Jack Kelly News

NENAproductions Theater Project, Ocean Grove's resident theater company, presents 'The Secret Garden,' a musical adaptation by Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel of the same name.

The Franklin Performing Arts Company will welcome Chaz Wolcott of So You Think You Can Dance fame to choreograph their upcoming production of Disney's Newsies. It had previously been announced that Broadway's Clay Thomson would choreograph, but due to scheduling conflicts (Thomson will be joining the Original Broadway Cast of King Kong), Wolcott will be taking over.

The stage is set for a David-versus-Goliath battle as the curtain goes up on a new season at Mercer County Community College's (MCCC's) Kelsey Theatre with "Disney's Newsies The Musical." The award-winning PinnWorth Productions presents this blockbuster musical Todays, Sept. 6 and 13 at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, Sept. 7 and 14 at 8 p.m.; Saturdays, Sept. 8 and 15 at 8 p.m.; and Sundays, Sept. 9 and 16 at 2 p.m. Kelsey Theatre is located on the college's West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. A reception with the cast and crew follows the Today and Friday night performances on Sept. 6 and 7.

Theatre By The Sea owner and producer Bill Hanney is proud to announce the 2019 Summer Schedule. In celebration of 86 Years of Theatre By The Sea, the season will include four exciting musicals*, including a pre-Broadway tryout!

Stop the presses! The Warner Stage Company will present Disney's NEWSIES on the Main Stage November 3-11, 2018, sponsored by Thomaston Savings Bank. Set in NYC at the turn of the century, this is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a ragged band of teenaged 'newsies' who dream of only a better life far from the hardship of the streets. The story is inspired by the real-life 'Newsboy Strike of 1899,' when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphaned newsies on an action against powerful newspaper publishers. High energy and with non-stop thrills, the stage version introduces eight brand-new songs by the original team of Alan Menken and Jack Feldman while keeping many of the beloved songs from the film. The Warner Stage Company production of Disney's NEWSIES is directed by Richard McKenna with music director Jim Luurtsema, choreographer Sharon W. Houk and associate choreographer Caitlin Nolan Beaudry.

MTH is excited to welcome Corey Cott for his solo show AN EVENING WITH COREY COTT; Monday, September 24 at 7pm. Most recently Corey originated the role of Donny Novitski and received critical acclaim for his performance in the Tony Award winning musical Bandstand. Previous roles include two years starring as Jack Kelly in Disney's Newsies, his Broadway debut, which was immediately followed by the Broadway revival of Gigi starring opposite Vanessa Hudgens. Corey's solo show includes songs and stories from his Broadway career as well as a few surprises!

Initial casting has been announced for the Franklin Performing Arts Company's upcoming production of Disney's Newsies running at THE BLACK BOX in Franklin, MA October 13,14 and 19-21. Broadway's Christopher Rice (The Book of Mormon) will star as Jack Kelly, Ali Funkhouser (nat'l tours of Joseph...Dreamcoat and Evita, The LEX's Legally Blonde) will play Katherine Plumber, and Nick Paone (TheaterWorks USA, Cabaret) will appear as Joseph Pulitzer. The production will be choreographed by Broadway cast member Clay Thomson (Newsies, Matilda). Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

Producer Mark Cortale has announced a star-studded lineup for the sixth season of his celebrated Broadway @ NOCCA concert series in New Orleans. Three of Broadway's biggest names will share the marquee with one of opera's premiere stars in 2018-19.

For the first time in Arkansas and coming to the Royal Theatre September 15-30, 2018 is the Young Players production of Disney's Newsies the Musical - the Tony Award-winning Broadway phenomenon. The show is based on the historical newsboy strike of 1899 that shook the ivory towers of William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldmen and book by Harvey Fierstein, Newsies leaps onto the stage with soul stirring music, amazing heart, and stunning choreography. Newsies is under the direction of Daphne Shoppach with Jo Murry as musical director and Jenny Johnston as choreographer.

Following an exciting kickoff at Bryant Park, the Carnegie Hall Citywide free concert series continues this fall with a vocal recital and jazz in Manhattan, Cuban son and Greek dance in Brooklyn, Afrobeat and Afro-Cuban music in the Bronx, and honky-tonk and Broadway hits in Queens. The series, now entering its 43rd year, brings leading artists and rising stars to all five boroughs of New York City.

This little musical that could is now playing at the Titusville Playhouse through Sept. 9, and though on a more modest scale, maintains the intoxicating charm and heart of the original. Directed by Steven J. Heron, the dramatically fictionalized story of the real-life 1899 Newsboys Strike carries an unexpected power thanks to its earnest sentiment and prescient politics.

Newsies is Disney's fictional account of the actual Newsboys Strike of 1899 where paper New York hawkers, as they were called, banned together and formed their own so-called 'union' to strike in protest of their distribution centers whose publishers raised the cost of the newspapers they bought and sold in Manhattan in order to earn a living. The 1992 Disney film starring Christian Bale was not a commercial success although the film carried a large home base audience, making it a cult classic. The 2012 Broadway musical version, book by Harvey Fierstein and starring Jeremy Jordan met with more acclaim. Any ensemble attempting to produce this high energy, fast-paced, testosterone-packed production better have their act together in more ways than one. Manatee Performing Arts Center came prepared and delivered.

Aspire Performing Arts Company (PAC) is pleased to announce that it recently received nine awards and an additional 28 nominations from National Youth Arts (NYA).

High-spirited, energetic and enormously entertaining, Circle Players' Newsies is a certified hit - thanks in large part to the focused direction of Jim Manning, the athletic and challenging choreography of Tosha Pendergrast and the superb musical direction of DaJuana Hammonds - performed by an impressive cadre of actors young and old, a blend of familiar faces and Nashville stage newcomers, who infuse the show with all the spunk necessary to bring the turn-of-the-century newsboys and a smattering of historic figures to life.

Osceola Arts is excited to announce an amazing list of plays and musicals for the 2018-19 Theatre Season. The season begins in October and runs through August 2019. Show titles, dates, and descriptions are as follows:

Stop the presses! The Titusville Playhouse, Inc. presents Disney NEWSIES, the Disney film turned Tony-winning Broadway hit that's inspiring everyone to fight for what's right and to seize the day.

Five of Broadway's brightest stars are coming to Aventura Arts & Cultural Center as part of the 2019 Broadway Concert Series and fans purchasing an early bird subscription for all four shows by October 5, 2018 will receive 15 percent off single ticket prices for appearances by: Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner; Faith Prince; Jeremy Jordan; and John Lloyd Young. Tickets to individual concerts in the series are $45-$49 with $75 VIP tickets that include meeting the artist.

The stage is set for a David-versus-Goliath battle as the curtain goes up on a new season at Mercer County Community College's (MCCC's) Kelsey Theatre with "Disney's Newsies The Musical." The award-winning PinnWorth Productions presents this blockbuster musical Thursdays, Sept. 6 and 13 at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, Sept. 7 and 14 at 8 p.m.; Saturdays, Sept. 8 and 15 at 8 p.m.; and Sundays, Sept. 9 and 16 at 2 p.m. Kelsey Theatre is located on the college's West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. A reception with the cast and crew follows the Thursday and Friday night performances on Sept. 6 and 7.

This reviewer is in awe of what he saw opening weekend of Valley Youth Theatre's production of NEWSIES The Musical: A spectacular triumph of talent and artistry, all the more impressive because of the amazing young performers (ages 12 to 18!) whose versatility and range of technical proficiency is jaw-dropping. Kale Burr is terrific! Tony Spinosa's choreography is tremendous! So is the entire ensemble! An auspicious way to begin the company's 30th Anniversary Season! Runs thru Aug 26 at Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix.