During the week of March 14, McCaskey’s performing arts department, under the direction of Reynolds Middle School Teacher Kristin Wolanin, will be presenting Disney’s Newsies. 

“Preparing this show has been such an amazing experience,” said senior Jadyn Torres, who plays the lead role of Jack Kelly along with Zachary White. “Our cast is filled with the most insanely talented kids and I’m so excited for everyone to see us perform,” they added.

Newsies was originally released in 1992 as a movie starring Christian Bale, and was adapted into a Broadway production 20 years later with songs written by Alan Menken. The show centers around the Newsboys’ strike of 1899, a real event in which hundreds of children who worked to sell newspapers boycotted the New York World and the New York Journal because of the high price of their papers. 

“The plot is about newsies coming together, and I think that’s really symbolic of how this department feels right now, ” said 12th-grader Maria Longenecker, who plays the character of Race. “It reflects what’s happening in real life, which also makes the show feel even more powerful to those of us in it.”

In the spring of 2020, McCaskey’s production of The Addams Family was in dress rehearsals when the pandemic hit and lockdown forced it to close. A year later, in 2021, student concerns over the musical selection of Hairspray led to a cancellation. 

“It’s very fun and exciting to come back after two years,” shared Julio Morales, a McCaskey senior who plays the role of Crutchie. “When everyone’s singing and dancing, it’s just amazing,” he added.

The enthusiasm for the return to musical theater at McCaskey can definitely be seen in the sheer number of students who auditioned for Newsies in December, as well as the hours and hours of work that students, staff, and community members have put in behind the scenes, from costume design and lighting to set building and stage management. 

“Given what we’re up against after a year off, we started with the assumption that we would try to make it look like the Broadway set,” said Michael Eby-Good, who has been working with the 8th-period stage crew class and other volunteers since December to design and build the sets for Newsies. 

He began with the foundation of three movable towers containing multiple stories which could serve as fire escapes, balconies, and elaborate foundations for chase and fight scenes, and then added two portals painted as tenement buildings complete with functioning balconies to frame either side of the McCaskey stage, which is abnormally wide and short.

“One thing I like about this set is that it puts the actors more forward,” said Eby-Good. “It’s a dance heavy show, so you need to make space for the dance. Just having a “steel” framework (it’s made out of wood and painted to look like metal) is great.”

Like the show’s sets, a good portion of the choreography in McCaskey’s production of Newsies is inspired by the Broadway production. This has required a big commitment from students, who had to learn to tap (many for the first time), safely perform lifts and other gymnastic feats, and dance on top of newspapers.  

“Dance and movement are powerful,” said Kayla Hall, the show’s choreographer and a teacher at Ross Elementary School. “Characters in Newsies experience a range of deep emotions, and dance allows for expression of these feelings that go beyond what words alone can convey.”

The advanced dances in Newsies really help to showcase the different performance-related experiences and backgrounds of cast members which, says senior Colin Speitel, are a vital part of the show.

“I think people are going to be blown away,” said Taina Johnson, a member of the dance ensemble. “I’m going to be blown away, and I’m in it.” 

Daniela Ciceri, who has been managing costuming at McCaskey since 2008, is tasked with extra work this year due to the musical’s longer selection process and frequent costume changes or double-casting for characters in Newsies. But she has never been one to shy away from a challenge. 

“The best part of costuming is to see the difference it makes for the cast to finally, after months and months of rehearsal, put their costume on,” Ciceri shared. “It’s almost like opening a door. All of a sudden they go, ‘oh, this is me. This is who I’m supposed to be.’”

With the help of parent volunteers and her trusted student costume team, Ciceri has been working hard since November to transform the cast (high schoolers in the 21st century), into 15-year old paper boys in late 1800’s New York City.

Because, she said, “It’s the costume that gives you the soul of the character.”

This year’s spring musical is a true testament to the power of the McCaskey community. It’s a success story – not just because of the plot of Newsies – but because of all of the time and energy and passion that it has required to make the show a reality.

“After so long, everybody just wants an opportunity to go out, see a good show, and be entertained,” said McCaskey Junior George Fenimore, who plays the character of Davey. “And that’s exactly what they’ll get.”

Tickets for Newsies can be purchased here. Showtimes are March 16th, 17th, and 18th at 7pm, March 19th at 2pm and 7pm, and March 20th at 2pm.