Audience members will be on the edge of their seats this weekend at the Bellefontaine High School auditorium, as the cast members of the spring musical, Newsies, present an impassioned and lively turn-of-the century story that was based upon the real life newsboys strike of 1899 in New York City.
The show is presented at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, and Saturday, Feb. 22, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. each night. Tickets are $10 each and are available at https://www.bcs-k12.org/athletics/bcs-box-office. You can also call (937) 592-2620 to place an order.
Musical Director Brice Henry said the students were excited about the selection of this musical, “from day one.”
“It’s a current musical that came out around 2005 and they’re all pretty familiar with it,” he said during dress rehearsals Tuesday night, Feb. 18. “It has so much energy and great dancing. It’s just fun to watch.”
One of Act I’s final numbers, “Seize the Day,” and other familiar favorite tunes throughout the show feature high kicks, cartwheels and other high-powered moves, as directed by choreographers Trinity Floyd and Maverick Jacob.
Henry related that this year’s cast of students features high-caliber actors and vocalists of all ages, from freshman to seniors, making it possible to pull off the breadth of talent required for this production. Vocal rehearsals began in December and stage rehearsals started in January. Brian Timpe is the assistant director and Keri Fergus is the costume director.
Main character Jack Kelly, played by Hunter Kerns, leads the newsboys, a group of orphans who live in a Lower Manhattan lodging house. The story opens with Jack sharing in the early hours of the morning with his best friend, Crutchie, played by Ryan Alexander; about his dream to leave the city for a better life out West in the song, “Santa Fe.”
As the morning begins, Jack and Crutchie and the rest of the newsies meet Davey, played by Jake Moreland, and his nine-year-old brother Les, played by Gracie Wickham. Unlike the other newsies, the siblings have a home and a loving family.
Later, Jack, Davey, and Les are selling their final newspapers of the day when the Warden Snyder, played by Bryson Chrisman, recognizes Jack as an escapee from his institution. He attempts to chase the boys down, but they find cover in a vaudeville-style theatre owned by Jack’s friend Medda Larkin, played by Haidyn Bruce. As Medda performs “That’s Rich,” Jack spots a young female reporter named Katherine Plumber, played by Elliett Lang.
Meanwhile, the publisher of the New York World, Joseph Pulitzer, played by Blaine Mitchell, expresses his displeasure at his newspaper’s declining circulation. To increase his profits, he decides to increase the cost of the papers for the newsies.
The next morning, the newsies discover that the cost of newspapers has been raised to sixty cents per hundred. Outraged, Jack declares the newsies to be a union and organizes a protest in “The World Will Know.” Katherine decides to cover the strike, seeing it as an opportunity to be taken more seriously as a journalist.
Fellow principal cast members include: Spot Conlon/Mayor/Nunzio – Tristyn Wilson; Hannah – Summer Maley; Race – Lilly Hudson; and the Bowery Beauties/Nuns/Newsies – Ava Kunze, Thessaly Reminder, Sloan Stolly and Callie Shumaker.
Supporting cast members are: Specs – Ella Fultz; Buttons – Alex Priest; Darcy – Trinity Sassen; Bill – Myles Sellars; Seitz/Henry – Olivia Dearwester; Bunsen – Alayna Robinson; Wiesel – Alex Sandoval; Morris Delancey – Emma Ganson; Oscar Delancey – Brody Miranda; Snyder – Bryson Chrisman; Ms. Jacobi – Emma Suman; Nun – Kayla Sellars; Scabs – Katlyn Corral & Cass De Long; Tommy Boy/Roosevelt – Mason Swisher; Finch – Emma Merrin; Albert – Jas Maier; Romeo – Caitlin Haley; Elmer – Kahanna Dixon; Mush – Nollie Jones; Splasher – Olivia Anthony; Jo Jo – Harley Neer; Mikayla – Renn Williams; Ike – Clara Core.
Photographers are Gina Sandoval Alfaro and Alexa Garcia Hernandez. Kate Myers is the student director and stage crew members are Trinity Fout, Jacob Lynch, Will Myers, Andrew McDonald, Kayla Sellars and Elaina Shultz.
Students who are performing in the orchestra pit include Nathan Shultz and Garrett Prater.
