Newsies at HCT

I really love the musical Newsies (go here, here, here, and here for reviews of other productions) so I have been anticipating Hale's production all season. I was really eager to see what they would do with it on their intimate stage and, when I saw it Thursday night, I was certainly not disappointed. It exceeded my expectations in every way.  When Joseph Pulitzer (Ric Starnes) decides to raise the price of newspapers, Jack Kelly (James Bounous) rallies his fellow newsies to strike. With a little help from intrepid reporter Katherine Plummer (Kelly Hennessey Pulver) and Governor Roosevelt (Bradley Moss), the newsies score a victory for all of the children of New York. I loved the entire cast (they are all so incredibly talented) but Bounous and Peter Reid Lambert, who plays Davey, are especially charismatic. I also really liked Pulver's rendition of "Watch What Happens." The big production numbers are absolutely amazing and, as always, I really enjoyed "Carrying the Banner," Seize the Day," "The King of New York," and "Once And For All." I had goosebumps in my very favorite song, "The World Will Know" because it was performed with such passion. The choreography maintains the spirit of the Broadway production (there are plenty of high energy leaps and spins in unison) but there are a lot of touches here and there which keep it fresh and vibrant. I think this production might be the best I've ever seen because the staging is brilliant! I felt so close to the action. The metal towers used to represent the New York City skyline are in the middle of the stage making them three-dimensional and the actors utilize them very effectively. The use of the LED screens around the theatre for Jack's drawings and for the newspaper headlines is extremely clever.  I also loved the use of a vintage printing press during "Once And For All" because it looks like they are really printing a newspaper! I enjoyed this show so much and I highly recommend it!  It runs through September 1 at the Mountain American Performing Arts Centre (go here for tickets) but act soon because tickets will go quickly!