Last Saturday, I had the chance, with my family, to go see Weber High School’s fall play, Newsies: The Broadway Musical. Only one day after opening night and the cast was on fire! What a magnificent performance!
Mark Daniels, Weber High School’s Director, led the cast of over 130 talented students to fulfill his dream of making this production come to life.
Inside the program under “A Note from the Director” Daniels gives many thanks to those around him.
“Thank you to our administration here at Weber High School and all of the parents of this incredible cast. Thank you for trusting our team and giving us the chance to work with these passionate young artists. I am so thrilled to be directing the Utah High School premier of Disney’s NEWSIES!”
The lead actors in the play are as follows: Cameron Linford as Jack Kelly with Morgan Erickson as Katherine Plummer. Crutchie is played by Porter Holliday and Davey by Tate Shelton with young Les played by Ty Fisher (who has a few years yet before he is a Weber High student himself). Tessa Shelton as Medda Larkin and Connor Thompson as Joseph Pulitzer. Along with over a hundred other castmates who all magnified their roles in Newsies!
Newsies is based off of the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899 which included a group of teenagers who try to sell newspapers to earn money for their families. Times are tough and many of the boys don’t have a father and mother to go home to. When the prices for the paper increase, the kids go on strike for their rights to be given fair treatment.
I love how, in this play, Mark Daniels incorporated many girls to also be a newsie. This made watching the production so much more enjoyable and, at times, the entire stage was filled with cast members. Plus, Weber High’s theater allows for the cast to perform on the catwalk and down the aisles near the seats. This makes for entertainment all around for the audience!
Weber High School is the first high school in Utah to premiere Newsies. So, it’s an especially exiting time to be IN the cast as well as be IN the audience! The energy is contagious as you watch this show and take in all the amazing props on stage. The set makes you feel like you are right there, back in time, with all the newsies.
The dancing and choreography are spot on thanks to the talented, Lindsey Poll. She is the mastermind behind all of the dance moves. Costume designer and seamstress, Crystal Walker played a pivotal role in creating the “look” each of the cast members wore on stage.
Musical director, Scott Wood, helped give Newsies life. JD Madsen was the scenic designer who gave the stage it’s “home” in New York City. All of these truly amazing people, along with Mark Daniels, collaborated to make Newsies the best it can be!
My young boys were hooked while watching this show! My daughters too! My husband said it was his favorite performance at Weber High to date! And my parents couldn’t say enough good!
Enjoy seeing this multi-talented show and get your tickets now!
Shows begin at 7 p.m. with a special viewing for senior citizens on October 30th. Student and Senior Citizen tickets are $10, children $6 and adults $11. Tickets can be purchased through the school’s website, www.wsd.net From there, click on the musical, Newsies, and you will be led to any available seating left.
