Photo linked from Broadway.org. Credit: Heidi Gutman
A couple months ago, I posted about “Newsies,” a 1992 film that holds a sacred place in my heart because:
1) It gave me, at nine years old, my very first celebrity crush
2) The harmonies in the songs still do this fluttery, soaring thing to the inside of my chest
3) It shows the little guy defeating the giant with nothing but the power of the press
Looking at this list, I have to wonder how the film influenced my becoming both a journalist and a singer (through college but since neglected, to my chagrin). One of my best friends and fellow “Newsies” nut also happens to be a journalist. I’m not so sure that’s a coincidence.
But I digress. The point is I that was fiercely loyal to 1992’s “Newsies.” And not just to Christian Bale’s Jack Kelly with the red bandana, but to Crutchie and Racetrack and Davey and all of Brooklyn too. I knew every word by heart and for a while, “Are you a ‘Newsies’ fan?” was one of the first things I asked when meeting someone new. So when I found out that Broadway was adapting it, I was a little skeptical. Then, when I found out they CHANGED the storyline (gasp!) … SCRAPPED my beloved man Denton (hyperventilating) … and REWROTE many of the lyrics so carved into my brain (convulsing on the floor) … I was just about ready to form a picket line.
But to make a long story short, thanks to a half-price holiday deal and the desire to have a girls’ day with my mom, I found myself sitting in seat 5, row HH of the Nederlander Theatre’s mezzanine last Wednesday.
And I stand humbly corrected.
First, Corey Cott was phenomenal as Jack Kelly. Not only could his voice run circles around Bale’s (no big surprise there), but he really made the character his own. Lovable and goofy but conflicted and strong … he didn’t just try to imitate Bale’s version. Not at all. He took it and made it so much better. And with thousands of fiercely loyal fans holding him under a microscope, that is NOT an easy task! Continue reading →
Bassinet? Check.
LauraKenyon.com 