NEWSIES IN THE NEWS: A REVIEW

The high school musical for Spring 2025 was Newsies, directed by Tracy Williams and choreographed by Fawn Boston-Halter. The story follows Jack Kelly, a young newsboy and his ragtag group of other newsies that are almost like family. However, after newspaper prices are raised, affording to provide for himself and family become difficult to manage. From there, Jack Kelly leads a strike against Pulitzer. A rollercoaster of events and emotions ensues, containing fights, tension, love, and justice. Along with the story, there’s a variety of exciting musical numbers, dancing, and even tap dancing.

Hayden Bailey, Sina thomas, Rowan Blomme, Sariah Sherman and Carson Brandt during performance  (Left to right) Photo Taken by: Tiffany Bell

The acting wasn’t the only great thing about the show - The musical numbers and the voices of the cast are also praise-worthy. Carson Brandt hit so many high, and long notes in the play, both incredibly difficult things to do. James Cavanary and Karley Griffin also deserve a shout out for their musical talent. It had to have been difficult for James to sing with his head back and he really hit that note in “The Bottom Line”. Karley has an amazing belt in “That’s Rich” with an incredibly clear voice that was perfect for Madame Medda. Overall everyone excelled in each musical number. I really appreciated how many group songs there were, with each one feeling just as professional as broadway. There were also a couple songs with overlap/layered effects that I thought worked really well together. A couple of standout songs for me were “Santa Fe” of course, “The World Will Know”, and “Watch What Happens”.

The school's production of the musical was incredible, with perfect casting, careful choreography, and amazing teamwork. I was lucky enough to see the production twice and if you thought the production was great the first time, it’s even better the second time! There were plenty of details I noticed the second time around that I didn’t the first time, such as the personality of the background characters, and that Jack Kelly was actually painting. Even the intermission was entertaining, with the businessmen arguing as the stage was cleaned. The accents of the characters truly made the play even more immersive, as well as the lighting. The lighting was done so thoughtfully, and I think the red of the fighting scene really showed the depth of the situation. Along with that Sariah Sherman deserves a shoutout for her acting skills as her ability to represent Crutchy’s struggles with his leg was insane. I know that it must’ve taken quite a bit of effort. Lez also deserves a special shout out for her amazing acting abilities at such a young age.

SCAN TO LISTEN TO THE NEWSIES SOUNDTRACK

The dancing was another highlight of the show. Each and every song was coordinated so well, despite the large amount of people on stage. The fight scene and the tap dancing especially stood out to me. Morgan Downes had been working in the tech booth for the majority of the musical, but in 15 mins she changed and came down for the tap scene specifically and pulled it off before going back. An incredible feat that even the stage designer Tom Milligan shouted out! Rielly Oris and Sina Thomas also had some incredible moves. They did a variety of flexible and athletic moves with spins and leaps during and between numbers. 

Every person on the cast put their heart and soul into this production, and it really shows. The musical itself is very relevant today in its themes - Capitalism and unity. Each scene had such emotional depth, including the silly scenes. The Newsies ARE and family, and the Clear Creek Amana Theater group represented and lived that with this year’s play.