Page 16 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • October 5, 2011 Paper Mill Playhouse opens new season with ‘Newsies’ by Dennis Seuling “Newsies,” the opening show of Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2011-12 season, is based on a live-action Disney musical film made in 1992. Though the movie was not a box office hit, it developed a loyal following over the years, leading to this stage incarnation. The plot is based on the newsboy strike of 1899, when a group of New York City newspaper peddlers, all ragged orphans and runaways, staged a two-week strike against Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, and other powerful newspaper publishers. The action takes place in an era when the working poor, including child laborers, had no protection from, and no recourse against, their rich exploiters. Jack Kelly (Jeremy Jordan) has no family and lives by his wits and by the meager cash he earns hustling newspapers on the streets of the city. However, he has dreams of heading West, which he expresses in his rooftop ballad, “Santa Fe.” When the newspaper publishers raise distribution prices at the newsies’ expense, Jack takes up the cause of his fellow newsies, and later, of child laborers in general. His pals reluctantly agree to strike, knowing that real sacrifice lies ahead and that the publishers have the resources to outlast them. Crutchie (Andrew Keenan-Bolger), Davey (Ben Fankhauser) and his kid brother Les (Vincent Agnello, evenings; RJ Fattori, matinees), and a host of others join in. Fledgling writer Katherine Plumber (Kara Lindsay) is inspired by the boys’ courage and David and Goliath conflict and decides to champion their cause in print. The “Newsies” movie was memorable primarily because it starred a very young Christian Bale. Although it might initially seem that the project does not have enough going for it to sustain a full-length musical, the result is a pleasant surprise. The stage musical is not a mirror of the movie, and that is a plus. With a new book by Harvey Fierstein and the direction of Jeff Calhoun, the show is an energetic, fast-paced period piece with excellent performances. Songs have been added and the choreography by Christopher Gattelli has been expanded to dominate the production. The dances are spectacular, with at least three rousing numbers that received an extended ovation on opening night. Gattelli was obviously inspired by Michael Kidd’s masculine choreography for the film “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and some of Gene Kelly’s nifty movie solos. Though these influences are apparent for those who know their movie musicals, the choreography has a freshness and distinction of its own. Athleticism is stressed as the dancers spin, jump, kick, tumble, cartwheel, and cavort to Alan Menken’s music. Jordan is a rough-hewn Jack, with arrogance, charm, and the charisma that make him a leader and a romantic interest for Katherine. He gets to front a couple of chorus Jack Kelly (Jeremy Jordan, center) and cast in a production number from the musical, ‘Newsies,’ now at the Paper Mill Playhouse. numbers with some fancy footwork, and he has a rich baritone that serves him equally well in the anthem-like number “The World Will Know” or the romantic duet “Then I See You Again.” He attempts a regional accent that comes and goes, but overall he is a good fit as a restless, poor kid who has managed on his own for his whole life. Jack’s bravado masks a vulnerability that emerges when Katherine shows more than a headline-seeking interest in him. Lindsay, the only major female character in this maledominated musical, is like a delicate porcelain doll among a cluster of beer bottles. Yet she holds her own, giving Katherine a modern woman’s liberated sensibility. She is (continued on Crossword page)