Cast members of "Newsies," this year's spring musical at Downingtown High School East (DHSE), are particularly excited about the play because they were already huge fans of the musical.
Griffen Frantz, who plays the lead role of Jack Kelly in the DHSE production, said he was familiar with the "Newsies" movie produced by Disney in 1992. It starred Bill Pullman and Robert Duvall, as well as Christian Bale as Jack Kelly.
"Netflix featured the Broadway production and has been huge in promoting the show to teens," said Griffen. "Before the show was announced, the kids had already seen both the movie and the show on Netflix several times and were in love with it."
Griffen said the timing was right this year to produce the play. "Our program holds some of the most talented kids in the Downingtown area. With a show like 'Newsies,' there are no small parts and most actors/actresses are on stage the entire time," he stated. "This felt like the right year for 'Newsies' as our cast has no weak links and this is a show that the students have been wanting to do for a while."
The play's music was composed by Alan Menken, who is responsible for music in other Disney classics such as "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin," as well as other musicals staged at DHSE, such as "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Sister Act."
"The play's musical numbers are very intricate and have taken a lot of concentration and work from the students in order to integrate singing with the rigorous dancing," Griffen noted.
"Our music director, Mr. Speakman, has been extremely helpful to us over the past three months making sure that we are fully prepared for opening night," said Connor Fergus, who plays Henry. "While the music is difficult to learn with intricate harmonies and rock-like dynamics, Mr. Speakman has made us sound like singing a 'Newsies' song is just another day in the office."
"While none of these tunes are a classified 'hit,' they are outrageously catchy. I guarantee that audience members will not get 'King of New York' out of their heads for at least a week after seeing the show," Griffen added. "This production thrives on big ensemble numbers with the newsies. There are a lot of students involved in this cast; the more the merrier."
In addition to learning music, the cast members have been stepping up their dance moves. "'Newsies' is a very dance-heavy show," said Joe Breslin, who plays Elmer. "One of my biggest challenges has been nailing my front flips across the stage during the song 'Seize the Day.' It's a lot of pressure, but it looks awesome."
"'Newsies' is the first show where I've been as active on stage as I am," added Srinath Govindarajula, who plays Albert. "This can become difficult when it's time to belt out a high tenor note right after a chase scene. One of things I have had to become conscious about is making sure that I have breath control throughout each large production number, where there is a lot of action."
All the cast members agree that working on the show with one another has brought them close together, forming a theatrical family.
"As a girl, I initially was worried that I would feel insignificant in this production since it's a guy-heavy show," said Alison Waller, who plays Specs. "However, as a newsie, despite being a female, I still feel an overwhelming sense of brotherhood between all of the newsies."
She noted that each member of the cast brings something unique to the stage. "There is something so powerful about belting 'Once And For All' at the top of your lungs with all of your best friends," she said. "The love and compassion we feel as a cast will be infectious to our audience."
"When you're a newsie or acting like one, everyone around you is your brother," Griffen added. "We've become a family through this show, and our chemistry is electric on stage. I can't wait to put an audience in the seats."
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