Little did the boys and girls who tipped over a newspaper distribution wagon in 1899, refusing to sell the Evening Journal and the New York World over reduced wages, know that they would become legends of the stage and screen nearly a century later. The newsboys who took on two of the country’s largest media empires launched a rebellion that resonated with working men and women fighting to right an injustice in their community. For Andrew Kuhlman, executive producer at Stages St.
Louis, that theme still reverberates today and is on full display at the theater’s production of the Tony Award-winning (2012) musical “Newsies” through Aug. 25. Packed with nonstop thrills and a timeless message, “Newsies” marks the first Disney production on the main stage theater in 38 years.
Led by the charismatic Jack Kelly (Daniel Marconi), the rousing tale includes several members of the Stages Performing Arts Academy. “This show brings a universality to the stage that will appeal to every member of the family,” Kuhlman said. “The story is about people who understand there are differences within their communities, recognize that some of these differences are wrong and then say, how do I play my part in this? This is about a community coming together and saying we’ll stand up for what we believe is right.
It’s a universal theme. We all want to work toward making something the best it can possibly be.” From the moment the stage lights go on, Kuhlman said, audiences are in.