Newsies

Dan DeLuca (Jack Kelly) (center) and the original North American Tour company of NEWSIES. ©Disney. Photo by Deen van Meer.

Good news travels fast. Disney's stage adaptation of the 1992 musical film Newsies has arrived in Toronto direct from Broadway. Winner of the 2012 Tony awards® for Best Score and Best Choreography, this rousing production with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman and book by Harvey Fierstein is the must-see musical of the summer.

Now playing at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, Newsies is based on the true story of a band of underdog paperboys in Manhattan who become unlikely heroes when they challenge publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. In the summer of 1899, Pulitzer decided to increase the price they charged the newsies for their "papes," resulting in a city-wide strike, and a call to protect the rights of child labourers, led by a boy named Kid Blink.

In Disney's interpretation, the leader of the pack is Jack Kelly (played by the spirited Dan DeLuca), a dreamer who looks out for the other newsies, including his disabled friend, Crutchie (Zachary Sayle). Jack dreams of escaping New York one day, outlining his plans in the moving prologue "Santa Fe." But when Pulitzer (Steve Blanchard) and his cronies up the cost of papes, the level-headed Jack comes back to earth and devotes himself to helping his friends fight against the greedy industry giants. With the assistance of local diva Medda Larkin (Angela Grovey) and burgeoning reporter Katherine Plumber (Stephanie Styles), Jack manages to mobilize paperboys from Brooklyn to Queens, and their battle for a fair wage becomes front page news.

Featuring energetic and awe-inspiring choreography by Christopher Gattelli, Newsies is a crowd pleaser with genuine heart. Musical highlights include the ensemble numbers "Carrying the Banner," "The World Will Know," "Seize the Day," "King of New York," as well as Jack and Katharine's beautiful duet "Something To Believe In."

Don't miss this captivating tale of love, friendship, loyalty, and determination. Newsies runs until August 30 at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. Visit mirvish.com for more information and to buy tickets.