About the work
Newsies is a musical by Alan Menken (music) and Jack Feldman (lyrics) with a book by Harvey Fierstein, premiered on Broadway in 2011/2012. Based on the 1992 Disney film and the real newsboys' strike of 1899, it won two Tony Awards.
Plot
In 1899 New York, the "newsies"—homeless and poor newspaper boys—scrape by selling papers. When the powerful publisher Joseph Pulitzer raises their purchase price to boost his profit, the charismatic Jack Kelly calls the boys out on strike. Together with the young reporter Katherine they organise resistance against the all-powerful newspaper magnates. A group of exploited children becomes a powerful movement that wins a historic victory.
Cultural significance
Newsies is famous for its athletic, acrobatic dance numbers, among the most spectacular of the modern Broadway. Alan Menken's rousing score, with anthems such as Seize the Day and Santa Fe, makes the work a celebration of solidarity and youthful rebellion. Especially popular with young ensembles, it combines Disney verve with a powerful message about workers' rights.