Review: NEWSIES Is As Perfect As A Musical Can Get, Thru Dec 27

By Dr. Anton Anderssen with Marco Airaghi

When I was a child, I was a paper boy. I schlepped a stack of 100 papers all around the little town 5 miles from my home; I earned a little bit of money and I still have that savings stash today. It wasn't as if I really needed the money, it was more a lesson about the need to be useful in society. But in New York City, 1899, things were a lot different. At that time, youths sold newspapers in order to survive. This was how orphans and children of unemployed fathers were able to buy food for the day. Many of these kids lived on the streets. Disney's musical NEWSIES tells the plight of these youths. The plot is both a love story and a lesson in capitalism gone sour, bolstered by magnificent dancing and Disney-quality songs. 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 show won Best Choreography and Best Original Score at the 2012 Tony Awards. Ending this weekend at the Fisher Theatre, NEWSIES is as perfect as a musical can get.

I give this show a perfect score of 10.0 out of 10.0, and I applaud its message on the evils of capitalism. Parts of the show made me wince, like the scene when a disabled boy, Crutchie is beaten by the police with his own crutch, or the scene when we learn that kids are having to steal food in order to eat. All the while, media tycoons are living in the lap of luxury; income disparity is nauseating. Disney manages to mitigate some of the misfortune by summoning hope and determination.

Technically, the show is flawless. The choreography is outrageously breathtaking, with dozens of actors displaying acrobatic expertise. The costumes with caps and knickers rival the chimney sweeps of Mary Poppins. The set includes a gigantic Hollywood Squares scaffold that works brilliantly to showcase the industrial era of the turn of the century.

The production features Joey Barreiro as "Jack Kelly", Steve Blanchard as "Joseph Pulitzer", Morgan Keene as "Katherine", Aisha de Haas as "Medda Larkin", Stephen Michael Langton as "Davey", Zachary Sayle as "Crutchie", and John Michael Pitera and Ann Arbor, Michigan resident Ethan Steiner alternating the role of "Les." Additionally, this national tour features Novi, Michigan, native Iain Young (ensemble member).

Rounding out the cast are Josh Assor, Evan Autio, Bill Bateman, Josh Burrage, Kevin Carolan, Benjamin Cook, DeMarius Copes, Nico DeJesus, JP Ferreri, Sky Flaherty, Kaitlyn Frank, Michael Gorman, David Guzman, Jeff Heimbrock, Stephen Hernandez, Meredith Inglesby, James Judy, Eric Scott Kincaid, Eric Jon Mahlum, Nicholas Masson, Alex Prakken, Michael Ryan, Jordan Samuels, Melissa Steadman Hart, Andrew Wilson and Chaz Wolcott.

Newsies runs thru Dec. 27

Detroit Opera House

1526 Broadway, Detroit

313-872-1000.

www.broadwayindetroit.com

$35-$89