The reviews are in and both critics & audiences are ecstatic about the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts/McCoy Rigby Entertainment production of “Disney’s NEWSIES”, directed by choreographed by Richard J. Hinds. The fifth and final show of its 2017-2018 runs through Sunday, June 24th.
StageSceneLA
“1899 newsboys on strike give 2018 audiences abundant reason to stand up and cheer La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment’s Broadway-caliber staging of Disney’s Newsies The Musical.
Adapted from the cult-favorite 1992 Disney flick of the same name, the crowd-pleasing 2012 Broadway hit serves up abundant history-based excitement and romance, along with song and dance provided by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman’s eminently hummable Tony-winning score and some of the most athletic, balletic, taptastic footwork of any 21st-century musical so far.
Director-choreographer Richard J. Hinds’ experience as associate director of Newsies’ original Broadway production makes him the ideal successor to its Tony-nominated director Jeff Calhoun and its Tony-winning choreographer Christopher Gattelli, bringing to La Mirada not only a Newsies vet’s backwards-and-forwards knowledge of the material and attention to its spectacle and dance but a potent awareness of the dramatic stakes faced by have-nots battling haves with neither side likely to give up any time soon…
Few musicals offer the excitement, romance, suspense, and heart of Disney’s Newsies, and equally few are the theaters that can stage it as it should be staged, with star-quality leads and triple-threat newsboys to match Broadway’s best. La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment prove themselves more than up to Newsies multiple challenges, bringing their 2017-2018 season to one rip-roaring, crowd-pleasing, standing ovation-earning finish.” Click here for the entire review.
Broadway World LA
“It’s no surprise, then, that a brand-new Southern California regional theater production of the musical is similarly enjoyable. Keeping much of the original stage show’s inescapable excitement and joyfulness intact, McCoy Rigby Entertainment’s new local production of NEWSIES…is a wonderfully caffeinated jolt of a stage show, highlighted by a remarkably talented and athletically-blessed ensemble that leaps and belts one show-stopping number after another. That’s no exaggeration—the show had so many moments when the show had to pause for enthusiastic applause…
Between the excellent singing voices, the engaging, fact-based story, and the stunningly high-octane dance numbers, this NEWSIES definitely seizes the day. And, of course, what truly made this new production so thoroughly enjoyable is the ferociously dynamic performances that explodes out from a cast of triple-threats brimming with youthful energy and palpable can-do attitudes. Those latter two qualities, naturally, helped enormously in convincing us of their characters’ struggles in the story…
Though Jack may be at the center of NEWSIES, the show itself is a large ensemble piece and thus the production makes room for many of Prakken’s co-stars to shine right alongside him. As Jack’s love interest Katherine, the female cub reporter who breaks the story of the Newsboys strike, Beth Stafford Laird proves herself to be a captivating and equalizing sparring partner with Prakken’s Jack. The pair’s contentiousness which later blossoms into flirtation adds an unexpected romantic cuteness to the proceedings that wasn’t there in the original movie. And with her lovely singing voice, she gets to belt some nice high notes in “Watch What Happens” and is welcomed into the boys’ club by tap-dancing up a storm with them during “King of New York” that had the audience cheering for a long time…
If you have thus far resisted in seeing a production of NEWSIES live on stage, La Mirada Theatre’s newest production is well worth experiencing.” Click here for the entire review.
Ivan Steel
“On a quiet rooftop is where we first meet Jack Kelly (Alex Prakken) and his best pal, Crutchie (Austyn Myers). The opening prologue tells us about Jack’s dream to leave his small life in the big city for a big life in a small town.
Three years ago, Prakken understudied the part of Jack Kelly on the 1st national tour of Newsies, but now assumes the central role in McCoy Rigby’s all-new production. Armed with moxie, swagger and intensity, Prakken’s rendition of “Santa Fe” is one for the books.
Rounding out the cast of plucky newspaper hawkers are Davey (Josey Montana McCoy), his little brother Les (Travis Burnett), Romeo (Andre Darnell Myers), Henry (Vinnie Smith), Race (Michael James), Darcy/Mush (Samuel Shea), Finch (Kyle Goleman), Albert (Steven Adam Agdeppa), Specs (Brandon Scott Halvorsen), Elmer (Zach Bez), Buttons (Jesse Graham), Jo Jo (Tanner Richins), Tommy Boy (David Smith) and Sniper (Nate Odell). The athleticism each brought to the La Mirada stage was simply astonishing!
The musical, featuring a book by Harvey Fierstein, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldmen deliver an array of toe-tapping tunes. Here, musical director Brent Crayon recreate the gorgeous score and inspiring anthems like “The World Will Know,” “Once and For All” and the crowd-pleasing “Seize the Day.”
Director and choreographer Richard J. Hinds handles both the mounting of this epic production and the creation of the high-energy dance routines with complete victory. Like West Side Story, each backflip, pirouette, high kick and split jump become an instrumental part to the story.” Click here for the entire review.
Click here to purchase tickets while you still have a chance.
Sources & Photo: StageSceneLA | Broadway World | Ivan Steel