“Newsies” seizes the day and Alluvion Stage Company’s stage

• “Newsies” takes the stage at Tower Theater about what happens when a group of people joins together for the common good.
• The Disney musical with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman is based on a true story of the Newsboys Strike of 1899.

What happens when a ragtag group of newsboys join together to face some of the toughest opponents of their time?

Audiences who decide to “seize the day” and attend one of the Alluvion Stage Company’s performances of “Newsies” will find out.

With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman, “Newsies” tells the story of Jack Kelly, who leads his troop of newsboys around New York City in the late 1800s, running from the officials of the slovenly juvenile jail known as “the Refuge” and dreaming of moving to Santa Fe and falling in love with journalist Katherine Plumber.

When newspaper giants Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise the distribution price for newspapers at the newsboys’ expense, the “newsies” decide to challenge the publishers and go on a strike.  Based on the true story of The Newsboys Strike of 1899, the strike becomes larger than just protesting the price of newspapers as they stand up for child laborers around New York City as well.

“I just love everything about Newsies,” director Linda Cooper said.  “I love that it’s based on a true story.  I love that fact that the hero is 17 years old and speaks for an entire generation and made a difference in history because of speaking up.  I love that it’s a group of young men on stage, really powerhouses all of them, just dominating the stage with their energy and their athleticism and their youthfulness. I find it contagious.  I love that it’s a love story and kind of a Cinderella story, but this time Cinderella is the male character – kind of rags to riches.  He’s the orphan.  He’s the one that kisses the princess and then runs away. I love that.”

The cast, consisting of both professional actors and Liberty students, rehearsed for nearly a month before the first performance, working on the extensive choreography and music.

“It’s very hard to stay energetic 24/7, but that’s what this show calls for,” Joel Hadden, who plays Tommy Boy, said.  “We put in the work and we finally made it to the end where we can finally show people what we’ve been working so hard for.”

According to stage manager Brooke Spencer, without the work of the set and costume designers, the humor and show tunes of “Newsies” would be incomplete.

“The design teams began designing during the summer and started their construction in August,” Spencer said.  “We are very blessed to work with such talented designers and staff. They all worked diligently to help bring the story to life onstage.”

Highlighting the stage are costumes in muted palettes with the occasional turquoise and yellow, and a three-story set that resembles a jungle gym built by the design teams over the summer.

“It’s probably the largest set we’ve ever had,” Cooper said.  “It all had to be individually welded together and one man did all that welding, so that was a big part of it.  It’s not a set where a lot of pieces are coming in and out, but it’s three stories so it’s a lot of climbing and maneuvering for the actors.”

The hard work and effort of the cast, crew and orchestra come together in the show, climaxing in the many large group dance numbers.

“My favorite part of the show is during the song ‘Once and For All,’” said Brandon Shawl, who played Race and served as the assistant dance captain.  “We all start to sing this refrain together, and there is just power with our voices, the orchestra, the blocking Mrs. Cooper gave us, and all of the technical elements.”

The cast tap and twirl their way through show tunes like “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day” and “King of New York,” in between telling a story about what can happen when people work together for a common cause.

“I want people to see what it means when a group of people work together for the common good instead of just an individual,” Cooper said.  “Because it’s really about all of them banding together for what they believed in and what can happen when a group of people come together to stand up for what (they) know is right even if (they) feel like (they’re) going to be beaten.”

“I hope that the audience takes away that everyone has a voice,” Shawl said. “No matter what the situation is, we all are able to take a stand and stand up for what’s right.  If a group of boys selling newspapers could do that in 1899, imagine what we as Christians could do today!”

For Hadden, the effort the cast and the crew put into the show is born of their story to glorify God through every performance.

“Our whole focus is to tell a story and here at Liberty at least, our whole focus is to tell a story that brings glory to God,” Hadden said.  Hadden believes that “Newsies” is a good show for this purpose, as the actors bring to life the story of young kids who change the world through their perspective and willpower.

“Newsies” opened at Liberty University’s Tower Theater Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 1.  Tickets can be purchased online at alluvionstage.com or through the ticket office at Green Hall and at 434-582-7328.