BWW Interviews: NEWSIES' Dan DeLuca on Playing Pretend and Making the World a Better Place

When I was 16, I went to the local movie theatre at the mall near my house. There was a special sneak preview double feature. For the price of one ticket, you got to see Beauty & The Beast as well as a new musical movie called Newsies. I left the theatre feeling amazing. I had hope for the future of the movie musical (yes, even at 16 that was a concern of mine...that's how gay I was). I was exhilerated by the incredible music, dancing, and thighs. And I was inspired by the story of people coming together to stand up for themselves and one another.

I think it was that last part which has led me to community organizing as a career and if Newsies had any part in that, I'm grateful. I'm also grateful that I had the chance to chat with the star of the current tour of Newsies, which wowed audiences for the past few years on Broadway. Dan DeLuca plays Jack Kelly in the production that will be coming to DC's National Theatre for a limited two-week engagement June 9-21st.

JM: Where are you from?

DD: A small suburban town called McMurray, PA, just outside Pittsburgh.

JM: How old were you when the acting bug bit?

DD: In kindergarten, I saw Cathy Rigby in Peter Pan. I saw it on my birthday and it was just one of those magical moments, ya know? It was one of the coolest things on the entire planet. It's funny - even my parents say they saw it as well - this sort of spark in me after seeing that show. That's definitely when I knew.

JM: Why are you an actor?

DD: I find something so fulfilling about getting to play pretend. They say the happiest moment in our lives is when we're playing singing and dancing and playing around as kids. The fact I get to do that as a career is pretty incredible. I love entertaining people, making them laugh, making sure they're comfortable. It's important to me -whether it's little puppet shows I put on as a kid or doing a National Tour. If I can help make people look at the world in a more creative way, then I feel better. It's kind of about making the world a better place.

JM: Tell me about Jack Kelly...

DD: Jack Kelly is the man. He's my dream role since the show first opened - I said "I need to do that." Jack's the leader of the Newsies, the big brother to them all, a ladies man, a charmer, a romantic. He dreams of Santa Fe - it's his nirvana and Neverland. He constantly dreams of a better place where he's happy and not just getting by.

JM: Is this your first tour? If so, what are you most looking forward to?

DD: It is. It's my first run longer than 3 weeks! I first thought Disney was kind of crazy to trust me with this with so little experience, but I'm glad they did. It's a lot of work. Im onstage for 90% of the time. If it was in NYC and I was able to go home at night, it would be one thing, but changing venues is tough - it requires a certain stamina that not a lot of people have. I'm happy it gives me the opportunity to see the country. But I'm also excited to get back to New York.

JM: In Newsies, Jack Kelly is really someone we would refer to as a "Community Organizer" today. Are there folks you work with who really know how to bring people together like Jack does?

DD: In different cities, we go to the Covenant Houses to help kids who've had a really tough time. Angela Grovey, who plays Medda, and Kevin Carolan who plays Roosevelt put together events that really help these kids. Also Thomas Schumacher and Jeff Calhoun really got a lot of the work started in the Broadway community, helping out the Covenant House.

Another person I'm in awe of is Julian DeGuzman - he's joining us directly from the Broadway company of Newsies. He's one of the coolest people I know. A strong supporter of humanitarian work like this, a silent leader for the company, always being an absolute professional giving 100% while still having fun and making time to give back. I remember when we were in Louisville, there was a steep hill and we were crossing the street. There was someone in a wheelchair having a tough time of it. Julian ran to help them up the hill. I think if everyone were a little more like that, the world would be a much more beautiful place.

JM: We're seeing a modern-day newsboy movement right this very moment in America, with fights for a living wage at Walmart, fast food restaurants and dozens of other industries. While times have certainly changed, what are the similarities in the fights going on?

DD: I definitely see the similarities between the minimum wage fight and the child workers at the turn of the century. Everyone's just trying to make it in this world and access to the "American Dream" is important. The biggest difference in these fights is how technology has changed. Back then, you depended on someone having to spread a message by running uptown, or to Queens or the Bronx. Now we send a tweet and it goes around the world.

JM: If Jack were putting together the Newsies strike today, how would he break the noise of kitten videos on Facebook and selfies on Instagram?

DD: He would assign that job to Davey, who's the brains of the group. When it comes down to it - it's about everyone coming together - it's not just about the Newsies - it's about everyone coming together and standing up for their rights. I think you need something that speaks to as many people as possible - a universal message would work. We're all just looking to be valued and respected. Just remind people of their value and they'll listen.

People deserve happiness, even if they don't think they do. We deserve this. Everyone is created equally and we deserve respect, everyone does. If we stand strong in our beliefs and our views and don't doubt them, the world would be a greater place.

Tickets are on sale now and start at $48, plus applicable service charges. Tickets are available at the National Theatre box office, online at thenationaldc.com, or by calling (800) 514-3849. A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of best available seats at $25 each - cash only - will be held at the theater two hours before each performance. Orders for groups of twenty (20) or more may be placed by calling (202) 628-6161 ext. 227. For more information, call (202) 628-6161.