Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...If, like me, you've heard "I'm the king of New York" sung a time or six before, there are more visual treats awaiting you in a downtown cultural district that has been brought back to life by a theater that has well and truly proved it can do a better job on its own than by booking cheap, non-Equity tours. And it has done that mostly by drawing on the Chicago talent pool, many young members of which can be seen here, in director Jim Corti's lively and enjoyable production of the Disney stage musical, with the stirring score created by composer Alan Menken and Jack Feldman, along with the rabble-rousing book by that ebullient leftie, Harvey Fierstein."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...Paramount’s production makes the show harder to scoff at, even when the cheese is at it All-American-Velveeta-cheesiest. When Kelly urges his fellow paperboys to take on Joseph Pulitzer (Bret Tuomi), he could be stumping for any number of contemporary politico progressives. That’s especially true once Pulitzer denounces Jack as a “socialist,” frames child exploitation as educational and applauds the for-profit “Refuge,” a hellish place where children without parents are locked up."
Daily Herald - Highly Recommended
"...The well-loved musical about the New York City newsboy strike of 1899, which triumphed on Broadway 20 years after it flopped on film, marks another home run for the Aurora theater known for attracting major league talent."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended
"...Overall 'Newsies' delivered right on time with a refreshing cast that tugged at your heart with Michael Kurowski as Crutchie, you wanted to root for him from beginning to end, and the pint-sized actor Les played by Nathaniel Buescher, who was the scene-stealer for the night. Then there was the tyrant publisher Joseph Pulitzer (Bret Tuomi) of the New York World, who played his role to the perfection of being a shrewd businessman."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Paramount Theatre in Aurora has done it again! They have taken a major show and with a local cast under the solid direction by Jim Corti have brought “Newsies the Musical” to their stage. I must tell you that the conversion from Disney film to musical theater production was not one that I was enamored by. I always thought they should have just called it “Newsies WITH music”, as for the most part, the songs in this show are limited despite the music being by Alan Menken and the lyrics by Jack Feldman with a book by Harvey Fierstein."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...This peppy, powerful regional production is an exciting confection that offers, as a bonus, a little history lesson and a sound message about fighting for your rights. Here's a show that'll appeal to audiences of all ages and send patrons out of the theatre singing and dancing in the streets. Theatergoers who have never seen the cult film that spawned this musical may find themselves hungry to rent the DVD. As the leaves begin turning color and start to fall, Chicagoans can joyously usher in the season as Paramount Theatre, once again, Seizes the Day."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...That the production values are spectacular goes without saying. Ever since Paramount started producing professional theatre in-house a few years ago, their sets, costumes, and lighting have been of the highest caliber and this production is no different. The opportunity to realize the gritty side of New York’s Gilded Age is clearly one that scenic designer William Boles and costumer Jordan Ross relish in and the spectacle of their work is undeniable, as is that of choreographer Joshua Blake Carter. Newsies is, first and foremost, a dance musical and the Paramount production definitely does not disappoint with its large, dynamic and athletic ensemble."
Chicago Theater and Arts - Highly Recommended
"...Paramount’s stellar cast, directed by Jim Corti, is male-dominated (even though girls also toiled as newsies), but that just allows the two main female roles to shine even brighter."
PicksInSix - Highly Recommended
"...With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman, the book by Harvey Fierstein centers on a class-conscious love story between union organizer/artist/westward dreamer Jack Kelly and critic/reporter Katherine Plumber–Alex Prakken and Justine Cameron in sparkling performances–and the challenge by publisher and robber-baron Joseph Pulitzer (a delightfully stern Bret Tuomi) to put the squeeze on the youth labor force of the day."
Picture This Post - Highly Recommended
"...While NEWSIES takes place in New York City, it's a story for Chicagoans too. The struggle of the working class to overcome adversity is a tale as old as time. The performers remind and inspire us to work together in the face of our systemic foes, and that we are all stronger when we work together."
