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‘Newsies’ inspired by delivery boys’ 1899 strike
Even Jack Kelly wants to move to Santa Fe.
The fictional character in Disney’s “Newsies” musical is a newspaper delivery boy who has big dreams and will make headlines, and the first number is his dream to move out West.
“Jack is way cooler than I am,” Joey Barreiro says. “It’s always fun to play someone who’s way cooler than you. I get to walk around and be the boss on stage. Personally, I’m not like that.”
Barreiro plays Kelly in the musical.
Set in New York City in 1899, “Newsies” is the rousing tale of Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a ragged band of teenage “newsies” who dreams only of a better life far from the hardship of the streets.
But when publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Kelly finds a cause to fight for and rallies newsies from across the city to strike for what’s right.
The musical is inspired by the real-life “Newsboy Strike of 1899,” in which newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week action against Pulitzer, Hearst and other powerful newspaper publishers.
The score is written by Alan Menken, with lyrics by Jack Feldman. It’s based on the book by Harvey Fierstein and is choreographed by Christopher Gattelli.
When it opened in 2012, “Newsies” was intended for a Broadway run of just 101 performances.
The show’s fiercely devoted fans had other ideas, however; propelling the show to a run of 1,005 performances, attendance of more than 1 million and a gross of over $100 million.
While on Broadway, “Newsies” set and broke seven Nederlander Theatre house records and became the highest-grossing show of the 2011-12 Broadway season.
The musical received 23 major theatrical nominations — including eight Tony Award nods — and won Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for score and choreography.
“This was the production that everyone overlooked,” says Jeff Calhoun, director. “I remember going to one of the readings in the early stages, and this story had heart. The scores were remarkable. There are no easy shows, and everything takes hard work. This is why it’s exciting to see the reach of the musical. This show became a juggernaut and made history. It’s a far cry from the initial 12-week run.”
Calhoun says another reason the show resonates with audiences is the content.
“The heart of the story surrounds these young kids on stage,” Calhoun says. “It’s infectious. If you are young, you love seeing people your age on stage. For the others, it takes you back to being hopeful and full of dreams. This show also showcases the next generation of theater stars.”
The musical is also based on the 1992 movie starring Christian Bale as Kelly.
Barreiro was familiar with the movie, though he never watched the musical on Broadway.
“I went into this role trying to make it my own,” he says. “I thought about how Jack would do certain things and just went with it. It’s been such a great experience to be a part of. There is a cult following for the musical, and it feels great to do it justice each night. It’s a lot of work, and the entire cast is amazing. We’ve all grown into this family on the road.”