#and Crutchie's strike banner with some quotes around it

[midnight-drip]

okokok everyone needs to look at this drawing that a couple of my castmates from newsies drew for me 🥺

I'm gonna put it on my wall :))

[allsassnoclass]

You’re right about the kid Dimitri thing it’s a cute element of the movie that adds to their relationship and also dimitris search bc he’s looking for the girl he saved. See I have an attachment to Rasputin&the bat which is half my issue but you’re right about the new guy just. Not being dangerous enough for it to work in the musical. Also pls go off about Newsies I wanna hear about that one

okay this is going under a read more because it inevitably will get very very long.  also spoilers for newsies (1992 movie and musical) below:

first of all a disclaimer: I do like the musical and this isn’t me saying that they didn’t improve anything (Crutchy/Crutchie, actually developing their token female (although I do have thoughts about that as well), what they did with “Once and for All” etc.) but I was a fan of the 1992 movie first so my loyalties lie there.  Also this is all just my opinion

First and foremost: all characters except for Jack, Medda, Crutchie, and Pultizer were done dirty.  The background characters were my favorite part of the movie and the musical really dropped the ball with them, often at the sacrifice of historical accuracy

Mush Meyers, Boots, Kid Blink, Racetrack Higgins, and Spot Conlon were all real people actually involved in the strike (Kid Blink was historically the leader, they created Jack Kelly to have more freedom with characterization), and all of these characters were taken out of the musical or given lesser roles.  They also (along with Crutchy) create the supporting cast (with Jack, Denton, David, and Les being the main cast), which means I was emotionally attached to all of these people and then they were taken away from me :( It’s clear that the people adapting the musical did not think they were important enough to keep consistent, which is just false

In general, because they spend so much time focusing on Jack and Katherine, all of the background newsies are less developed, which means that the Found Family vibes are also slightly less developed (especially when taking away the lodging house/newsies square as a definitive home base and Kloppman as a father/grandfather figure)

seriously I miss Kloppman that dude woke them up every morning, helped them with their spelling, lied to Snyder’s face about Jack’s whereabouts... MVP right there

Racetrack and Spot were done the most dirty (because the others don’t even exist).  Allow me to explain: In the movie and in real life, Racetrack got his name because he sells at Sheepshead Races and bets on the horses there (the betting is more of a reoccurring thing in the movie).  Therefore, in “King of New York,” he is the character to wish for “a permanent spot at Sheepshead Races,” and for absolutely no reason (besides laziness) they have someone else say that in the musical and also cut half his name???  He also is shown to be very good with kids (David telling him to watch Les when he goes after Jack, all of his interactions with Snipeshooter), and there’s an interesting thing to be said about how Wiesel will spot him papers.  All of this is lost simply because they don’t have the stage time for the background newsies

SPOT CONLON! WAS RUINED! perhaps that’s a very strong opinion but they really did him dirty.  In the movie he’s a shrimp with the aura of a mob boss.  he wasn’t buff, and that made him more intimidating because he still somehow was arguably the most powerful newsie! also by cutting out the scene where Jack, David, and Boots go to Brooklyn to see him, we miss seeing him as a true leader and getting an actual introduction to him and how the newsies of different boroughs interact.  I miss his slingshot and his pimp cane.  I miss David calling him the key to the strike.  I miss him showing up earlier than the second act so it actually makes sense for him to be seen as the strike leader that the musical is so desperate to make him (seriously what’s the point of him being in Pulitzer’s office at the end???). also by introducing him later we miss all of the sprace moments :(

I even have some beef with Katherine because, although she’s much more developed as a love interest than Sarah (rip Sarah 1992 maybe if they had actually kept her song Truth About the Moon in there...), I think it was cheap and unnecessary to make her Pulitzer’s daughter, and she doesn’t really have much of a personality outside of Strong Independent Woman who still somehow needs a man in order to get her big break.  She was really written as a Token Female and while I love her and I appreciate that she wants agency and to fight for a cause, Sarah punching a Delancey brother was more feminist.  Also, even David’s role in the story was lessened in order to give room for Katherine’s whole subplot and Dramatic Family Reveal and as an avid Javid shipper that made me sad :(

Now on to more plot-focused concerns!

The! Betrayal! Scene! The movie betrayal scene! So much better! Allow me to explain!

First of all, Jack just waltzing into Pulitzer’s office and getting captured? boring. cheap.  Snyder and the police infiltrating the rally so we get to see Every Single Newsie try so desperately to keep Jack safe and yet he (and all the named newsies) still get captured? Heartbreaking! Engaging! Shows plainly the bond of the newsies!

(also allowed us to have the “on the grounds of Brooklyn, your honor” line at the trial)

The one-on-one confrontation between Jack and Pulitzer is much more engaging and more of a game of wits in my opinion.  You don’t feel like Jack is the underdog and won’t win until Pulitzer directly threatens David, whereas having all of Pulitzer’s friends there in the musical means Jack is automatically going to lose and you don’t even get a chance to cheer for him

The Alley Scene!!!!

Then the actual betrayal scene, with Jack fully dressed like a scab.  every single newsie feeling personally hurt and calling out to Jack, spot having to be forcibly pulled back by multiple people, and then David gets the chance to speak and nearly starts a fist fight when he was the one who always said they couldn’t beat up the scabs… “I ain’t got nobody tucking me in at night, like you.  It’s just me, and I gotta look out for myself” “you had the newsies!”

I quote that scene so much y’all

I miss Jack meeting David’s whole family.  It really shows what Jack himself is missing and longing for, it more blatantly shows David’s Jewishness, and makes Jack finding a family with David and the newsies that much sweeter at the end.  I also liked how a nuclear family was something no movie newsies had (less historically accurate, I know) because I think that bonded them together more, because they genuinely only had each other in the movie (can you tell that found family is extremely important to me)

Jack’s background story.  him lying about his name and then it all getting revealed at the trial was a very spicy moment, and I think it shows just how much he relied on Santa Fe as an escape for him.  He’s created an entire other life in his imagination for himself, going so far as to change his name and fantasize about having a family, and I think that that makes his decision to stay in New York and accept both his reality and the newsies as his family sweeter

also in the musical it’s implied that Jack stole food and clothing for the kids in the refuge, and that’s how he got himself arrested the first time.  I almost like it better if he was stealing for himself at first, because I like having a protagonist who doesn’t need to always be completely altruistic like he was starving and he stole some food and I think that’s justified, so I don’t like how they felt the need to turn him into some sort of saint who was stealing for someone else (that’s a really nitpicky thing but!)

The absolutely bonkers commitment to nicknames in the movie was very spicy.  I think Jake (and Jack, who was lying, and David and Les, who started as outsiders) was the only one with a name and he was even a very deep background newsie.  Wasn’t historically accurate but it sure created a lot of possibilities about the power of names that could be exploited in fanfiction

And now some nitpicky things about elements of a musical that bothered me:

they took away the upper harmonies in carrying the banner???? why would you do that you have Broadway singers and you take away the upper harmony???

switching Jack’s line of “I want space not just air” to “I need space and fresh air” idk I think the first one more fully portrays how trapped he feels in New York and in his situation also it’s more poetic

I’ve already talked about Race’s line in King of New York :)

how all of the newsies are supposed to be kids but instead were played by adults... I know this was because of child labor laws but that’s why newsies is going to be best done as a high school musical (or a combined middle school/high school like my school was... Mr. Holsen when you retire put in a good word for me so I can take over).  if you don’t have at least 3 newsies who are small and young enough to be lifted onto another newsie’s shoulders then you’re doing it wrong

this is very much a personal preference but I really liked how the color pallet in the movie was a lot of browns and earth tones.  with the musical doing a lot of steel and blues it definitely feels like the progression into the mechanical age but it also feels colder and more rigid and I liked the warmth of the movie.

In a similar vein that is also a very personal preference, I liked how the singing and dancing was a bit rougher around the edges in the movie.  I’m a dancer so Of Course I love the Broadway choreo but it feels too polished sometimes.  these are young scrappy kids and they’re dancing like professionals who went to julliard (which like. some of them probably did). the scruffiness of the movie makes it feel more down to earth and swallowable for me

Jack’s cowboy hat :( Jack’s costume in general :( his nickname is cowboy and they took away his cowboy hat and red bandana :(

This is obnoxiously long but I just. y’all I have so many feelings about newsies and everyone always talks about the musical when they’re really two different stories and I just want to talk about the movie so thank you for indulging me

[highschoolthemusical]

Newsies Stop The World.

Newsies caught my attention when I was looking through quotes from Musicals and it is about the Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York. The story revolves around Jack Kelly and his fellow Newsies as they form a union when Joseph Pulitzer, a newspaper publisher of the New York World.

The musical movie, Newsies, was released in 1992 and it starred many young actors such as Christian Bale as Jack, David Moscow as David, Luke Edwards as Les, Max Casella as Race/Racetrack, Marty Belafski as Crutchie and many other young actors. There were many songs in this movie such as:

•Carrying the Banner

•Santa Fe

•Seize The Day

Then on March 29 2012, A musical based on the movie opened at the Nederland Theater on Broadway. The original broadway cast starred many young actors, some of which were making their Broadway Debut. The actors included were Jeremy Jordan as Jack Kelly, Ben Fankhauser as David, Andrew Keenan Bolger as Crutchie, as Les, Kara Lindsay as Katherine and more.

The broadway show retired in 2014, but then due to demand, Disney turned the broadway show into a movie, bringing a mix of new actors, the original broadway cast and the touring cast together to form one Amazing show.

I first watched the broadway musical movie (with Jeremy Jordan) and I thought that it was an amazing movie, but then recently I had time to watch the original movie (with Christian Bale) and if you asked me which of the two films I prefer, I wouldn't be able to choose one. I liked the original movie because the setting was spread out across New York City, however in the broadway musical, They spread it out as well, but they couldn't make it as good as the original movie. I also loved the acting of Max Casella as Racetrack and I love the character of Race as well. In fact, in one of my future posts, I will be writing specifically on my thoughts on this amazing Actor and Amazing Character. I liked the broadway movie as there were other songs in the production than were not in the movie. Some of these songs were:

•Brooklyn's Here - Spot Conlon's and The Brooklyn Newsies' Short but Stupendous song.

•Watch What Happens - Katherine's Song about writing the Front Page worthy story about the Newsies.

•The Bottom Line - Joseph Pulitzer's song about his idea to make more income for "The World". One thing I also liked about the broadway movie was that the sets are simply stairs and ledges but with the use of movement and projections on fabric covering the gaps between Ledges, they manage to create an amazing effect that is not seen in many musicals.

Once again the character of Racetrack caught my eye and this time the actor was Ben Cook. I guess there's just something about the character of Race that really gets me excited when I (repeatedly) watch the two films. I will discuss the films more in depth in future posts.

Upon first discovering it, Newsies has quickly become my favourite musical with it's amazing songs, amazing actors and amazing performances, teaching us that the power of teamwork, friendship and breaking out into song every few minutes can and will allow us to "Seize the Day".

Musically yours, G.g.

[a-otter-appears]

I posted 2,144 times in 2021

41 posts created (2%)

2103 posts reblogged (98%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 51.3 posts.

I added 175 tags in 2021

#newsies - 63 posts

#newsies musical - 24 posts

#newsies broadway - 23 posts

#newsies live - 16 posts

#livesies - 11 posts

#davey jacobs - 9 posts

#jack kelly - 9 posts

#newsies bway - 8 posts

#broadway - 6 posts

#julie and the phantoms - 6 posts

Longest Tag: 131 characters

#theres also a chance that reggie just knew the story for whatever reason?? like maybe he had an interest in morbid hollywood deaths

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Why is Pulitzer getting a haircut when his company is failing?

40 notes • Posted 2021-08-10 15:03:42 GMT

#4

Y'ALL, so we all know the strike banner Crutchie makes right? We also know that Jack is an artist, and he most likely leaves drawings around on the rooftop. (As shown by Katherine having the drawings after the rally.)

*Inhales*

What if Crutchie made the banner to show off his own art skills to Jack?

44 notes • Posted 2021-04-12 15:09:12 GMT

#3

I just wanna say, if you’re losing motivation for doing homework, chores, whatever. Remember, do it for Crutchie. Would quitting do Crutchie any good during the strike? Exactly.

87 notes • Posted 2021-02-07 16:39:19 GMT

#2

Kid Blink needs more love. I mean it’s not everyday you get a EYE PATCH NEWSIE. I could just love Kid Blink cause growing up I had to wear a eye patch for helping my lazy eye. And there’s not many characters out there with patches.

So give Kid Blink more love. Thank you.

97 notes • Posted 2021-01-13 03:32:03 GMT

#1

What your favorite newsie song says about you

Santa Fe (Prologue):  You definitely wanna leave whenever you are, and run away to some place you’ve been dreaming of.

Carrying the Banner: You have such a humble (or tired) outlook on life. Like you’re always out there working hard. Yet you still have a smile on your face. I love you for that.

The Bottom Line: You’re Mr. Krabs. No other point needed.

That’s Rich: WOAH THERE, you’re either so confidant, THE very ruler of it. Or you just wish you had Medda’s energy. Either way you’re pure royalty. 

I Never Planned on you: 100% a simper.

Don’t Come a Knocking: We get it, you hate your ex (lover or friend). Calm down.

The World Will Know: PLEASE CALM DOWN. You’re always willing to take down whatever is making you mad at the moment. Like school, the government, whatever. You need a chill pill. 

Watch What Happens: You’re a writer. There I said it. Only writers quote this song at least once in their head while writing.

Seize the day: You have such a realist look on life. Maybe even leaning on optimistic. You always hype up your friends. I love you for that.

Santa Fe: You’re like the prologue. Just more depressed and angry.

King of New York: You’re the kind of person who wishes they could get something. But you don’t have the money for it. Why? Cause you always spent it on the same items you don’t need.

Letter from the Refuge: WHO HURT YOU

Watch What Happens (Reprise): You argue with your siblings, friends, parents, whatever, all the time. Chill.

The Bottom Line (Reprise): You just love a dark villain song

Brooklyn’s Here: Your vibe is just ~chef kiss~ you’re always high energy, and have proud about who you are, and what you do. But you can be a little annoying about it. Never change.

Something to Believe in: There’s always someone, (like someone who got you through hard times.) That you think of when you listen to this song.

Once and for all: You’re like the World Will Know. But the difference is that your anger builds up slowly and quietly over time. And when it finally comes out... Everyone has to run.

Finale: You couldn’t pick any of the others, so you just went with the Finale.

159 notes • Posted 2021-01-09 16:29:34 GMT