Over the first weekend of March, Agnes Irwin’s Middle School put on a remarkable performance of Newsies Jr! The amount of time and energy the Middle Schoolers put into this event was evident. It was impossible for the audience not to smile at every ensemble dance scene.
Newsies Jr. follows a charismatic paper boy, Jack Kelly, as he leads a strike against the newspaper company for which he and his friends work. The company has increased the price of the newspaper, and the Newsies’ jobs are on the line. Throughout the course of the musical, the Newsies find that they are stronger together.
A showstopper was Mia Karalis, who played Jack Kelly. Mia wowed the audience with her incredible vocals and exceptional acting, which brought out the charisma and leadership skills of her character.
Hannah Ginsbury and Farrah Goodson-Guy were amazing as the brothers Les and Davey, Hannah’s portrayal of the adorable and cheeky Les captivated the audience, and Farrah captured Davey’s charming and intelligent nature perfectly! Farrah and Hannah did a convincing job of portraying the brothers’ close bond.
The choreography, created by Ms. Mallory Reiger, was breathtaking. Her incorporation of the middle schoolers’ talents, including gymnastics and tap dancing, made the ensemble dance scenes lively and exciting.
With regard to the ensemble singing, this reviewer couldn’t help but notice that when the actors sang lower notes, they sounded incredible. Perhaps experimenting with a lower register might have enhanced some of the songs? Nonetheless, the Middle School’s performance of Newsies Jr. was wonderful! The Middle Schoolers did a great job maintaining the positive atmosphere that characterizes Newsies Jr.
This show could not have been as incredible without the stage crew, set designers, and costume people. Both the costume and set designers did an excellent job of making the audience members feel as if they were in nineteenth-century New York City. The stage crew made sure the show ran seamlessly. With their hard work, they managed to make the show feel truly immersive.
