by Bonnie Collings
The Warragul Youth Theatre production of Disney's Newsies Junior provided an exciting and creative insight into the world of newsies and newsrooms in 1899 New York City.
Based on the true story of the 1899 news boy paper strike in New York, "Newsies Junior" tells the tale of Jack Kelly and the newsies as they fight for their rights against the Pulitzer publishing company.
From the very beginning of the show, the Warragul Youth Theatre cast immersed the audience in the world of 1899 New York. Before the notes of the overture sounded, newsie boys and girls shouted out the morning headlines in the hopes of selling papers.
Their early presence on stage helped to build the hustle and bustle of the city and highlighted the struggle of the newsies and the caring nature of Katherine. The newsies try desperately to sell their "papes" to no avail, but Katherine becomes laden with papers after purchasing from every kid she comes across.
The leading cast's commitment to their New York accents and Crutchie's commitment to his limp worked effectively to further continue the worldbuilding of 1899 New York City.
A major standout of this production was the choreography. Newsies is known in the theatre community for it's strong and recognisable choreography and the Warragul Youth Theatre production did not disappoint. From large jetes and powerful arms to incredible tap routines by the characters Pigtails, Davey and Race, the exhilarating dance focus of the classic show rang true.
The friendship of the cast members and their strong teamwork skills shone through in their performance. Each interaction between characters, whether it was scripted or improvised, was filled with purpose. It was evident that during three months of rehearsals the cast worked hard to develop their characters.
Sitting in the audience to review the performance, I couldn't help but notice the similarities between myself and Katherine Plumber, who finds herself at Medda Larkin's theatre, reviewing the Bowery Brigade. Alana Magyar did an excellent job of portraying Katherine's struggle as a young female journalist working in a male dominated field. Her solo "Watch What Happens" captures Katherine's internal battle as she writes the story of the newsie strike. Alana's emotions and powerful vocal performance beautifully encapsulated Katherine's journey from not believing she has the skills to write such a powerful piece to letting her passion for uncovering injustice take charge and guide her story.
The Newsies Junior set was beautifully created, including small details like posters for Medda Larkin's theatre which served as Easter eggs for the audience to find.
This was the first Warragul Youth Theatre production to incorporate an LED screen into the stage. The screen provided an extra level of creativity to the staging and storytelling of the production, particularly during Katherine's "Watch What Happens" scene. While Katherine sits at her typewriter, words flowing out of her fingers, the audience could see those words flowing across the screen in real time.
The Warragul Youth Theatre cast had excellent stage presence, utilising both the risers and the West Gippsland Arts Centre auditorium to expand their performance world into the audience. The arrival of the Brooklyn newsies from the top of the arts centre stage was a creative staging technique, allowing the audience to have a more engaging theatre experience.
Overall, the David and Golliath story of the New York Newsies fighting against the power hungry media barons brought a smile to faces in the audience, sending them out of the theatre humming the catchy tunes of "Seize the Day" and "Carrying the Banner".