Underdog 'Newsies' musical dances its way to Chicago
Like a certain storybook train engine, the hit 2012 Disney Broadway musical "Newsies" is in many ways "the little show that could." At least that's how the national tour's dance captain Andrew Wilson describes "Newsies," which makes its Chicago debut at the Oriental Theatre starting Dec. 10.
"We've been sold out in almost every city that we've gone to so far," said Wilson, a Pittsburgh-area native who has also been a swing performer with the "Newsies" tour since it launched this past October in Schenectady, N.Y. "In Chicago, it's already pretty well sold, too."
"Newsies" originated as a 1992 Disney film musical inspired by a historical newspaper boy strike in New York in 1899. The film was a financial flop during its initial theatrical release, but once "Newsies" was released on VHS and DVD it gradually developed a devoted cult following of fans calling themselves "Fansies."
Many school choirs took up rousing "Newsies" songs like "Seize the Day" and "King of New York," composed by Academy Award-winner Alan Menken ("The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast"), while fans of the future Academy Award-winning actor Christian Bale sought out the film since he starred in the leading role of boy strike organizer Jack Kelly.
Over the years, Disney Theatrical Productions fielded many requests for a stage version of "Newsies" - and responded with a regional production in 2011 at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey. Menken and lyricist Jack Feldman wrote new songs to augment the pre-existing favorites, while Tony Award-winning actor/playwright Harvey Fierstein ("Kinky Boots," "La Cage aux Folles") wrote a new script based upon the screenplay by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White.
The original idea was to make an official Disney stage property that could be licensed to high schools and regional theaters. But "Newsies" at Paper Mill Playhouse proved to be such a huge, unexpected critical and audience hit that Disney decided to move the production to Broadway that season.
The musical then ran in New York profitably for more than two years before the national tour was launched.
As the dance captain for "Newsies," Wilson's main duties are to maintain the integrity of Christopher Gattelli's original Broadway choreography at each performance. And that's vital, considering how Gattelli's work - honored with a Tony Award for Best Choreography - was one of the most critically acclaimed aspects of the show.
"Any amount of dancing, which in 'Newsies' is pretty much the entire show, I'm responsible for all the details from wrists and flicks of the hand to dancing with props and their placement," said Wilson, adding that he was given a thick leatherbound book to follow that is full of the show's dance references and requirements. "Gattelli really created an action-packed, 2½-hour show where there's tap dancing, there's acrobatics, ballet and dancing on newspapers."
Wilson was in awe to work with the entire original creative team when the tour was put together, and he soaked in original director Jeff Calhoun's approach to make sure that every set change and transition was choreographed, just like a dance.
Now that "Newsies" is on the road, Wilson leads rehearsals, teaches new cast members the choreography and watches most every show with an eagle eye to provide notes to the cast of guys, whose ages range from 16 to 28, if something needs to be worked on. And as a swing, Wilson has to understudy up to 13 ensemble roles - sometimes going on mid-performance.
"We had a mid-show injury, and I was watching the show in the tech booth at the back of the house in Louisville," Wilson said. "So I ran down, put on my costume and went right onstage."
“Newsies”
Location: Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000 or
Showtimes: Dec. 10 through Jan. 4: 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday (extra 2 p.m. shows Dec. 11, 17, 24, 26, 30, 31 and Jan. 2), 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Friday (also Dec. 10, 17, 29); no shows Dec. 25 or Jan. 1
Tickets: $37-$117; $25 day-of-show ticket drawing two hours before each performance at Block 37, 108 N. State St., Chicago