playbill vip

Presenting the story of the newsboys strike of 1899 is quite the balancing act. The show’s unique expectations have a certain weight to bear.  As much as it is blockbuster entertainment featuring thrillingly popular music and spectacular dancing (Lindsey Lorenz is our hero), it clearly speaks to current events, perhaps more so than its creators could have imagined.

Disney’s 1992 movie musical has its cult following and continues to grow today. With lyrics by Jack Feldman, scored by the great Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, etc.) and book writer Harvey Fierstein (who later penned Kinky Boots).  Newsies also became a 2012 Tony winning Broadway box office bonanza.  My own personal connection to Newsies came back in 1991 when one of my teen actors I was working with, a young Marty Belafsky was cast in his first movie role as Crutchie.  A very proud moment.

Today’s breaking news, isn’t a far cry from the defiant newsies, homeless and orphaned children of immigrants, facing off with newspaper baron Joseph Pulitzer. (Okay at Uni we updated history... we created Joanne Pulitzer.)  Proud to be eking out a living by their own moxie and salesmanship, these boys are crushed by a ten-cent price hike on their “papes” that breaks their backs. Can their championship singing and dancing teach us about being seen and heard and standing up for what is fair and just? You are about to find out. 

Lastly, it has been a honor and privilage to work with all of these exciting UNI teens.  And maybe... just maybe... there is another Marty Belafsky in the bunch!

Ronnie Sperling

University High Charter's Director of Theatre Arts