Review: Hale Center Theater Orem's NEWSIES Is a Pull-Out-All-the-Stops Spectacle

The joy from NEWSIES is infectious at Hale Center Theater Orem. The energetically engaging cast sings its heart out, while leaping, back-flipping, pirouetting, cartwheeling, tapping and tumbling at full steam with vibrant and vigorous dancing.

HCTO does not shy away from staging big musicals. While the square footage of the stage may be limiting, producers and directors are able to exploit the charm of the intimate space to make the storytelling endearing.

NEWSIES was not destined to be a Broadway blockbuster. The 1992 movie bombed at the box office and was nearly forgotten by Disney until unauthorized stagings from fervent fans after the home video release prompted the studio to reconsider a possible second life on stage. The script was retooled and lyrics rewritten to fit the new storyline that eliminated extraneous characters and a romantic subplot added. A tryout at the Paper Mill Playhouse led to an enhanced 2012 Broadway production and eight Tony nominations, winning for Best Choreography and Best Score.

Director Lisa Hall and Music Director Justin Bills show expert work with the large cast. But it's the glittering dances created by Ashley Gardner Carlson that elevates NEWSIES to a pull-out-all-the-stops spectacle. Who knew so many mostly airborne young men could be cast to execute her crackerjack choreography? "King of New York" rattles the roof with boisterous and brassy bravura.

In the Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday cast, David Muncy authoritatively plays Jake Kelly, the streetwise orphan and unlikely union organizer, opposite the always appealingly perky Kelly Combs as his love interest Katherine Plumber, a reporter with ties-to-be-revealed to the villainous publisher. Sparks are ignited in their duet, the modest ballad "Something to Believe In."

Because of the limited development of the other characters, it's hard to single out individual performances of the numerous Newsies ensemble performers, save Crutchie, appealingly played by Joseph Paul Branca, with his "Letter from the Refuge." But there is a widespread pleasure in performing, particularly by heavy-duty gymnastics by a zestful Zachary Walker.

From the front page to the classifieds, NEWSIES is old-fashioned, triumph-over-the-oppressor entertainment done with skill and affection.

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