Nominated for eight Tony Awards and winner of two, “Newsies” is a vividly compelling story of the human spirit.
The Missoula Community Theatre presents Disney’s “Newsies – The Broadway Musical” April 25-May 12 at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts.
Fed up with greedy publisher Joseph Pulitzer’s plan to cut them out, the Newsies of 1899 organize a strike at a time when striking often had dire consequences. Based on the popular Disney movie and inspired by real events, “Newsies” tells the captivating story of a disempowered group that raises their collective voice and seizes the day to claim what is theirs. While the movie version has been around since the late 1990s, the stage version is newer.
Director Joseph Martinez describes “Newsies” as a “giant show” with “enormous” dance numbers.
Nominated for eight Tony Awards and winner of two, “Newsies” is a vividly compelling story of the human spirit. Martinez says audiences can expect to be energized by the outstanding singing and dancing and be uplifted by the inspiring story.
He adds that the Missoula Community Theatre was thrilled to receive the rights to the beloved and highly physical show because it enables MCT to “include so many of our talented community members, grab the attention of local actors who may not have worked with us before, and incorporate the help of different Missoula area dance and gymnastics studios.”
Choreographer Heather Adams is at the helm of creatively integrating the many dance styles and skills that the cast possesses, including ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and tumbling.
Martinez is also excited about the “Newsies” set, which was designed by Brian Harms, the production designer for the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy.” He and Martinez did many Missoula Community Theatre shows together when Harms was MCT’s technical director in the early 2000s.
Working together again has been “fun, just like old times, meeting – over the phone –and creating a world for our actors to tell their story,” says Martinez.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays, April 25-May 12. Tickets are $20-$25 and available online or by phone at 406-728-7529. The show is rated “family friendly PG.”