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Bad News For 'Newsies' At The Pantages

Ryan David McRee |
March 31, 2015 | 10:52 a.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

The cast of 'Newsies' (Photo by Deen van Meer)
The cast of 'Newsies' (Photo by Deen van Meer)

“Newsies” is a hybrid musical—a mutt, of sorts. Those who are unfamiliar with the show will experience an uncomfortable mingling of theatrical modes that everyone has seen before. It’s not quite a children’s comedy, not quite a teen romance, not quite contemporary and simultaneously not quite period, not quite a social criticism, and not quite a propaganda play (although, at times, it comes close). “Not quite” is a general rule of thumb one can use to talk about any element of “Newsies.”

The national tour, which has found a temporary home at the Pantages Theatre in L.A., is a delightful spectacle, and for any fan of the musical, this production is a must-see. However, for a newcomer whose familiarity with and love of the theatre extends beyond Broadway jukeboxes or Disney films thrust onstage, the musical may be frustrating. 

“Newsies” follows Jack Kelly (Dan DeLuca) and his band of misfit children who survive turn-of-the-century Manhattan by selling newspapers for Joseph Pulitzer. When Pulitzer’s circulation reaches a low point and he accommodates for falling profits by hiking up the price of papers for the newsboys, Kelly leads his fellow “newsies” on a strike to demand a return to the original price. He becomes romantically entangled with Katherine (Stephanie Styles), a small-time news reporter trying to carve herself a career as a female journalist, and eventually enlists her help to fight Pulitzer and his cruel treatment of his employees.

SEE ALSO: Theater Review: 'Newsies' On Broadway

The problem with the musical is that it puts “Disney magic” into a very real, historical setting with multi-faceted issues and complex social consequences. Nuanced human beings become one-dimensional “heroes” and “villains,” and what could have otherwise been profound substance is awkwardly thrown into a show that only means to entertain. The writing is completely transparent, which can often be frustrating in such a formulaic story because any perceptive audience member will quickly develop a lurking feeling that they are being manipulated to feel a certain way at every turn of the plot.

The band of newsboys, with their grossly exaggerated dialects and faux suave, are all at once children, sex symbols, caricatures, and archetypes of real-life human suffering, which thrown together make a very uncomfortable mix that is difficult for an audience to digest. The very premise of the show is defeating from the start, for surface-level entertainment (which is normally just fine for a Disney production) is superimposed over a very dramatic and troubling time in history, stripping the social issues and characters of the story of their dignity rather than uplifting them. 

The cast of 'Newsies' (Photo by Deen van Meer)
The cast of 'Newsies' (Photo by Deen van Meer)

There are some excellent performances in the show, but unfortunately these extraordinary actors have little material to actually demonstrate their talent. Musical numbers often seem arbitrary, with tap numbers randomly thrown into the mix that, while well-choreographed and precisely executed, suffer from a lack of context and seem to scream, “Look how talented our ensemble is” rather than stemming from the action onstage. A number of nauseating lyrics by Jack Feldman and painfully clunky dialogue by Harvey Fierstein trample over a fairly accomplished score by Alan Menken, which isn’t always a problem during large group numbers because such little emphasis is placed on what the characters are actually saying that it all goes over the audience’s heads anyway.

The most inspired and successful element of the show is the design. Tobin Ost’s scenic design is, unfortunately, often more interesting to look at than anything happening onstage. The set is multi-functional, detailed, and economically executed so that scene transitions flow smoothly and effortlessly. It is also incredibly immersive, and Ost’s use of angles makes the world of the play very three-dimensional and adds a much-needed dynamism to the stage.

“Newsies” does, to a certain extent, succeed as a fun spectacle show, but would do so much more effectively without placing its story in such dramatic and complex circumstances. It both tells and doesn’t tell the story; it provides something pretty to look at and some fun performances to watch, but doesn’t provide the depth that ought to be required of any show attempting to tackle such an important and relevant subject matter. Sure, “Newsies” entertains, but at what cost? Even a lot of successful Disney films manage not to paint the world in black and white, and the musical will never be able to be considered a worthwhile piece of theatre until it gets some color on its bleak pages.

"Newsies" will is playing through April 19th at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre (6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles). Tickets start at $30. For more information visit HollywoodPantages.com

Reach Staff Reporter Ryan David McRee here

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