Disney’s ‘Newsies’ hits Denver

The+set+for+Newsies+excites+the+audience+upon+entrance+to+the+theatre.+

Olivia Kaiser

The set for ‘Newsies’ excites the audience upon entrance to the theatre.

Olivia Kaiser, Ranger Review Reporter

One of Disney’s latest Broadway musicals, Newsies, recently came to Denver, Colorado. The traveling show opened in Denver on March 23 and will have it’s closing night on April 9. Despite the few hiccups the actors and crew members experienced, the show was a masterpiece.

The story follows a group of New York paper boys fighting “the man.” When the price of newspapers is raised, the boys go on strike, which leads to a captivating show. With it’s amazing music and transfixing choreography, it’s no wonder this show is so popular.

In the beginning of its career, this show, though with a different cast, was highly praised and well received. The year 2012 saw the musical win two Tony Awards: Best Score and Best Choreography. Newsies then continued to tour the American continent, stopping in Denver, Colorado in 2016.

The night of March 29 was nearly flawless. Nearly.

The first thing to not go according to plan was the start time; the lights dimmed six minutes late. While it is not a setback, it is a minor detail that aggravated a few audience members.

As the show began, it was off to a fantastic start, until an actor stumbled over his line. It was a minor hiccup and he quickly recovered, but it showed just how nervous the cast was, even after performing for so long.

A few sound issues could be noticed as well. On more than one actor, the sound crew failed to turn on an actor’s mic in time for the beginning of his or her line. The actors compensated well, though, projecting to make up for the loss of technology. During the musical number “That’s Rich,” it was clear that the actress’s microphone was too loud, making her powerful notes painful to the audience.

However, despite these minor issues, there was one glaringly obvious problem that persisted through the entirety of the show: the accents. The New York accent can be difficult for an actor to master, and these actors are no exception. While they were better than most, many lines got lost in the thick accent and hurried speech of a native New Yorker. The cast did seem to sink into their accents a little better during intermission, though, as the dialect flowed more naturally after the break.

Even though the show was riddled with minor errors, it was still phenomenal. The acting was impressive, the set even more so. It is a show worth the price of the tickets.