By Jennifer Appleby Chu
Mention Newsies, and most people will think of the 1992 Disney film starring a very fresh-faced Christian Bale, which gained something of a cult following after its release to video. For those unaware, it’s now also a stage musical.
One of Eugene’s newest theater groups, The Non-Stop Players, is taking on this rousing show in their new home at Actors Cabaret of Eugene, and the result is worth the watch.
Directed by Karen Olsen, Non-Stop’s Newsies is an energetic, heartfelt romp that preserves the spiritedness of the original film and Broadway show, while deftly adapting them to a more intimate space.
It’s 1899, and the newspaper carriers of New York City are fed up. It’s a familiar story: they’re severely underpaid, overworked, and bullied by their employers. Oh, did I mention they’re all children and teenagers? When their bosses hike the wholesale cost of papers by twenty percent, the newsies finally decide they’ve had enough and vote to strike. (This is a true story, by the way. Look it up.)
One of the biggest challenges of this show is the cast required: no fewer than fifteen actors who are young enough to play kids and teens, and also skilled enough to sing, dance, and act as a cohesive unit.
That’s a tall order for a community production, but this group pulls together the whole way. Their solid ensemble work keeps the show buoyant. Newsies would be sunk without good newsies. Henry Morton also makes for a vibrant presence as Jack Kelly, their charismatic ringleader. Gender-flexible casting on the newsies and supporting characters helps remedy a primary weakness of the original musical, its extreme dearth of roles for women.
Special credit goes to the designers for how neatly this show has been tailored to the Actors Cabaret space. No stage can compete with a Hollywood studio lot for scale or period detail, so the show wisely chooses to paint in simpler strokes. Period is provided entirely by props, furniture, and Karen Olsen’s evocative costumes. Choreographer Adam Kelly in particular has done a fine job turning the high-flying dance work of the movie into a routine that fits the needs of the venue and the cast.
The Non-Stop Players’ official emphasis is on providing performance opportunities to youth actors. Newsies is a fitting choice and a solid debut for them in their new space.
Go support them.
