DISNEY'S NEWSIES to Open at Virginia Theatre Festival With Broadway Vet at the Helm

The Virginia Theatre Festival continues its 52nd season with the Tony Award-winning musical Disney's Newsies, which will be performed in the Culbreth Theatre from July 9-19.

Disney's Newsies will be directed and choreographed by UVA alum and Broadway veteran Matthew Steffens, who returns to his alma mater following highly successful productions of Cabaret (2023) and Into the Woods (2025). His credits include Associate Choreographer on the Tony Award-nominated revival of Into the Woods, the upcoming Antonio Banderas film Armadillo United, and La Traviata at the Garsington Opera in England.

Based on the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899, Disney's Newsies tells the tale of young, charismatic Jack Kelly, who rallies his fellow turn-of-the-century “newsies” to strike back against the leading media moguls of the day to protest unfair conditions and to fight for what is right. The inspiring underdog story urges all of us to “Seize the Day” and features empowering anthems from the legendary Alan Menken, including “Carrying the Banner,” “Santa Fe,” and “King of New York.”

The show, Steffens said, will be one of the largest in VTF history, with a cast of 37 actors that represent the best of New York, the best of UVA, and the best of Charlottesville – including a talented group of 13 local young artists.

There has never been a better time, Steffens said, to present Disney's Newsies. “This is a show about dreaming,” he said. “It's about fighting for your rights at a time when it feels like society is pressing down on us. It is something that all the Newsies do, and that is really inspiring to me. I am confident that this will be true for our audience too. There is something so powerful about seeing an example of what can happen when we all come together to make change happen.”

As he prepared for this production, Steffens began to see brand new dimensions of the show. “It is easy to simply think of Newsies as a great song-and-dance show that is great for the whole family. And it is surely that. But the more I researched the show, the more I saw something deeper. I began to see lyrics in a whole new way and envision the movement as I had never seen it before.”

The result, he said, is a production that is unfailingly original. “I can with 100% assurance, say that you have never seen this version of Disney's Newsies.” Part of that comes from creating a cast that represents so many communities, life experiences, and age groups.

“I consider Charlottesville my artistic home,” Steffens said, “and I love nothing more than bringing the best of Charlottesville and the best of New York together. Also, as a UVA alum, I am particularly proud that we have more UVA students in this cast than I have ever had before.”

He is also thrilled to welcome a new generation of young artists to the production, a group of 13 young actors who will be supported during rehearsals and performances through a special partnership between VTF and Charlottesville's acclaimed performing arts academy DMR Adventures. “It is incredible to add these 13 young artists to this group. I have worked with DMR Adventures in various capacities for more than ten years, and they do such a wonderful job of creating not only great artists but great humans. It's a pleasure to have them on this ride with us.”

Casting by Katja Zarolinski, CSA, Casting Assistant: Andi Goss.

The Virginia Theatre Festival is a program of the University of Virginia, with support from the Office of the Provost, Vice Provost for the Arts, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Drama, and The Caplin Foundation.

The 2026 Virginia Theatre Festival season is supported by a generous grant from The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation. VTF's production of Disney's Newsies is presented by C-VILLE Weekly and Woodard Properties, with support from Pam and William Calary and Community Partner: DMR Adventures.

VTF's 2026 Season will close with Frida…A Self Portrait (July 23-26 in the Ruth Caplin Theatre). Tickets for the 2026 season are on sale now. Volunteer opportunities are also available this summer, and you can view more information on how to sign up here.

VTF donors provide essential support to the organization, while enjoying exclusive benefits like complimentary tickets, invitations to special events, behind-the-scenes access, and more. For more information on ways to support the upcoming season, visit virginiatheatrefestival.org/support.

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