AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL ‘NEWSIES’ HEADS TO MANILA
ATONY Award-winnning musical production, “Disney’s Newsies” will make its Philippine debut featuring a creative team and cast of the best talents across the country.
Originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, the highenergy dance musical adaptation of the 1992 cult hit motion picture starring Christian Bale and inspired by true events of the “Newsboy Strike of 1899” in New York has had 1,005 performances on Broadway in two years.
The Manila production is being brought by Globe Live and 9 Works Theatrical to the Globe Iconic Store Bonifacio High Street Amphitheater on all weekends of July.
Gawad Buhay award-winning choreographer PJ Rebullida, with director Robbie Guevara at the helm, is reimagining the choreography for the Philippines premiere of Newsies.
“As opposed to what I did before, like say in ‘American Idiot,’ I had everything planned out. I read the script and said ‘I could go crazy with this’ because the storyline wasn’t so defined as Newsies. Here, there is a storyline to follow. That’s harder because you have to know how to plot point when the highlight happens. That’s the hard part now,” Rebullida said during the press conference.
Meanwhile, when it comes to choreographing an Alan Menken score, he noted, “He’s a genius. When I listen to the music, and the music will tell me to jump, [then] it’s Alan Menken. I can hear the jumps and the pirouettes,” he added.
With 21 young men of various degrees of dance skills, Rebullida was also happy to have had a training ground with his actors—six hours, five days a week training in ballet, jazz, tap, singing, acting, scene work, and everything else that would help the actors ready for the show.
“We’re not making this easy for them. We’re raising the bar. My goal is that everyone does a double pirouette [ with] our taps clean,” he explained.
Newsies stars Gian Magdangal, who just came back from a stint in Hong Kong Disneyland’s “The Golden Mickeys” and Universal Studios in Japan.
Playing the newsboys are Jef Flores, Daniel Drilon, Tory Cortez, Luis Marcelo, and Alex Diaz. Also playing important characters are Danielle Chopin, Greg Dulcie, Pinky Marquez and Raymund Concepcion.
Rounding up the cast are Franz Imperial, Ariel Reonal, Joni Galeste, Melissa Bell, Ian Ocampo, Ronelson Yadao, Erick Arenas, Jourdan Bartolome, Mark Anthony Grantos, Jim Ferrer, Chesko Rpdriguez, Kendrick Ibasco, Anton Posadas, Stephen Vina, Clark dela Riva, Jon Abella, MC dela Cruz, Vyen Villanueva, and Jan Mayo.