“Newsies” seize the day
Overview:
“Newsies,” originally written by Harvey Fierstein, was brought to life by director Marilyn Strange, aided by the student actors, technicians,
choreographers and booster parents. This year’s production transported the audience to the streets of New York at the turn of the 19th century, as
an exciting dance-packed musical telling the story of newsboys on strike. Based on true events, the show follows lead character, Jack Kelly, as he finds the
courage to stand up to the pompous owner of the press, Joseph Pulitzer. With the help of the newsboys and David Jacobs, a new intelligent addition to the
group, Jack leads a strike on the press, demanding fair working conditions for the youth.
Actors:
As the curtains rise, lights beam down illuminating the actors taking their places on stage. From memorizing countless lines of dialogue to learning each component of the choreography routines, the actors had to prepare for weeks in order to make the most compelling show possible. The actors in “Newsies” grew as a cast, overcoming obstacles and working together to create a show the cast is proud of.
As a young child, Maxwell Hellard, senior, began to act in his older brother’s short film projects and mandatory school plays. Hellard found “Newsies” more difficult to act in as opposed to last year’s musical, “Oklahoma!” “‘Newsies’ is quite a serious show, so it requires a tougher approach to character work and engaging the audience,” Hellard said.
Hellard portrayed David Jacobs, known as “Davey,” who aids the newsboys’ strike alongside his little brother, Les. Hellard was drawn to Davey’s character because of his love of playing secondary parts. “I find that secondary characters in plays and musicals are the most interesting to explore because they build up the main cast and you usually can play around more with [them] since you aren’t at the very forefront of the show,” Hellard said.
Performing feels like a safe space for Makenna Cotton, junior, as she has had practice being on stage her whole life. Cotton played a featured dancing Newsie for every show except the matinees on Nov. 9 and 10, where she understudied as Medda Larkin, a singer who offers refuge for the Newsies in her theater. “My favorite part about acting as a Newsie is that it creates a tangible sense of family. Spending so much time with my cast mates and being so interactive and collaborative on stage cultivates a really fun and energizing environment,” Cotton said.
Cotton finds the freedom Strange grants her actors in their portrayal of their character exciting, but also terrifying. “Performance is a really intimate thing and putting yourself on stage and using your experiences to steer a character that others will judge can be hard. The longer you spend honing your acting skills, your characters can feel and seem more natural and it’s easier to be vulnerable because you know you can do your part justice,” Cotton said.
To get ready for a performance, Claudia Frankfort, sophomore, prepares her voice by drinking tea the night before. Frankfort played a Newsie named Albert, who had a charismatic and charming personality. After the closing show, Frankfort hosted a cast party to celebrate the end of Newsies. “My favorite part of Newsies was meeting and engaging with all the people. I love being able to connect with all these people with the same common love of theater that I wouldn’t have been able to talk to otherwise. I made so many new friends in the cast and crew that I’m going to stay connected with,” Frankfort said.
Before shows, the cast warmed up their vocals, practiced choreography and had fight calls, preparing them for the physical demands of the show. Frankfort has almost 10 years of dance experience under her belt, and currently dances at Thrive Dance Studio. Frankfort’s role model in the NPHS theater program is Kesley Roth, senior, who played Crutchie. “She’s an incredible and bold actor who’s never afraid to commit to the bit or character. She’s the funniest person I know and she did a fabulous job in ‘Newsies,’” Frankfort said.
Techies:
To ensure a theater production runs smoothly, the tech crew, also known as “techies”, have to perfect all elements of the show, from lighting to costumes. The stage crew manages the placement of elements on the stage and lighting. While watching the actors on stage there is a lot that is happening behind the scenes to keep the show running smoothly, including the lighting. Sophie Shore, senior, is the head of the lighting department. There is a lot of work that goes on in the booth including, “focusing lights, changing bulbs, learning how to cut gels and how to operate the lighting board, [so] there has to be a certain level of delegation and teamwork that’s happening within everything,” Shore said.
The makeup and costuming department creates an immersive experience for the audience and adds to historical realism with each outfit they design. For “Newsies” in particular, the costuming department aimed to create distinctly different costumes for each character. Kayla Oliver, senior, led the costuming department’s efforts. “There’s colors, there’s different patterns, and also I tried to make it accurate to the original stage production, so I think there’s a lot of authenticity there,” Oliver said. Oliver has a penchant for costuming extravagant dresses, so she enjoyed planning the costume for the glamorous character of Medda Larkin. “I love designing over the top dresses, for example Medda in the show…I drew out a sketch of her performance outfit with a big, feather headpiece and extravagant costuming and accessories, and I felt I was able to replicate that pretty well,” Oliver said.
Tractors:
With there being a dedicated class towards all of the behind the scenes tech work for all of the different shows, there are students that go above and beyond with being both an actor and a technician. The students collectively have decided to call those few “tractors,” a mash-up of “techie” and “actor.”
Getting a part in “Newsies” has improved junior Jeffrey Saner’s skills as an actor. Saner now realizes the importance of secondary characters that may not be present in every scene, as it is the actor’s responsibility to make their character important. Saner plays the show’s greedy villain, Joseph Pulitzer. “It made me realize that the importance of a character stays prominent within the story even though they may not be on stage for very long,” Saner said. With “Newsies” being Saner’s third fall musical production, he was excited to be performing in his fifth show as an important role.
Saner’s responsibilities as a part of the tech department and an actor include memorizing lines, coming up with set designs, practicing choreography, running music and washing the paintings. “Once tech week rolled around, I started to appreciate their work and creativity so much more,” Saner said.
This being his first main stage production as an actor, Reece Kepe, junior, enjoys doing both acting and tech work. Being the co-head of set design and head of rigging, Kepe also learned how to juggle the responsibilities of being an actor. Even with a lot of work to do before opening night, Kepe thinks of it as fun rather than just work that takes up his free time. “I put in a lot of effort because it’s something I want to do, it doesn’t feel like [hard] work,” Kepe said. While normally not being on stage, Kepe felt a good energy surrounding the show and that energetic passion coming from fellow actors. “There is a bunch of energy like rain radiating off the stage, [and] it’s just overall a good time,” Kepe said.
Determined to fill out the creative vision the theater department shares for “Newsies”, Darwin Rowland, junior, is the set designer and manager, as well as an actor in the show. “[It takes] time management, team management [and] a whole lot of teamwork, because it’s not just me and Reece’s designs,” Rowland said. During this production, Rowland played as an understudy for Jack Kelly and felt that there were times it was hard to capture the character fully, but other times Rowland felt, since he is a 17-year-old boy, just like his character, there were connections. “I see myself in the character a little bit, on the outside I am more confident, while on the inside I question myself, [like] he does,” Rowland said.
Directing and Choreographing:
Any given musical consists of three main elements: dancing, singing and acting. Though Marilyn Strange, the head of the NPHS theater department, handles the singing and acting elements, she relies on a team of student choreographers to ensure the dancing is on par with the rest of the show. Emilie Murry, junior, helped contribute to the show’s choreography, beginning over the summer. “We discussed a lot about what we were looking for…[the choreography] really had to do with the show, and we all worked together for that vision, as well as discussing costumes and other things that could kind of show what we were trying to demonstrate,” Murry said.
As a dancer herself, Murry knows how to translate her vision and choreography onto the stage. “[We use] tricks and skills from our advanced dancers, as well as knowing what our more beginner dancers would be able to do,” Murry said. After thinking of each number in the show, Murry’s ultimate favorites are either “Once and for All” or “King of New York.”
There are many elements of a show that go unseen during the performance, one of them being the director. Actors feel Strange’s impact shine through the musical, regardless of whether she is in the audience or behind the curtain.
Before Strange announced “Newsies,” as the fall musical, she sat with the show months even before school was in session, the very first thing she did as she read the script was analysis. “The show is actually very dense and it’s got a lot to say, it was a matter of what themes am I trying to hit? What do I want to be a little more subtle? And then from there, that made casting very simple, and I could get the picture of the show in my head with everything else hubbing around it,” Strange said.
After her vision was set in place, Strange realized that she wanted to convey the theme of togetherness, which is a large subject matter in the musical. “We had ‘Newsies’ workshops before school even started, and that was the first thing that I presented. This is a ‘we show.’ This is not a ‘me show.’ And I’m really looking for that community mentality,” Strange said.
Along with the familial aspect she wanted to show, Strange also feels that having energy throughout the entire production is key to success. “When it comes to a musical, songs are in place when the emotion is so big in a scene, words don’t describe it anymore. So you really have to push it to that other worldly place, because we don’t just break out into song normally,” Strange said.
Her students also find that they have lots of creative freedom with how they play their characters. “Strange allows her vision of the show to grow as rehearsals grow on. There is a lot of trial and error to ultimately produce the most compelling piece possible. She allows students to have a say in their character and performance,” Hellard said.
When it comes to the technical sides of the production, Strange often has a much more strict vision. “It has to be her vision, it has exactly what she wanted. But our input changes what she wants. She likes to change her mind a little bit,” Rowland said.
Strange brings “Newsies” to life through the authentic feeling of community and the large emphasis on energy so much that you feel it from the audience. She is looking for this production to have an impact on others after watching. “We’ve really been pushing that community mentality of we are together in this. We are together putting on this show. My vision is that through that creation with the artists as we’re performing it, there’s at least one or two people in the audience that see that and want to take that back with them in their daily life,” Strange said.
Review:
Over the past few years, the Newbury Park High School Theater Department has created attention-grabbing and elaborate productions. Following the success of “Mamma Mia!” in 2022 and “Oklahoma!” in 2023, the NPHS theater department had high expectations to meet and they did not disappoint.
This year’s production of “Newsies” was absolutely fantastic and quickly exceeded expectations. Against all odds, the department put on an energy packed show despite being behind schedule and affected by the local fire in Camarillo. The production features themes of romance, action, hope and brotherhood which, combined with the technical elements and outstanding acting, created an exciting and interesting show. The NPHS theater tech crew out did themselves with elements such as lighting, costuming and set. The show featured bright, colorful lighting and hand-painted props that displayed the department’s attention to detail and commitment to the production. The costume department created the typical New Yorker newsie look using newsboy hats, trousers, and accessories that helped immerse audiences in 19th century New York.
Another extraordinary element of the production was choreography. Thanks to the collaborations between student choreographers, lead choreographer Olivia Antu and dance teacher Cameo Carolan, the show featured impressive turns, flips, tumbling and more that left audiences in awe. The show also featured a stunning tap number that perfectly matched the play’s energy and the power behind the newsboy strike.
The acting in this production was something that also stood out. The energy from the ensemble as they sang “Seize the Day” was extraordinary and I couldn’t help but be captivated with them. Their witty banter with Jack Kelly, played by senior Cameron Winick, built on the theme of community. Everyone did amazing with projecting as well.
Overall the NPHS production of “Newsies” was a fantastic show that highlighted our incredible theater department’s talents. We highly recommend checking out some of their other productions in the future and seeing the commendable work they put into their shows.
They’re the kings of New York! – The “Newsies” company sings their hearts out on stage. Isabelle Cipriano/Prowler
Once and for all! – The “Newsies” company, led by Jack Kelly, pursues their dreams. Isabelle Cipriano/Prowler
Watch what happens! – Cameron Winick and Elizabeth Bond, seniors, take their bows after portraying Jack Kelly and Katherine Plummer. Isabelle Cipriano/Prowler
Write what you know – Kelsey Roth, senior, portrays Crutchie while sending a letter from the refuge to Jack. Marli Saner/Prowler
