Singing, dancing, laughs, and Santa Fe propaganda.

On Friday night, I went to see Columbia Musical Theatre Society’s (CMTS) original rendition of Newsies. I went into the experience not knowing the plot, anything about CMTS’s approach, and with a boyfriend who knew even less.

It was my first time experiencing the Roone Arledge Auditorium in Lerner. We sat center-right, close to the pit, where the talented band led by music director Eshan Kabir (CC ’27) was warming up. On our way in, we were handed the playbill and a Newsies zine. The playbill included a wonderful note by the director Liv Dwyer, and also shed light on how the creative team reimagined the musical. CMTS presented a trans interpretation of the Disney classic, intentionally casting transgender actors to play traditionally white cis males, subverting what it means to be a newsie by showcasing historically marginalized stories. The zine gave insight on real life newsies and highlighted how disability and violence affected the newsies community as they were exploited by large corporations.

Set in 1899 New York City, Newsies tells the story of a group of boys selling papers to support themselves and their families. The musical begins with Jack Kelly, played by Ida Santiago-Gutierrez (BC ’26), and “Crutchie” Morris, a nickname given to him due to his disability, played by Riley Parker (CC ’26) indulging in their dreams for the future. Subsequently, the New York World’s editor Joseph Pulitzer, played by the hilarious Bella Williams (BC ’26), increases the cost of the newspaper. Outraged, Jack, a rookie newsie Davey (Stella Turowsky-Ganci CC ‘28), and his younger brother Les (Hannah Levinson BC ‘28) pull together the boys to form a union. The boys begin a strike and protest against the rate increase and chaos ensues. What follows is a musical filled with passion, love, friendship, and betrayal. 

Thanks to a large screen on the left for captions, I didn’t miss a single line. Each solo vocal performance was exceptionally expressive and emotive, leaving my jaw on the floor. “Seize the day” had me feeling too confident, and “Santa Fe” nearly convinced me to move west and become a cowboy. The dancing, led by choreographer Tal Bloom (BC ’26), was dynamic and captivating, as my eyes were glued to the stage while witty comedic timing filled the hall with laughter. 

CMTS used Newsies’ most pivotal moments to draw connections to the present. In the final protest before the boys became victorious, actors held up signs relating to important issues affecting the Columbia community and world today. Nothing is quite as powerful as coming together to work toward change. Today, like in 1899, unions are increasingly important. Large corporations seek to prevent collective power and often suppress union efforts, making emphasizing the power of unions essential in maintaining them. Newsies imbued this power onto the audience through an entertaining and charming yet strikingly relevant musical. After bows, the cast gave speeches and flowers for members of the cast and crew: the stage flooded with gratitude, and CMTS’s seniors’ eyes flooded with tears. Overall, it was an amazing night and I will be going to the next CMTS show.

Picture via author