By, Maggee Bleyer (Reporter for Music Department and Interact Club)
Week 4
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Practices went on smoothly as usual and seized the day for the cast members! Improvements to previous scenes were made and development for powerful moments in the musical were amplified. Newsies is looking great!
There are two major characters in Newsies that are full of passion and spirit. These two characters are Davey and Jack Kelly. Davey is the brains of the Newsies and their fearless leader is Jack Kelly. Jack and Davey become quick friends when their ideas about forming a strike combine. Davey is a smart and passionate guy who wants the best for his family and the newsies. Davey and his little brother, Les, are new newsies that wrap themselves into the newsboy business so they can earn money for their family. As Davey learns more about being a newsie, he meets Jack. Jack is the big hoot of the musical. He’s the leader of the newsies and his words influence their actions. Jack is the passionate and tough character that challenges the minds of the greedy bosses and the poor workers. While facing the epitome of a strike, he has his doubts. Jack is compassionate for his friends for he doesn’t want them to suffer the consequences of the strike not playing out the way he hopes. Balancing the lives of the people he loves and the demanding strike, Jack Kelly has to make tough decisions as a leader and a friend. These two characters together create a moment in history that will never be forgotten.
Jonas Martin, senior, is the star that plays the leading Jack Kelly and Timothy Rosignol, sophomore, is the brains behind Davey. I asked Jonas and Timothy if they feel any connections between themselves and their characters, how this musical experience is different from their others, and which scene is their absolute favorite?
Jonas Martin: “I do feel connections between me and Jack Kelly. I can’t pinpoint the source of the connections but it makes it easy to become him on stage. It makes it easy to predict his movements and portray what he would do in the situations he’s placed in throughout the musical. This experience has been a lot different than in years past. Everyone is more involved and all are important. There are no small parts in this production. We all put in the work and we all make it a great show. My absolute favorite scene is King of New York. The song is my super favorite and I’m sad that I don’t get to be in the scene. It’s okay, though, because the boys in it will make it the best it can be!”
Timothy Rosignol: “My character is very close to my real self. In almost every situation he comes across in the show, he reacts the same as I would do in any situation. He is very logically minded. He tries to think things through and use his words before he resorts to getting his hands in a fight. The show this year is in March instead of April, so everything seems to be moving a lot faster than usual. This is the first musical I’ve been in where my character is not a jumpy, comedic person, so it’s a really nice change of pace to do something completely new! My favorite scene is when Davey, Katherine, and Les all convince Jack that the strike isn’t over. They all work to convince him that they all are winning the war for the newsies’ rights. There is a song in that scene with great lyrics that tie in the conversation along with the beautiful harmonies that will uplift the spirits of the characters and the audience.”
Newsies is sure to make you feel a sense of excitement and rebellion all in one. These cast members have a lot of work to do to make this riveting musical come to life. Newsies is coming to life March 26th-29th. Stay tuned for more weekly story updates about the musical.