NEWSIES to Launch Wellness Campaign on 'ABC WORLD NEWS' Tonight

Newsies, the Tony Award-winning "critics' pick" Broadway musical smash announces a new campaign called "NEWSIES: Get Up and Go," in support of Disney Magic of Healthy Living. The campaign will promote fun ways that kids can lead healthier lifestyles through dance, inspired by the show's Tony Award-winning choreography and music.

Newsies embraces the theme that what we do together can make a change for the better. In that spirit-- and through this campaign-- the cast of Newsies will share the gift of dance to encourage kids to embrace physical fitness, good nutrition, and to "Seize the Day," the Newsies way.

The campaign recently made its debut at PS 254 in Queens, New York. Tony Award-winner Christopher Gattelli and Newsies cast members led the students through dance sequences inspired by the show's thrilling production number "Seize the Day." Beginning in January, "NEWSIES: Get Up and Go" will be offered to schools participating in Disney Musicals in Schools, Disney Theatrical Group's outreach initiative that builds theatre programs in New York City schools.

ABC World News with Diane Sawyer was on location with Gattelli, the cast and the students of PS 254 for the campaign's inaugural session. Correspondent Sara Haines also joined the cast at The Nederlander Theatre to learn some of the moves and what it takes to be a Newsie on Broadway. The story airs Thursday, December 26th at 6:30pm EST on the ABC Television Network.

"NEWSIES: Get Up and Go" will launch nationally with the onset of the recently announced Newsies National Tour in the fall of 2014. Programs in select cities will be announced at a later date.

Newsies features a Tony Award-winning score with music by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman, with a book by four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, Newsies is directed by Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli.

The show received 23 major theatrical nominations - including eight Tony Award nods - and won Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Score and Best Choreography. One of Broadway's highest profile hits, it has been featured nationally on "Dancing with the Stars," "The View," "Good Morning America," "Nightline," "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," and "The CBS Thanksgiving Day Parade."

When Newsies' premiered at Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ it engendered extraordinary interest from the media and public alike, prompting Newsweek.com to call the show, "one of the biggest surprises of the season...the talk of the town."

Set in New York City at the turn of the century, Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a ragged band of teenaged 'newsies,' who dreams only of a better life far from the hardship of the streets. But when publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise distribution prices at the newsboys' expense, Jack finds a cause to fight for and rallies newsies from across the city to strike for what's right.

Newsies is inspired by the real-life 'Newsboy Strike of 1899,' when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week-long action against Pulitzer, Hearst and other powerful newspaper publishers.

The stage version introduces seven brand-new songs by the original team of Menken and Feldman while keeping many of the beloved songs from the film, including 'Carrying the Banner,' 'Seize the Day,' 'King of New York' and 'Santa Fe.'

Since the film's 1992 theatrical release and subsequent DVD release, Newsies has grown into a cult phenomenon, and for years had been the single most requested title of all the Disney musical films not yet adapted for the stage. (The film featured a screenplay by Bob Tzudiker & Noni White (Tarzan, 102 Dalmatians).

For more information about Newsies The Musical visit, www.newsiesthemusical.com.