Disney's NEWSIES Comes to San Jose in November
Performances run November 8—16, 2025.
By: Stephi Wild Sep. 30, 2025
Playful People Productions will continue its 15th Anniversary season with Disney's Newsies, a Tony Award-winning musical based on the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899. Two casts of teen and adult performers perform November 8—16, 2025 at Historic Hoover Theater in San Jose.
Set in turn-of-the century New York City, Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged "newsies": homeless and orphaned boys scratching out a living by buying, and then reselling, the daily papers. When titans of publishing raise prices for the newsboys, Jack rallies newsies from across the city to unite, strike against the unfair conditions, and fight for what's right. They will find a challenging and unlikely ally in reporter Katherine Plumber, who sees reporting on the strike as her opportunity to be taken as seriously as her male colleagues. Together they fight the newspaper publishers' money, power, and connections to find justice and dignity for one another.
With a book by Harvey Fierstein, music by Alan Menken, and lyrics by Jack Feldman, this musical includes rousing songs as “Watch What Happens,” “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” “King of New York,” and “Santa Fe.”
Disney's Newsies is directed by Katie D'Arcey and Emily Pennington. Vocal direction is by Jacqueline Whitaker, and choreography is by Emily Pennington. This show is supported in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José, and by SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara.
Playful People Productions was first founded in 2010 as a positive, inclusive, family-focused theatre company, and has operated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit since 2017. While initially providing classes, camps, and shows for kids, the company has grown to offer similar classes for adults, and stages multi-generational performances where family members can perform together.
Playful People Productions aims to create an environment where all feel welcome, and where creative impulses are encouraged by experienced Bay Area artists. The organization follows Positive Discipline guidelines as well as proven child education techniques; continually works to maximize the inclusion of all participants, volunteers, and staff; and regularly gives families the opportunity to share the exhilarating experience of performing together. During the nonprofit's tenure, they have enjoyed frequent instances of children performing on stage with siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents — and have also welcomed adults who wish to perform but find local theater auditions and rehearsals do not fit their needs.
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