Extra! Extra! Newsies is a hit at Popejoy!

Disney’s Newsies is a stunning example of how to turn a movie into a stunning musical stage production and a wonderful way to introduce the youth of today to the stage. This Broadway hit musical is based on the 1992 film that starred Christian Bale (Batman) and Bill Pullman (Independence Day). The story is based loosely on the 1899 strike of the newspaper boys inNew York City. It showcases the harsh environment the boys worked in while still keeping the project family friendly.

Joey Barreiro (Jack Kelly) plays a lovable thug who, at 17, was dreaming big of moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico, while living on a rooftop in New York City. He and his friend, Crutchie, (Andy Richardson) sells the newspaper for The World in order to eat during the hard times in the city. Both boys work among a large number of young boys who either don’t have families or someone supporting them. New recruits Davey (Stephen Michael Langton) and Les (Turner Birthisel) turn up looking for work to help support their family after their father’s accident on the job. Birthisel stole the show every time he set foot on the stage. With a magnetic energy that radiated from him I expect to be seeing him on stages across the nation.

Here in New Mexico, the crowd took a special liking to the fact that Jack Kelly’s goal was to move out west where it was green and the air was clear - Santa Fe - which he does paint the familiar pink mountains into a backdrop for a theater he works in. The scene changes and set designs, which are breathtaking and ever-changing, keep the attention of the young, finicky audience. The dialogue and dancing kept people of all ages enchanted. The youthful hardworking cast of this show deserves to be seen. Tickets available at Popejoypresents.com