Newsies Movie Analysis

As I sat on that rainy Saturday afternoon at the movie theater, suddenly a wave of nostalgia washed over me. I sat there watching the movie production that Fathom events had put on which was the Broadway production of Disney’s Newsies. Fathom events is a company that puts on entertainment events like operas, musicals, and concerts and displays them for one night only in movie theaters. I had forgotten some of my favorite musical numbers that Newsies had. As I sat there watching the scenes unfold in front of me, I realized that there’s a lot that one doesn’t see when their eyes are fixed on the screen. What I mean is that, the experience is much different, when your sitting in front of the screen watching the show, then actually being in the

Newsies takes place in New York City and follows the life of charismatic leader Jack Kelley who dreams of a life in Santa Fe, New Mexico and wants to go away from the hardship of the streets. Jack Kelley and his band of boys sell newspapers for a living, but when Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst (publishers of newspapers) increase their newspaper prices from 50 cents to 60 cents, the boys find a cause to fight for and rally for what is right. I remember finding out a year later that Newsies was an actual event in History as I sat in one of my Communication classes, bewilderment spreading across my face.

Walking into the Pantages theater, felt like I had just stepped into the 1920’s and totally got that Great Gatsby vibe. Walking into the theater I notice refreshments all around. We found our seats and sat in the Mezzanine. In front of us, sat a pair of ladies. Their squeals could not hide their excitement. Suddenly the lights dimmed and the show began…

***Caution: The following paragraphs contain spoiler alerts- read at your own risk

The orchestra is playing at the pit and the song “And the world will know” comes on which is basically the Newsies saying that they won’t give into Pulitzer and Hearst and how they are going to go on strike, and no longer sell newspapers, due to the fact that the newspaper price increased. One of my favorite performance was in Act 1 when they sing “Seize the Day” it begins with a really slow tempo, but then climaxes to an upbeat speed. The Newsies then grab newspapers and dance with the newspapers under their feet, doing flips and turns. From far away one can’t really tell their facial expressions, but in the movie screening one is able to vividly see Jack Kelley’s facial expressions, where a lot of anger is displayed. 15-minute intermission hits, and I have the song “Seize the Day” stuck in my