Legitimate Theater: Newsies (2011)

Newsies

Welcome to Legitimate Theater: a column dedicated to movie-based stage musicals. The goal of this series is to explore those stories that originated in films and eventually worked their way onto Broadway and beyond. By the end of each entry, there will hopefully be a better understanding of this odd but rampant trend in modern entertainment. Are these stories really worth telling through song and dance? How can it even compare to the technical prowess of a camera and seamless editing? Join me on this quest as I explore the highs and lows of this trend on the third Wednesday of every month and hopefully answer what makes this Legitimate Theater.

Opening

If you turn on the news, you're likely to find that the world is in the midst of major change. People are out in the streets protesting, and there's one phrase that becomes clear. Now is the time to seize the day. That is why it feels like a good time to revisit Disney's great Newsies, which shows a newspaper strike where the newsies are the story and their struggle for equal rights becomes a rallying cry for change. It's one of those upbeat, feel-good shows with so much spectacle and hearty numbers that makes you want to believe in the potential for change. Few shows reflect that better than this, and there's no need to kid yourself. This is an energized show full of innovative technique, and if nothing makes you want to sing with a crowd to seize the day, then nothing will. 

A Quick Background

Tony Nominations: 2 wins including Best Choreography, and 6 nominations

Based on: Newsies (1992)

Music: Alan Menken

Lyrics: Jack Feldman

Book: Harvey Fierstein

Prominent Actors: Jeremy Jordan, John Dossett Jara Lindsay, Ben Frankhauser, Capthia Jenkins, Andrew Keenan-Bolger

Soundtrack

1. "Overture"

2. "Santa Fe"

3. "Carry the Banner"

4. "The Bottom Line"

5. "That's Rich"

6. "I Never Planned on You/Don't Come a-Knocking"

7. "The World Will Know"

8. "Watch What Happens"

9. "Seize the Day"

10. "Santa Fe"

11. "King of New York"

12. "Watch What Happens (Reprise)"

13. "The Bottom Line (Reprise)"

14. "Brooklyn's Here"

15. "Something to Believe In"

16. "Once and For All"

17. "Finale"

Note: Listen to the music here

Song Exploration

Opening Song:
"Santa Fe"

Given everything that's about to follow, it's interesting to start the show on a quieter song. It's a longing to escape the newsies' lifestyle and start a new life in Santa Fe. There's so much romanticized in these lyrics that make you eager to see how things go if they will ever escape this oppression. Of course, that's symbolic of the conflict at the center of the story, and it makes it all the more endearing, making you want to see what happens next. Without drawing attention to it, the show does an incredible job of investing you in the insular struggle of the characters. 

Carryovers

"Santa Fe," "Carrying the Banner," 

"The World Will Know," "Seize the Day," "King of New York"

While there are a handful of songs that are written for the show, you can see why this needed to transition to Broadway. The numbers that had all of the heart and power in every note continue to have it thanks to electric melodies by Alan Menken. The choreography is also expanded upon and given a jubilance that you can't help but be caught up in. So much of the show can get by on ensembles bringing the dance sequences, spiraling through the air. If you had to keep any numbers from this show, these were the ones to keep.

High Point:

"Seize the Day"

Whereas I'm unable to fully judge most of the shows for Legitimate Theater based on the accompanied video, I'm able to get a full vision of this thanks to a version available on Disney+. This is the big breakdown moment where the music goes long so that we can watch the dancers do what they're best at. In fact, this may be the exact reason to see the show. How many shows have dance routines atop shredded newspaper, spiraling through the air and giving the audience a spectacle that musicals are supposed to have. This is evidence that the show was more than updating a goofy, inessential film from the early 90s. It's so much more. 

Low Point:

"I Never Planned on You/Don't Come a-Knocking"

Honestly, there's not a lot of low points in this show. So long as everyone is out there dancing and giving their all, the show is in peak form. With that said, the side journeys are far less interesting than the central cast. The show has a charm that never wears out, but you still want to get back to the big, energetic moments just so you can appreciate what works about this show. This moment is touching, but it's modest and less interesting by comparisons.

What Does It Bring to the Story?

Besides a whole new class of songs, what it does is explain why this story needed to be told in the first place. I am not a fan of the 1992 movie version, which felt uneven and flabby. Here everything is put into a better context, allowing for a focus that makes every number pop. You are amazed that these dancers could keep going. They have limitless energy and it makes you believe in their cause so much more. More than it becoming one of the most successful transitions from film to stage, it shows what this type of show should have in all of its best forms.

Was This Necessary?

Yes

I know that it's a bit unfair to compare this to other shows, but having a visual accompaniment really does this musical justice. It's true that a lot of the big numbers are catchy, serving as some of Menken's best melodies in his career. However, I think that watching those dancers in motion really makes you appreciate what this show has. While many shows have dance numbers, it feels like Newsies worked extra-hard to stand out among its competition, proving that this goofy story had more heart and purpose than just about any Disney-affiliated adaptation since The Lion King. If nothing else, this is good enough to get young audiences into Broadway, and even then they may be disappointed that every show doesn't have dancing newsies in. After watching this, I really wish they did.