Newsies but also carries a lot of sub-plots and scenes. Jake Shaw delivered a fantastic role as Medda the leading lady of a local Theatre and alongside her stunning dancing troupe delivered their number with excellent sass, a wonderful strut and so much grace.

Battling against the Newsies throughout are the owners of the press and their establishment and the cast did a wonderful job to show a different side to both organisations. Eva Laing as Pulitzer, the owner of the Newspaper was wonderfully horrid, not giving a thought to anything but money. She led her scenes with attitude and great control, really owning the bossy and pompous nature of her character. Millie Cadman as Hannah was really good as his nervous secretary Hannah, running around at Pulitzer’s every command.

Freddie Dale pulled off his best character to date as the frantic and bossy Wiesel. Right in the middle of the action as the Newsie’s paper distributor he was involved in the action throughout. His accent stayed true, and he was so lively and visual in all his dialogue and actions. His character was so brilliantly over the top in everything he did bringing some excellent comedy to the scenes.

Caught up somewhere between the two groups is Katherine, Pulitzer’s daughter, yet working for a rival newspaper to support and highlight the Newsie’s struggle. Katherine was played by Faith Small who not only shone in the role but clearly understood her character. The warmth of her growing relationship with Jack Kelly was lovely to watch whilst we also got to see a real spark and feisty side to her character. Faith has developed into an outstanding young performer over the years with an incredible acting ability to match sensational vocals. Her main solo Watch What Happens not only demonstrated her lovely tone but also showed off a masterclass in storytelling and drawing the audience in. 

As if learning and perfecting all these individual roles in 10 days was not enough but the huge scenes and numbers were like complete shows in a number. The dance routines were complex yet still tight, the staging of scenes such as the chase used every inch of the Theatre and the Strike scene with cast members in the audience had so much going on I did not know where to look. The overall direction and vision for the show was brilliant from the pre-show immersive interaction (I’ve never had my Haribo pinched by a cast member before) right through to the huge showcase numbers like Santa Fe and Seize the Day and I am still gobsmacked at what can be achieved in such a short space of time.

Workshop productions not only bring all the cast together building friendships and bonds (really noticeable on stage) but also give these young performers a little glimpse of what a Professional tour production feels like. For a number of these young stars, it may not be the last time they experience something like this, and I am again very honoured to be able to witness the triumph of such hard work.

Michelle Coulson, Youth Co-Ordinator attended the show on the Saturday Matinee added the following:

I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Saturday afternoon performance of Newsies and every single performer gave their very best. The choreography was very impressive, and I liked the use of not only the stage, but also the floor and full auditorium to include your audience.

Leanna Honeyman led the cast in the principal role of Jack Kelly. Leanna gave a super vocal performance and gave a confident portrayal of her character. As Katherine, Holly Wake gave a strong interpretation of this independent character, she commanded the stage in all her scenes. Jacob Robinson gave an impressive performance as Jack's loyal friend Davey, another great role to add to his list of performances. Crutchie was played by Olivia Maya who sang beautifully and maintained her character throughout. Louise Lelson did a great job of portraying Medda the vaudeville star and Amelia Hooper did not let her "additional footwear" stop her from performing at her best as Pulitzer. All the other supporting characters were well portrayed and a special mention to Faith Small for covering the role of Spot due to illness.

Congratulations all on a great production!

 

 

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