Newsies Reviews
Chicago Tribune- Recommended
"...I've seen "Newsies" four times, actually. It sure hasn't gotten any subtler - Steve Blanchard's Joseph Pulitzer lands somewhere between Donald Trump and Darth Vader. But Morgan Keene, who now plays the love interest Katherine, is a charming addition to the tour in a role that often has not been well cast. And Joey Barreiro is a very decent Jack Kelly, king of the newsies and a young union man. Come to think of it, if you're a union person yourself, this show is one of the very few opportunities to teach the young what solidarity and collective bargaining have done for hard-working Americans, especially when employers start behaving like oligarchs."
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
"...Not since the Jets and the Sharks leapt onto the stage and snapped their fingers in “West Side Story” has there been a musical in which dance has played such an altogether thrilling, galvanic role as it does in “Newsies.”"
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
"...The songs by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman are almost unanimously anthemic, and Harvey Fierstein's book outdoes the original for aspirational schmaltz. It's the dancing, though, that stirs things up. An Agnes de Mille-ian mix of folk motifs and balletic athleticism, Christopher Gatelli's choreography gets exuberant, often air-borne realization here, complemented by the mobile, scaffolding-like units of Tobin Ost's set. Appropriately, it's a union show."
ShowBizChicago- Highly Recommended
"...There are musicals that are constructed to have fabulous singing and dancing with the sole purpose to entertain the audience. Some succeed and some fail miserably. I am very happy to say that Disney's Newsies is masterfully successful on every level as it embodies the finest of musicals past while showcasing the most talented performers of today."
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
"...Newsies delivers enough sheer energy with an adventurous story that depicts a worthy moral. This exciting show is filled with heart, empathetic characters as the boys win a round in quest of their place in the scheme of life in turn-of-the-Century New York. Newsies is a fine show filled with enough joy and energy to light up our holidays. It is much better than the film. Hurry, you have only until August 7th to see this fun show."
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
"...They are back! Disney's "Newsies", the musical, based on the Disney film of the same name, has returned to Chicago. This wonderful, uplifting story with a book by Harvey Fierstein, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman, is an amazing story of youth conquering "Big Business" back at the turn of the century (not this one, the last). The "Newsies" were the paperboys, who each moring would purchase a bale of papers, then hit the streets and sell them so they could recoup their investment and hopefully have a profit."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews- Highly Recommended
"...I missed "Newsies" its first time through Chicago, but what I saw at the Cadillac Palace was much better than I anticipated. The book has its weak spots but the score mostly serves the narrative well, even in the absence of any hit tunes. The only complaint about the dancing is that there isn't more of it. But I don't remember when I have been in the presence of so many high spirited and brilliantly accomplished performers in one show. Whenever Disney releases "Newsies" to regional theaters, the audience-friendly show certainly will be snapped up for revivals, but I doubt any of local theater will be able to replicate the massed performing skills and stunning staging currently on view at the Cadillac Palace."
The Fourth Walsh- Highly Recommended
"...This tour is being led by a commanding Joey Barreiro (Jack Kelly). The magnetic Barreiro unifies the newsies, stands up to the bully (the dashing Steve Blanchard) and woos the lovely Keene and the entire audience. In 2014, I was surprised at how much I loved this show. Last night, I was surprised again because I loved this NEWSIES even more than before. "Seize the Day"! Buy a ticket before these papes are sold out!"
Chicagoland Musical Theatre- Highly Recommended
"...So Newsies is Disney and all that that entails: a neat and tidy yet undeniably robust and agile celebration of the underdog. Seeing it might not actually bring about Utopia, but hearing that change can come from unlikely people does matter. And just by tapping your toes, you'll feel a kinship to them acrobat kids up there."
Third Coast Review- Somewhat Recommended
"...While there is a timeliness to Newsies' storyline-and some notable similarities between the greedy Pulitzer and a current business mogul-I couldn't help but leave the theater feeling that the musical, as a whole, falls a bit flat. Everyone in the show is doing their best, and much of the work could be quite energizing. However, with multiple story threads that dilute the focus of the narrative and a surprisingly unmemorable score, Newsies pales in comparison to other Disney-helmed musical juggernauts."