#newsies original broadway cast

[thefandomchaos]

I’ve seen this done for Livesies but OBC need appreciation as well and because we all still have trouble telling the boys apart, lets add more into the mix so you learn to recognize who is who in every single version of the cast

I am happy to admit I’ve learn to recognize all the newsies for OBC and Livesies (+ Tour)

This is the Newsies boys opening night of Broadway; I did include Smalls even though she’s not in any of the pictures.

Jack Kelly: Jeremy Jordan

Davey Jacobs : Ben Frankhauser

Les Jacobs: Lewis Goro & Mathew Schechter

Crutchie: Andrew Keenan-Bolger

RaceTrack Higgins: Ryan Breslin (u/s Davey)

Albert DaSilva/Bill: Garett Hawe (u/s Davey & Crutchie)

Finch: Aaron J. Albano

Tommy Boy/Spot Conlon: Tommy Bracco

Mike/Morris Delancey: Mike Faist (u/s Jack)

Ike/Oscar Delancey: Brendon Stimson (u/s Jack)

Specs: Ryan Steele

Henry: Kyle Coffman

Jojo/Darcy: Thayne Jasperson

Elmer: Evan Kazprzak (u/s Seitz & Bunsen)

Buttons: Jess LeProtto

Romeo: Andy Richardson (u/s Crutchie)

Sniper: Alex Wong

Mush: Ephraim Sykes

Barney Peanuts: Jack Scott (Swing)

Knobs: Michael Fatica (Swing)

Katherine Plumber: Kara Lindsey

+

Smalls/Hannah/Nun: Laurie Veldheer

[iwasonlydancing]

Song of the Day #119

"Santa Fe" performed by Jeremy Jordan from Newies (Original Broadway Cast Recording), 2012

[jilllovesmike]

Newsies days. Look at those guns!

[broadway-shenanigans]

Baby Elliot 🥹

Laura Osnes and Corey Cott supporting each other while receiving their portraits.

[eurydicees]

i've watched way too many wicked bootlegs in the past few weeks and so. reviews of the elphabas i've watched so far (in alphabetical order by last name, this is NOT a ranking).

stephanie j block

she's good! not my favorite i've seen, but i did enjoy her performance overall. i liked her scenes at shiz with doctor dillamond a lot. i really liked how she made the role her own; not sure if it's her singing voice or general speaking intonation or some combination of it all but something felt very distinct from the other elphabas i've watched. no good deed was CRAZY. also her chemistry with sebastian arcelus (fiyero) is solid--i looooooved as long as you're mine. given that they're married this makes sense lmfao, but still thought i'd mention it. fiyero's little spellcasting hand motions and elphaba scoffing and rolling her eyes is actually adorable. another side note but i will also say that annaleigh ashford as glinda was WAY better than i expected and i'm a little obsessed with her.

lilli cooper

ok im gonna be a little harsh here, i'm sorry but i didn't love this cast as a whole (kara lindsay as glinda, jerad bortz as fiyero). cooper had some really good acting moments (particularly in popular and in for good) and i liked her chemistry with glinda (more about lindsay later though) but i just don't think she sang the part quite as well as anyone else in this post. i liked cooper in spring awakening, and looking at her other roles, i'm sure she kills it in those! she just wasn't elphaba for me.

jennifer dinoia

VERY good!!! loved her chemistry with kara lindsay (glinda). unfortunately everything abt kara lindsay is so deeply newsies to me and this was very distracting the entire time. which is not either of their faults so not a fair point of judgment. anyways. overall i really liked how they played off each other. dinoia is super underrated imo. i will say i think her defying gravity isn't the best out there, but i really love her acting overall and the wizard and i was great. she was also so cute in dancing through life so points for that. she does hopeful really well, which is really neat to see in an elphaba. also i found my old playbills later and shes one of the elphabas i saw live! so that's neat.

eden espinosa

quite enjoyed her!!! really strong belt. also quite enjoyed this glinda (megan hilty), but that's a different post. also this fiyero (derrick williams) slaps. damn this cast is just really good together. anyways back to espinosa. her acting is so good i love her. the toss toss with fiyero was fucking adorable and then the immediate switch to outrage over dr dillamond was crazy. she and hilty also have a really good dynamic i love it. alaym was also solid ("you can see houses flying through the sky but not that?" n her little laugh? man. i love elphaba). i think espinosa's biggest strength is her acting--she's a crazy good singer, too, don't get me wrong, but her acting all throughout is absolutely stellar.

mandy gonzalez

VERY much enjoyed her!!!! absolutely incredible as long as you're mine with andy karl--i think they might have my favorite rendition of that song so far. fabulous no good deed as well. i liked how she fell into the last pose at the end of that song. definitely a favorite version of i'm not that girl. took a minute for me to warm up to her acting wise, honestly, but i was very much convinced by the end.

idina menzel

watched her and kristin chenoweth and norbert leo butz and joel grey's last show together, which was a mistake because i am in hysterics. oh my god. so side note but while obviously there are many actresses who have done the role, kristin chenoweth is THE GLINDA. like she's THE glinda. there are other glindas, and there are good glindas, but kc is THE glinda. anyways. okay. sobbing. okay. so idina menzel is , like, the gold standard for elphabas obviously. she's the original broadway elphaba, the defying gravity notes are hers, she's one of the best to ever step on the gershwin wicked stage. i loooooved her passion, and i actually liked how it wasn't always plagued with defensiveness or anger. her no good deed SLAYS though. she did break a few times but i'm giving her a free pass because it was the last obc cast performance and everyone on that stage and in the room was falling apart emotionally. anyways. she's the gold standard, she really is. no words will do her justice. god. im normal about wicked.

dee roscioli

she was good! idk not super notable/memorable to me? i really did like her overall!! she's very skilled and i can appreciate that for sure. just not the best imo. dynamic with clifton hall (fiyero) was really good though, so win for both of them for that.

willemijn verkaik

FAVE FAVE FAVE. i loooooveeed her. so good. absolutely one of the best i've seen so far. her singing is absolutely showstopping. after defying gravity i had to pause and scream alone in my kitchen for a bit. her no good deed is also incredible. she also is so clearly theatre through and through--her balance of strong acting and INSANE singing was really well done. outstanding as long as you're mine, too (kyle dean massey as fiyero was also really good in that; and later the "i wish i could be beautiful for you" and "touch, i don't mind" moments made me feel insane about them). her chemistry with katie rose clarke (glinda) was also quality. fr had me thinking maybe this time glinda would go with her. maybe this time it would work out. oh and her scenes with nessa were also outstanding. for good literally sent me into hysterical sobbing so points for that. god. overall she 10000% was part of the re-igniting of my brainrot over wicked. she's so good. man. god. ok. im normal.

donna vivino

first off, did NOT know she was the original young cosette, so that's irrelevant but super cool! anyways, REALLYYYYY loved her. great dynamic with fiyero (not sure of the actor in this one), and the way she played off glinda in for good specifically was *chef's kiss*. no good deed had me absolutely SOLD on her. i think she has the best rendition of that one that i've seen. moments that remind me that i fucking love THEATRE!!!!! overall she has an incredible voice, and her acting was good as well! had me shaking and trembling during elphaba's biggest scenes (no good deed and for good in particular). i also really liked that she clearly wasn't just trying to be a carbon copy of idina menzel (as some replacements definitely do with the original actor in all roles in any show)--she instead definitely made the role her own, and i really appreciated the choices she made both vocally and acting wise.

jessica vosk

oh she had me wrapped around her finger from line ONE. her voice is absolutely gorgeous, and her acting is spot on. she has so many little gestures that i loved, little small smiles or scoffs or whatever that just felt so fitting. she embodied the character so well. her no good deed made me want to stand up and scream even though i am so cozy in bed. chemistry with glinda (allison bailey) was really solid; popular was really fun. also just generally speaking and as huge side note, her story of how she rose to broadway success makes me feel a little crazy. anyways. maybe i'll try to see her in hell's kitchen. i LOVE her voice.

[jack-kellys]

k so yall voted to see my 2023 final essay for a class called london in performance. which wasnt too serious. basically i compared the national theatre's phaedra [which i did not like that much tbh. one of the lines in my paper is "to truly send the criticism home, compared to the white critics who praised the play with four stars, Polish editor Andrzej Lukowski and Pakistani critic Arifa Akbar are the ones to only give two stars on the story that centers an illegal immigrant (The Stage)." just saying] as an adaptation of a classic greek play to the west end's general cash-in commercialization. and then my argument was that the center of that pendulum is somehow fucking newsies @ the troub im so sorry.

HERE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS:

first of all i got to cite myself as like. an expert which was SO funny

"To preface, because of my five years of close knowledge about this subject matter, its multiple stagings, scripts, and casts, I am well aware that this musical as a whole is quite average."

importantly, my definition of a revival in this paper is "creating something accessible to a modern audience for the sake of improving and adapting an original source material into a performance". if it doesnt improve and/or adapt it then it fails imo

"Lines [in the script] that hold weight are sort of dropped, in favor of keeping the show hopeful at all times. The reflection lies in the younger generation taking hold of a new age, rather than in workers rights, child poverty and abuse, and unification.  Newsies at Wembley Park, the first professional revival and first iteration of the musical outside of the United States, flips this as a performance."

i called newsies 2012/livesies staging "left-right up-down" like a video game combo lmfao

"Wembley Park’s revival inserts viewers into the action of the city by default, but also the events that befall the newsboys.... Two police officers stalk in front of the audience as a scene with a new sense of impending doom plays out on the stage. The strikebreaking battle is... level with many of the audience’s seats, and boys escape officers and grown men through the aisles helping each other stand upright while shouts of “Move, move!” are called out .... as a pair hurry away up a ladder behind my aisle seat."

"The expansive take on staging (since as I said before, the musical itself is average) almost takes the place of design. ... Pulitzer’s desk resides on top of a platform of newspaper stacks, emphasizing his position in the hierarchy over the children selling those papers especially as the newsboys push it on with much effort. The towers are made to look like black metal with rust and peels. The lighting is white and natural during scenes. The ensemble’s costumes look more similar to each other, making them appear more unified visually compared to Broadway. The design is in the ensemble’s interactions, dance, and fluid movement through the city of the show, letting the performance and the dancers speak for themselves."

then mandatory michael section:

"What struck me the most watching it had to be Jack’s casting, and new character positionality within the context of the story. Never before has Jack Kelly been a Black newsboy union leader, not in any professional production. Played by Michael Ahomka-Lindsay, Jack’s role was much more electric. His fear of leading the strike became more personal, his baggage with the reform center gained more onstage intersectionality, his relationship with Katherine became even more complex and out of reach. It changes many of those past dropped lines, it made me hear lines differently than I had used to. It’s a more effective reflection that makes the events in the story a bit more tangible to an audience that could have initially been caught up in the grandiose dance numbers- not to mention the performance opening amidst strikes nationwide."

best part:

jack-kellys. "Welcome to..." Jack-Kellys, 23 Jan 2023, 3:46AM, this-is-what-i-mean-by-five-years-of-close-experience. 

[aarontveitisonfire]

Broadway Center Stage: Schmigadoon!

 Eisenhower Theater, The Kennedy Center

Based on the hit Apple TV series!

Introducing Schmigadoon!, the world-premiere musical of the Emmy Award®–winning hit show. New York doctors Josh and Melissa go backpacking in a last-ditch attempt to save their failing relationship, but instead get lost in the woods and end up trapped in Schmigadoon, a magical town that’s a classic Golden Age musical come to life!

Jan. 31 - Feb. 9, 2025

Price Range

$59.00 – $299.00

Runtime

TBA

Program

Based on the hit Apple TV series!

Introducing Schmigadoon!, the world-premiere musical of the Emmy Award®–winning hit show. New York doctors Josh and Melissa go backpacking in a last-ditch attempt to save their failing relationship, but instead get lost in the woods and end up trapped in Schmigadoon, a magical town that’s a classic Golden Age musical come to life! Featuring hits from the Grammy Award®–nominated score—including the Emmy®-winning “Corn Puddin’”—plus exciting new songs!

The Apple TV show Schmigadoon! was executive produced by Saturday Night Live creator, executive producer, and 2021 Kennedy Center Honoree Lorne Michaels. Tony Award® winner Christopher Gattelli (Death Becomes Her, Newsies) will direct and choreograph the new musical with book, music, and lyrics by Emmy® winner and Grammy® nominee Cinco Paul. Schmigadoon! is produced by special arrangement with Broadway Video.

The show will star two-time Tony® nominee Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice, Broadway Center Stage: Spamalot) as Josh Skinner, Sara Chase (The Great Gatsby, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) as Melissa Gimble, Emmy® winner and Tony® nominee Kevin Del Aguila (Yellow Face, Some Like It Hot) as the Reverend Layton, Ann Harada (Cinderella, Avenue Q) reprising her role from the Apple Original series as Florence Menlove, McKenzie Kurtz (The Heart of Rock and Roll, Wicked) as Betsy McDonough, Isabelle McCalla (Water for Elephants, Broadway Center Stage: Footloose) as Emma Tate, Javier Muñoz (Hamilton, In the Heights) as Doc Lopez, Tony® nominee Brad Oscar (Something Rotten!, Mrs. Doubtfire) as Mayor Menlove, Tony ® nominee Emily Skinner (Suffs, The Cher Show) as Mildred Layton, and Ryan Vasquez (The Notebook, Hamilton) as Danny Bailey.

Book, music, and lyrics by Cinco Paul

Directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli

Scenic design by Scott Pask

Lighting design by Jen Schriever

Sound design by Haley Parcher

Music direction by Steven Malone

Orchestrations by Doug Besterman

Music supervision by David Chase

Casting by The Telsey Office

This production will feature the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra

Jeffrey Finn is the Artistic Director and Executive Producer of Broadway Center Stage

[chaifootsteps]

additional casting for hazbin confirmed by deadline:

lucifer - jeremy jordan (tony-nominee best known for newsies and gatsby)

lute - jessica vosk (former elphaba in wicked)

carmilla carmine - daphne ruben-vega (another theater icon, original cast of rent and was in the in the heights movie)

sera - patina miller (tony winner known for pippin and sister act)

“saint peter” (a new character who hasnt been leaked i dont think?) - darren criss (blaine on glee, also done a lot on broadway. he was also in very potter musical)

source: https://deadline.com/2023/11/hazbin-hotel-premiere-date-prime-video-guest-cast-trailer-1235635095/

I can't even begin to imagine how much this thing must have cost.

[aejiee]

Didn't realize how much of a theatre nerd I was until I recognized almost the entire hazbin hotel cast 💀 I tried to geek out about it to my friends but nobody know who they were 😭 like they all originated broadway roles cmonnn nowww yall never seen the mean girls, waitress, falsettos, newsies, beetlejuice, and legally blonde slime tutorial?? You've never heard of the death note musical, or listened to the tangled ever after soundtrack?? You've never seen glee or steven universe or starkid?? Uncultured I say!!!!

[jonquilandlace]

Well I can't stop thinking about if Apple's Spirited was actually done on Broadway with Broadway actors so have a fancast

Disclaimer: This is literally just actors I like and know are currently active. There is very little thought put into this beside "ooo I love this voice and think it would fit the role p well." Feel free to dispute and brainstorm further in the reblogs/tags, but like there is genuinely 4% thought put into this, lmao.

Present (Will Farrell) - Jonathan Groff

The heart and soul of the show. Requires strong acting, strong vocals, and a stunning sense of humor. Honestly maybe this is just me being a simp but like I fully think he would have a gotdamn blast dressed up in Scrooge makeup for the 1800s scene and no one can convince me otherwise.

Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) - Jeremy Jordan

This is it, the entire reason I made this fan cast. Just. Imagine Jeremy Jordan singing Bringin' Back Christmas. The same energy as Ready As I'll Ever Be, and also as The World Will Know from Newsies??? Like, that's barely anything, and he's perfect.

Kimberly (Octavia Spencer) - Khaila Anyé Wilcoxon

Yeah okay I did sadly feel like I needed to slightly de-age Kimberly to match the younger form of Present; my original casting was NaTasha Yvette Williams and she would still slay this so hard, but like. Consistency, ya know? And besides, Khaila is STUNNING, fr; her performance as Catherine of Aragon is a testament to her skills alone, but if you want proof of her ability to sing gently as well as to Belt Like All Hell as she does in Six, then I will just direct you kindly to her role as one of the Fates in Hadestown; girl SLAYS! (Alternate pick: Renée Elise Goldsberry, because I can just HEAR her sing these songs.)

Jacob Marley (Patrick Page) - Patrick Page

I mean. Come on. Even if he hadn't played this role already, he originated Hades in Hadestown. No one can top this guy.

Past (Sunita Mani) - Solea Pfeiffer

Hadestown haunts the cast again, but like, come on. She's so good, no one can tell me no.

Yet-to-Come (Tracy Morgan) - Michael James Scott

IDK something about his energy as Genie just translates really well to this role to me. (Alternatively, the Beetlejuice energy of Alex Brightman would give a REALLY fun twist to it, especially if the director decided to lean into YTC as a comic relief character, but the energy is just off enough I wanna stick to the source material for now.)

Wren (Marlow Barkley) - Isabella Esler

Okay to be completely honest am I pretty much just pulling a random Lydia Deets out of a hat since they're like the only consistent kid actresses I can find? Maybe, lmao. That said, having heard her sing, she's GOOD fam! I think she could pull Wren really well!

Owen (Joe Tippett) - Justin Collette

Okay, so once again, he happens to be a Beetlejuice star, but the vibe check here really comes from his role in School of Rock! It's the same sort of offbeat-person-with-a-heart-of-gold vibe as Owen has in the movie, and like with him also playing the Beetlejuice to Isabella's Lydia, I think they'd do great as dad and daughter on stage. Alternatively, Will Burton (who played Adam in the same cast) would also be a great pick, but gives off some more panicky vibes that I don't feel are as great of a match to Owen.

Carrie (Andrea Anders) - Michaela Diamond

If you've seen her video on her favorite song from NYT, you Know the vibes.

Anyway that's my brainrot for the year thank you and enjoy—

[iwasonlydancing]

Song of the Day #154

"Watch What Happens (Reprise)" performed by the original Broadway cast of Newsies, Newsies (Original Broadway Cast Recording), 2012

[mthguy]

Newsies forever!

Newsies opened on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre for a limited engagement starting in previews on March 15, 2012, and officially on March 29, 2012. On May 16, 2012, Disney announced that Newsies was an open-ended engagement. The engagement was extended through August 19, 2012, after the first previews.

The original cast of the Broadway production featured Jeremy Jordan as Jack Kelly and John Dossett as newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer. The cast also included Kara Lindsay as Katherine Plumber, Capathia Jenkins as Medda Larkin, Ben Fankhauser as Davey, Andrew Keenan-Bolger as Crutchie, Lewis Grosso and Matthew Schechter sharing the role of Les, Tommy Bracco as Spot Conlon, Ryan Breslin as Race, Andy Richardson as Romeo, Garett Hawe as Albert, Ryan Steele as Specs, Aaron J. Albano as Finch, Mike Faist as Morris Delancey and Jordan’s understudy, Mark Aldrich as Seitz and Kevin Carolan as Nunzio and Theodore Roosevelt. The Broadway production cost about $5 million to stage. Newsies recouped its initial investment of $5M in seven months, becoming the fastest of any Disney musical on Broadway to turn a profit, and closed on August 24, 2014, having played 1,004 performances.

[glitter-ink]

some newsies film & broadway musical theories that i've read (disclaimer, these are not my original theories):

jack's biological dad can be linked to alfred borden's character in "the prestige." this connection is evident in their physical resemblance & shared predisposition for legal troubles. borden's history includes visits to new york & numerous romantic liaisons.

jack's evolution into a vigilante reminiscent of the iconic batman takes shape in a unique narrative. his backstory is shrouded in tragedy, with the absence of his parents casting a long shadow over his life. perhaps their untimely demise occurred in a dark alley, thrusting jack into a life of orphanhood. alternatively, his journey might follow a path where he embarks on a quest to acquire the skills necessary for combating crime in the gritty underworld of 1920s gotham (which is also an old nickname for new york city). these acquired abilities encompass the realms of stealth, martial arts, & even the art of synchronized dance—a mysterious & unconventional arsenal he aims to employ in his quest for justice.

the outcome of "independence day" can be likened to a whimsical twist of fate. in a humorous interpretation, it could be suggested that an extraterrestrial species watched "newsies" & concluded that the incumbent president would respond to their threat with dance, anticipating an easy conquest. however, their expectations were wildly off the mark. instead of encountering a docile figure, they were met with a resolute leader in bill pullman. this unforeseen turn of events resulted in a level of resistance far beyond what the alien race had anticipated.

the delancey brothers' backstory indicates a history of childhood abuse & neglect. oscar's disclosure in the musical reveals that their father failed to provide proper care for them. additionally, their living arrangement with wiesel, who is referred to as their uncle in the film, adds a layer of complexity to their upbringing. oscar & morris exhibit signs of excessive aggression & violence, extending beyond the demands of their occupation. morris, in particular, displays a proclivity for resorting to intimidation whenever possible. these behaviors are often characteristic of individuals who have survived childhood abuse without addressing the underlying trauma. these experiences may also elucidate the pervasive anger exhibited by these characters, despite their youthful age, as violence can frequently be a learned response in such cases.

david & les have not been explicitly identified as jewish in the final version of the movie or the musical. however, an original script for the film suggests this aspect of their background. there are subtle clues in the narrative that allude to their potential jewish heritage. for instance, the name david jacobs implies a connection to jewish culture, & david's articulate & scholarly manner of speaking aligns with the jewish tradition's emphasis on education. the reason david & les do not openly discuss their heritage in the story could be attributed to various factors. one possibility is that their parents have a long history in america, spanning several decades or more. alternatively, they may be recent immigrants who have faced significant discrimination, prompting them to encourage their sons to assimilate fully into american society.

crutchy's previous stay at the refuge is a matter of record. he confided in jack that if anyone suspected he couldn't fend for himself, he'd be detained there indefinitely. it's possible that crutchy had a prior stint at the refuge, & if that were the case, jack might have played a role in securing his release. despite crutchy not fitting the typical profile of a criminal, his disability might have driven him to resort to theft as a means of survival. in the year 1899, opportunities for individuals with disabilities to secure employment were scarce or virtually non-existent. moreover, it's plausible that crutchy ended up at the refuge simply because of his disability, as the prevailing belief may have been that he had limited prospects for adoption, academic success, or societal contribution according to the standards set by able-bodied individuals.

jack's father shared tales of santa fe with him. mr. kelly (sullivan) harbored aspirations of relocating his family to that enchanting place, where they could pursue a ranching life, well before the bustling streets of new york had worn him down. jack became captivated by this vision, & he might have even harbored intentions of upholding his father's dream as the head of the household, had the family endured.

[rubeslovesthesmiths]

pssst hi um pls lore dump about newsies to me

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OFC MOST OF THIS WILL BE FUN FACTS AND STUFF BUT UEAH OMG OMG OMG OMH OMG

Okay so basically a bit of historical context first

The story of newsies is loosely based on the Newsboy Strike of 1899, in which prices were raised in July of 1899 by Pulutzer and Hearst to get prices back to wartime income. The newsies did not take this well and went on strike. The charecter of Jack Kelly is loosely based on a newsie named Kid Blink, aka Louis Baletti. He was the first union leader and lived to be 32 before dieing of tuberculosis and he may have worked for a mobster!!!! The charecter of Davey Jacobs is loosely based on David Simmons, a Jewish boxer newsie, the second leader of the strike. Both Blink and Simmons were kicked out for alleged scabbing. The charecter closest to a real life person is Racetrack Higgins, the lovable Manhatten newsie in the musical. He's based on Ed "Racetrack" Higgins, who led Brooklyn and started the strike with a 14 year old Spot Conlon. Ed actually lived a long time, living to be around 75 or so. Another key player was a female newsie named Annie Kelly, although I can't find much information on her. Crutchie Morris was also a real person with the same name as his musical counterpart, who reportedly sold around the sheepshead track if im not mistaken.

Racetrack in the movie is actually confirmed trans by the director if im not mistaken, which is pretty cool. The movie is actually pretty gay in terms of interactions and subtext and everything. Although, it did flop at box-office. It was rushed and Christian Bale was cast because he was famous, not necessarily cause he could sing.

The musical, on the other hand, did quite the opposite of flop. When it premiered at the papermill playhouse, it almost immediately went to broadway. Oh, and another thing about the movie. Katherine Plumber was not originally in it! She was added when it was adopted into a stage musical. She's named for Pulitzers real daughter who died at age two. I've actually seen newsies twice live, once in the round, once traditionally.

Mike Faist originally played Morris Delancey, and a lot of former newsies are actually in the cast of 2021's West Side Story!

All the newsies have collectors cards that explain their backstories, for example Jojo, who was raises by nuns all his life. My dream is to own those cards it'd be so cool. I'd also really like to play jack kelly. There is actually a newsie called Kid Blink in the 92 movie, with an eyepatch. That's all I can think to say rn, but I'll answer any questions u have!!!!!!

[mikefaistinfo]

Interview: Mike Faist Tries to Keep His Cool as Riff in ‘West Side Story’

by: New York Times. Dec. 27, 2021

The actor, a star of Broadway musicals like “Dear Evan Hansen,” talks about playing the leader of the Jets in Steven Spielberg’s remake.

He’s the menacing gang leader who fights, frolics and finger-snaps his way through “West Side Story”: that’s Riff, the frontman of the Jets, who commands a cadre of lost boys in their turf battles against the Sharks, and takes center stage in numbers like “Jet Song” and “Cool.”

In Steven Spielberg’s remake with a screenplay by Tony Kushner, the role of Riff is played by Mike Faist, a 29-year-old veteran of the New York stage. Faist earned a Tony Award nomination in Broadway’s “Dear Evan Hansen,” where he originated the role of the title character’s would-be friend, Connor Murphy; he also performed in “Newsies the Musical,” understudying its hero, Jack Kelly.

Despite his theatrical pedigree, Faist said it was not so easy to keep calm and collected for this “West Side Story” — he did not necessarily think he had the required dancing skills and wasn’t sure of the project’s intentions.

As he explained in a recent video call, “I was nervous going into it, because of the Hollywood of it all. I thought it was maybe going to be this overproduced thing, and I was just going to be told what to do and where to stand and how to say it.” But, Faist said, Spielberg “allowed me the freedom, quite frankly, to run wild and to be liberated.”

Faist is garnering strong reviews for the performance and he is considered to be a contender for the coming awards season. He spoke further about the making of “West Side Story,” learning the choreography for “Cool” and being a leader to his Jets both onscreen and off. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

How did you find out that Steven Spielberg was planning a remake of “West Side Story”?

Tony Kushner came to see us Off Broadway at “Dear Evan Hansen” and mentioned it. At the time I just thought, well, that’s cool. Congratulations. Best of luck with that. That was six years ago. Casting wanted me to submit a tape and then another tape and then come into the room and dance. I didn’t really want to. I do remember asking specifically, “Do I have to dance?” And they said, “This is ‘West Side Story.’”

Hadn’t you danced on Broadway?

The only dance show that I’d really done in New York was “Newsies.” For the most part, really, I just pushed around sets. I danced as a kid and I like dancing at weddings, that’s fun. But I wouldn’t say that I speak the language.

As you started to audition for the film, could you see yourself as Riff?

Originally they asked if I could put a tape together for Tony. I sang “Maria” and I read a scene or two. Months later they called me in and said we’d like you to put together a tape for Riff. I got excited. But you can never invest too much. After reading for the part, there was just this energy and this realization that this shoe fits. And, oh crap. [Laughs.] Now I have to do it.

Once you had landed the role, did you talk with Kushner and Spielberg about how they envisioned Riff?

We talked about the relationship between Tony and Riff. Tony wants to be a different person, someone better than who he was. And it’s nearly impossible for Riff to let go of who Tony was for him. It’s like going home for Thanksgiving. “This is who I am.” And your family’s like, “No, you’re this.” That’s the simpler version of what I’m trying to say.

Were you also considered for the film adaptation of “Dear Evan Hansen”?

I was approached about being part of the film. But the truth is that for me, I just felt like I couldn’t do it. I had already given everything I could to that role and I had already left it at that point. I didn’t feel like I could do it justice. It was something that I really grappled with. I came to the realization that you can’t go home again.

Once you started work on “West Side Story,” where did you begin?

Early in the rehearsal process, it was just Ansel [Elgort, who plays Tony] and I and handful of Jets, and we started to work on “Cool.” There wasn’t a script yet, for that first month of rehearsals, so it was mostly for them to get Ansel and me into shape — learning this choreo, then explaining the story and the context of that number.

Did you film that sequence on a soundstage?

That was a set in Sunset Park in Brooklyn over the East River. One of the Jets, Harrison Coll, who’s in that number, his father had passed away recently. We had been rehearsing that number for four or five months at this point, and when we finally finished, on that last day of shooting, Harrison brought his dad’s ashes and we went to the East River right there. We actually sang “Jet Song” and Harrison said a little something and thanked his dad and then he released his dad’s ashes into the East River. It was something that was transcendent and we really valued the experience.

“Jet Song” is one of Riff’s iconic numbers. What did that mean to you, particularly as it’s depicted in this version of the film?

Where we start with the Jets, they are on the brink of destruction. They are done but they just don’t realize it yet. They’re saying, “When you’re a Jet, you stay a Jet” — on top of a mound of rubble.

Did you feel particularly bonded to the other actors who played your fellow Jets?

I felt it was my personal obligation that we become a tribe. After the first day of rehearsal, we all went out to the bar down the street. Sans Baby John [the young gang member, played by Patrick Higgins], because he’s not old enough. [Laughs.] And I said, “Look, this one’s ours. This is our story and this is our version. You guys are a part of that.” I handed out assignments; “Jet-tivities” is what I called them. And no matter what it was, we all had to do it. We did a whole bunch of shenanigans that summer.

Are there any you can safely discuss?

We went to upstate New York and bought a full arsenal of Nerf guns. There’s video of us setting up this relay race in a house, having to shoot all these red plastic Solo cups from different angles. We did LARPing. It’s brutal, man. It looks like something totally nerdy, but then you’re there and you’re getting tackled by someone and shot in the private areas by arrows. We played laser tag once. I wanted them to feel like they were a part of something bigger. That way, when the cameras rolled, they just were there.

Did you have the opportunity to confer with Russ Tamblyn, who played Riff in the original film?

He did come to set and hung out for a day. He told us anecdotes, what the experience was like for him. But in terms of approaching the work, I’m not Russ Tamblyn. Only Russ Tamblyn is Russ Tamblyn. I can’t try to emulate or mimic what he does. And I didn’t want to. I think it would have done a disservice to try to incorporate him. It would have been an insult to what he brought.

The new film’s release was delayed by a year because of the pandemic. How did you feel when you learned it was being postponed?

I actually was relieved. Steven and I had a phone conversation last year, around September, when they were deciding whether they were going to release the film. At the time, I said to him, if no one ever saw this movie, it wouldn’t change anything to me. The experience of making the movie was everything. I meant it, but I’m an idiot and I take it all back now. Because if we’re going to show it, you want people to see it. After I had seen the film at the New York premiere, I ran into Steven in the lobby. And I said to him, I got to relive the experience of making the movie. I think when people see this, we give them a taste of that. I think this movie is a real testament to why a theatrical experience is important.

Interview by: Dave Itzkoff

Find here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/27/movies/mike-faist-west-side-story-riff.html