By, Maggee Bleyer (Reporter for Music Department and Interact Club)
Week 8
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Now that tickets are officially out, Newsies is becoming the talk-of-the-town. Technical elements used for musicals are coming into play and scenes are being revised to their smallest bit. Cast members are growing more excited, yet nervous, as practices transition to the opening night.
We have all experienced the feeling of trying to make a change or do something that we love and some type of force brings us down. Yet, we don’t stay down for long. We fight through it and never give up! That’s what the newsies are experiencing throughout the musical. After being beaten down time and time again, the newsies are now ready to give it their all. In the powerful song, Once and For All, the newsies pass out papers to every working kid in New York that asks them to strike against Pulitzer and find their voice among the overcoming old generation. With all of the young workers and newsies of New York united, nothing can stop them! James Martin, freshman (newsie: Finch), Chris May, sophomore (newsie: Jo Jo), and Ashlyn Peach, sophomore (newsie: Ike) are three of the many newsies that are seeking their revenge against Pulitzer’s greedy intentions. I asked these newsies what does Once and For All mean to them, what’s it like being a newsie, and what is one of their passions?
James Martin: “Once and For All is really a peak of the moment where newsies were finally done with Pulitzer’s madness. When acting as a newsie, you have to make it believable that, when those prices increased, it felt like you lost absolutely everything. It’s like working for something for so long and then it’s ripped out of your hands! I have a passion for musical theatre. I enjoy coming to each practice and seeing how I can improve on my lines, make them seem more believable, and make it an enjoyable experience for the audience.”
Chris May: “Once and For All means that, even though we are pushed to our limits, it’s still better to try to keep going and make yourself grow stronger throughout the muck. This song and its meaning reminds me of how Mrs. Mandrell pushes and pushes us to do better which makes us better at our jobs. When acting like a newsie, I try to just seem laid back. Yet, once all of the action and trouble happens, I get the feeling of protecting all of these newsies like they’re my family. Overall, though, when I’m on stage, I act like a normal kid. Acting like a newsie, though, has definitely shown me what it was like for them during this difficult strike. One of my passions has to do with musical performance, which I plan to major in. I want to pursue this because I absolutely love music. Music has gotten me through tough times in my life and has kept me out of the streets causing trouble.”
Ashlyn Peach: “Once and For All is a really empowering song for me! I love how the lyrics speak about the new world and changes the old ways. It makes me feel very powerful and so inspired. It’s a very strong turning point in the musical and I love it a lot! Also, it’s my favorite song. Being a newsie is a very different role for me because I’m used to proper body language and technique when it comes to performing a female role. I enjoy being a newsie because I have less restraints than usual. All of us newsies get to be more laid back and chill with our posture and behavior. Everything is really different, but it’s fun to be able to mess around with the guys and learn their behaviors! Being able to dance in the dance numbers is so much fun and so crazy. This is probably my favorite part about being a newsie! My favorite passion is DANCING! As a kid, I watched Dancing with the Stars and played the video game, Just Dance. I enjoyed those things so much that I just always liked to dance. When I came into high school, I didn’t think that musical was going to be full of dancing . . . I was so wrong! I have so much fun learning and performing dances in the musical. It’s just one of the things that I happen to love a lot!”
Being the mayor of New York City is not an easy job. There’s always the good and the bad. Snyder, or, as the newsies know him, ‘Snyder the Spider’ is one of the rotten crooks of NYC. Snyder is the corrupt warden of the Refuge, where he captures kids to store in his awful orphanage so he can keep receiving his government checks. The mayor, on the other hand, is a reasonable man who doubts Pulitzer’s honesty and intentions throughout the musical. Keir Curtis, junior and actor behind the mayor of NYC, and Gavin Swain, senior and actor behind Snyder, play these passionate roles in Newsies. I asked these two roles their own respectable questions.
I asked Keir Curtis, what is it like playing the mayor, do you have any other roles, and what would you do if you were mayor?
Keir Curtis: “Playing as the mayor, my role gives off a sense of maturity. I have to act proper and just for this role. Being the mayor makes me feel like I’m in charge, so I try to give off that vibe! My other roles include being the man who presents the headline for the newsies during Carrying the Banner and being a scab. If I was the mayor of NYC, I would definitely not hire Pulitzer! I also wouldn’t have allowed the crooked Refuge to exist.”
Then, I asked Gavin Swain, is it difficult playing the role of Snyder, how well is his first musical experience going, and is it fun being a bad guy?
Gavin Swain: “I would say, for me, it's difficult playing Snyder at times because Snyder is a bad guy and I’m not, at all, a bad guy. Snyder is mean, careless, and an all-around villain. It’s hard for me to play him because I’m not really a villain. I do believe I’m getting better at it, though! I absolutely love being a part of the musical. It has introduced me to so many new friends and I’m so excited to see how it all fits together. My only regret is that I didn’t start doing musicals sooner. Honestly, playing a bad guy like Snyder is a little fun! I never thought I’d say this, but, sometimes, it’s fun being the bad guy.”
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. <<<GET YOUR TICKETS HERE.>>> Stay tuned for more weekly story updates about the musical.