I used to be a huge Broadway buff.
Whenever I saw a show (with the exception of a rare few that just didn’t do it for me), I left with a massive smile plastered across my face and palms sore from clapping so hard. In high school, I acted in musicals. In addition to my regular friends, I had a circle of “drama friends” with whom I can recall singing passionately along to “Rent” for no other reason than someone had a CD player and the soundtrack and we had nothing better to do.
As I grew up and had to start paying for tickets on my own, however, my love for musicals suffered. Who in their right mind can afford to pay $190 per ticket just to go see a Wednesday matinee with friends? Were tickets always this expensive? Are deals harder to find than they used to be?
Alas, these are questions I cannot answer. But while I ponder them, and consider whether $82.50 (including fees) is discount enough to fund the reproduction of my beloved childhood obsession, “Newsies,” I wanted to spread the word.
Disney’s 1992 film poster
For those of you unfamiliar with the story, “Newsies” is the tale of a bunch of ragamuffin newsboys who got tired of “eating their papes” every night and decided to take on newspaper giants William Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer by going on strike. They’re led by bad-boy Jack Kelly (a very young Christian Bale in the film, to his rumored chagrin) and his brainy sidekick Davey, with help from a golden-hearted journalist named Denton (Bill Pullman at his finest) who refuses to keep their story quiet. It’s a David vs. Goliath tale that touches upon the greater problem of child labor, and it’s filled with dancing, singing, and throngs of young heartthrobs. While the film was a flop in the studios, it has developed a large and extremely devoted fan base (of which I am a proud member).
While the Broadway show is a little different (farewell, “our man” Denton, how I loved thee), it has been getting rave reviews since its opening in 2012. It even earned a Tony for best choreography and best original score.
Still, as a die hard fan, I’ve debated seeing the “new” version. But my resolve is beginning to falter. That’s what thousands of five star reviews and those scruffy newsboy faces with their twill caps will do to a girl 😉
But if you’re interested in experiencing what the revamped “Newsies” has to offer, they’re running a two-for-one sale on specific (and I do mean SPECIFIC — the selection is a quite piddly) tickets until tomorrow, December 24. Get ’em while they’re hot!
laurakenyon.com 