I found this review from critic Ben Brantley in the New York Times regarding the musical Newsies. He is the chief theatre reviewer for the Times, and has been working for the paper since 1993. I was interested in what he would have to say about one of my favorite musicals.
Critics are important for the theatre. In the past, they were extremely influential on the audience, and could potentially be the death of a performance. Today, they're not as influential, but they still have very valuable knowledge and insights about the theatre that would be very beneficial for the theatergoer to broaden their perspective a bit and get the most out of the performance.
Newsies is a Broadway musical that is based on the 1992 Disney movie (which is based on actual events) with a score by famed Disney composer, Alan Menken. It takes place in 1899 New York City. Young newspaper boys, called "newsies", are on the streets everyday "pushing the papes" and trying to scrape a living off of what they sell. The newsies are mostly a group of orphans and runaways, and live in a sort of foster house. They get up early every morning, buy their share of newspapers to sell hot off the press, and work the streets, doing everything they can, from shouting to begging, trying to earn a penny a pape. The trouble arises when the newspaper king, Joseph Pulitzer, wants to charge the newsies more for the papers they buy to sell. And they're barely able to live off of what they make now. So, they decide to strike, and stand up for what's right. Everyone loves underdogs, and orphans, and Newsies includes both types of characters along with showstopping musical numbers enhanced with choreography.
There are a few criticisms that Ben Brantley expressed about the musical upon its opening on Broadway in March of last year. He felt that the numbers in the show were all "go,go,go!" and that the choreography was repetitive. He also felt that some of the actors playing the newsie boys looked a little too old to play orphans. He favored the few songs in the play that weren't so loud, that "provided a sorely needed oasis of relief from all that extra! extra! enthusiasm." (2-paraphrased)
As a critic, I of course respect his analysis of the performance, and I suppose there are a few times when a nice, slow number would be welcome. I think, though, that even he would agree that it is a good show.
Sources:
"Urchins With Punctuation: 'Newsies the Musical' by Alan Menken and Harvey Fierstein'. Theater Review. New York Times.com. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/theater/reviews/newsies-the-musical-by-alan-menken-and-harvey-fierstein.html?_r=0&pagewanted=2
Wilson, Edwin; Goldfarb, Alvin. Theatre: The Lively Art. Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.
I have heard of Newsies, but I've never seen it. The 1992 movie has a cult following, it seems, and one of my best friends has mentioned it to me on more than one occasion...
ReplyDeleteYou might not have seen this new production of Newsies, so it might be hard to determine, but does Brantley make good points? Would too-old orphans distract from the truth of the story? Did he recommend the show? What was his final analysis?
Also, make sure to match any source in the works cited with a shout-out in the text itself. I can't tell where you use either source...
I did not know any thing about Newsies, at least now I know how orphans and poor boys have worked so hard to earn money by selling newspaper. Although News paper agency of that should be thankful to those Newsies, for making work easier for News paper industry. News paper agencies did not have to pay or hirer anyone to sell Newspaper to local people on streets and to spread the words and information of the news papers.
ReplyDelete