Back for a limited time, Disney Newsies has returned to wow the South Florida crowd. I was invited to see the opening night performance and it had me dancing in my seat! The Disney Newsies cast is set to deliver phenomenal performances at the through Sunday, November 29, 2015.

Disney Newsies – Extra! Extra!

You heard it here first – Miami native and UM graduate Joey Barreiro takes the lead as Jack Kelly in Disney Newsies as it returns to South Florida. Joining Barreiro onstage as Katherine Pulitzer is Morgan Keene, a powerhouse of a young woman with a captivating voice. In 2012 Newsies won the Tony Awards® for Best Score and Best Choreography! Disney Newsies on Tour brings new numbers you won’t hear or see on Broadway.

Newsies is set in New York City and tells the tale of Jack Kelly the official/unofficial leader of the Manhattan newsies, and his newsies, a group of boys that sell newspapers trying to survive the mean streets of New York City. When Newsies first opened in 2012 on Broadway, it was scheduled to run for only 101 performances, instead ran for 1,005 performances and became the highest-grossing show during the 2011-2012 Broadway season. Kelly and his newsies take on publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst when the titans decide to raise the price of the newspapers to up their bottom line.

Unbeknownst to Jack his co-conspirator, and unexpected love interest, Katherine, is actually the daughter of Pulitzer. Disney’s Newsies is inspired by the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899. As Kelly dreams of a beautiful and unobstructed life in Santa Fé, far from the hardships of street life of New York City, the newsies elect him to represent their newly formed union in the battle against Pulitzer and other large publications to bring the price per 100 papers back down. Attempting to “Seize the Day” and become “King of New York” Kelly has to make a choice between his freedom and sacrificing the fight to protect his newsies family. Newsies is a tale about standing up for what you believe in and remaining true to who you are.

The musical numbers, the choreography, the costumes, all were outstanding. The tap dance performances were entertaining beyond measure for me because I’ve always dreamed of learning to tap dance. Jack Kelly is a powerful actor and will captivate you with his charismatic charm and cute New Yorker accent. The role of Les, the newest newsie at just 10 years old is just too cute to miss and he’s a real show stealer too. His bubbly personality and funny lines made me seek him out during each act.

Other notable characters were Medda with her powerful voice, motherly mentoring, funny jokes and beautiful costumes, as well as Crutchie, who I simply wanted to reach out and hug. Crutchie played his role to a T and made me truly believe that his characters handicap was real (it was portrayed THAT well!)

 

This production features Joey Barreiro as “Jack Kelly,” Steve Blanchard returning as “Joseph Pulitzer,” Morgan Keene as “Katherine,” Aisha De Haas as “Medda Larkin,” Stephen Michael Langton as “Davey,” Zachary Sayle returning as “Crutchie,” and John Pitera and Ethan Steiner alternating the role of “Les.” The cast received a much deserved standing ovation for their remarkable performance. You can catch some of my personal photos from the show on my Instagram page here.

 

 

With @keenemorgan & @joey.barreiro of #Newsies! Fun fact: Joey loves to jam out on the guitar & piano backstage “really loud” – courtesy of Morgan! Fun Fact: Morgan is a good kisser! – courtesy of Joey Media Event for Disney Newsies – On Tour now through 11/29 at the @browardcenter #BroadwayAcrossAmerica

A photo posted by Erica Chao (@mamasmission) on Nov 18, 2015 at 10:12am PST

Grab your best friend for a girls night out, or make it a date night with your loved one!

 

My #WCW deserves a front page headline! #newsiesontour #besties #girlsnight #Broadway #BrowardCenter A photo posted by Tiffany DiPanni (@tifdip) on Nov 18, 2015 at 10:44am PST

The parental guide lists this show as appropriate for all ages. I would recommend this show for any children ages 7 and up, and boys especially will love the mostly male cast. Disney Newsies runs for 2 hours and 20 minutes, which includes one (1) twenty-minute intermission. Food, snacks and beverages are available for purchase. Drinks and food are allowed inside the theatre for this performance.

Ticket prices are family budget friendly and start at only $35, with student rush tickets available 2 hours before showtime for only $25. There are plenty of shows left to choose from! Disney Newsies is playing at the The Broward Center for the Performing Arts which is located at 201 SW Fifth Avenue, Ft Lauderdale, FL, 33312. Be sure to visit Broadway Across America for details about upcoming Broadway shows coming to South Florida! Tickets are available for purchase here or by calling the Box Office at 954.462.0222. Photo Credits Deen van Meer and Shane Gutierrez.

There is a Disney Newsies workshop available for students on Saturdays. Also a special “The Newsboys’ Variety Show” presented by the tour cast members is being held on November 23, 2015 at 7pm to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS at the Broward Center for The Performing Arts’ Abdo New River Room. Doors open at 6pm and there is a suggested $25 donation for entry.

Follow Disney Newsies on social media with #NewsiesOnTour

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Disclosure: Mama’s Mission was not compensated for this post. I received media tickets to attend this performance; however, all opinions are 100% my own. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.