EXTRA! EXTRA! Newsies Take Over Solvang
From the bright lights of Broadway to the quaint Danish town of Solvang, the ever-so-popular musical “Newsies” exploded Saturday evening with dazzling choreography and catchy tunes to the delight of a packed house.
Ripped right from the headlines, “Newsies” draws its inspiration from the historic Newsboys’ strike of 1899 in which New York newspaper titans William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer raised the cost of a newsboy bundle of 100 newspapers by ten cents setting off protests and rallies that drew over 5,000 people.
The strike lasted only two weeks, and while it did not force Pulitzer and Hearst to drop their prices, it did force change to the way the two Goliaths compensated their child labor. Hearst and Pulitzer agreed to buy back unsold papers from the newsboys as a compromise.
“Newsies” held its opening night at the Solvang Festival Theater to a standing ovation. The fantastic choreography from Michael Jenkinson and Associate Choreographer Katie Wackowski leaped out of the front page and had many attendees swaying to the musical beats.
The 2-hour production was the last performance for Jenkinson as a resident artist at Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (PCPA). Jenkinson also directed the musical.
The production’s opening night also saw the acting performances of two understudies, Cat Evangelho and Casey Canino taking over the role of Katherine Plumber and delivering a stellar performance alongside Tyler Lenhart playing the lead character of Jack Kelly.
Disney’s “Newsies” is a must-see theater production for the young and the young at heart–there is something for everybody to enjoy. Discover the remarkable strength that comes from standing together–one for all, and all for one.
It runs from July 27 to August 20, 2017, at the Solvang Festival Theater at 420 2nd Street. Tickets cost between $40.50 and $51.50 dollars. For more information, visit http://pcpa.org.
