Newsies!
We live in a society that is constantly moving. We go to school or go to work. We listen to the news and ingest long descriptions of politics or current events or the weather. Each day is almost exactly the same as the last, consisting of endless conflict and endless obligations. This is the real world, after all, and the real world is a whole lot of work.
Honestly? The real world can be kind of... boring.
Once in a while, we need a break from our own lives to explore someone else’s, realistic or not. Theater is our escape from it all. The retelling of a story through performance, song, or dance is not only entertaining, but thought-provoking as the audience relates to the characters and their struggles. It is heartbreaking that the pandemic has closed the streets of Broadway for so long, but passion for theatre across the country is still very much alive. No matter what social media platform you peruse, people are posting covers of songs, developing music for the Broadway version of their favorite TV shows, performing virtually however they can. You see, while everything may seem to have come to a pause, the fundamental principle “The show must go on” has stayed with performers around the world.
Incredibly successful, Summit High School’s Drama Program and its hundreds of members and contributors have received many Rising Star nominations and awards over the past several years, for both its fall plays and spring musicals. Last year, Summit put on a hilarious production of Clue in the fall and took a trip to Greece in their fun portrayal of Mamma Mia! in the spring. (Summit was extremely lucky to be able to perform Mamma Mia!, for the pandemic shut down Summit schools only the following week.)
The extremely talented cast of Newsies!
The Reel is extremely excited to inform you that, despite a small delay due to the virus, Summit’s 2021 spring musical is very much on! Under the direction of Mrs. Anne Poyner (director), Mr. Daniel King (vocal director), Mrs. Kelly Mott-Sacks (choreographer), Mrs. Stephanie Gallegos (tech director), and Mrs. Katherine Winter (costumes director), Summit High School will be performing Newsies! The Broadway Musical in early June! Showtimes are Wednesday, June 2nd through Saturday, June 5th at 8 PM. An additional showing will take place on Sunday, June 6th at 7 PM. Tickets will be on sale starting May 14th and will be sold in pods of two: $40 for students and seniors and $50 for adults. While in person tickets will be limited due to covid protocol, Live Stream tickets may also be purchased for each performance at $20 per person or $30 per family. There will also be a live stream performance in the auditorium. While it is inevitable that the show will look a little different this year, Summit’s production of Newsies! is something that simply cannot be missed.
This lively, dance-heavy show is based on a true story. In the “Newsboy Strike” of 1899, orphan and runaway newsboys and -girls took part in a two-week strike for better wages and working rights. Their battle against social injustice is inspiring and incredibly relevant today, as the country unites in protest against issues like racial and gender inequality. The phenomenally talented cast of Newsies will undoubtedly portray the grit and determination of these newsboys through their masterly dances, heart-wrenching songs, and engaging acting. Mrs. Winter and the costume crew have outdone themselves with the attire, truly embodying the ragged, scrappy newsboy look with emphasis on denims and old fashioned flats. The costumes in Summit productions always leave the audience awe-struck, for they are so crucial to the portrayal of the story.
If that is not enough to bring this fabulous show to life, Mrs. Gallegos has worked tirelessly in creating a beautiful set. Considering that the show would take place outside in the high school Performing Arts Garden, Mrs. Gallegos and her crew built this set with mobility in mind! Made inside and transferred to the garden, the set is sure to wow the audience. Newsies shows us the value of friendship, as Jack (played by junior Donald Grennon) does anything to protect his “boys,” who have become his family. We will also see the beauty of an unlikely connection as Jack begins a relationship with Katherine (senior Gracie Beardsley), the news reporter determined to cover the story of the strike well, despite the sexist stereotypes of the time. Newsies is a story of friendship and love and family, and the Summit cast and crew are sure to bring it to life.
Extreme precautions have been taken in order to keep everyone involved safe and healthy. Rehearsals are socially-distanced and take place outside when singing, and masks are worn inside and outside. Daily temperature checks and health status forms are required for all students and directors. While it is definitely challenging to adapt to such a restricted environment, the directors of Newsies are doing everything they possibly can to create a superb show while staying safe. The shows will be held outside in the school’s Performing Arts Garden.
The Summit Drama Program embodies everything that theater should be: creating wonderful entertainment for the audience and serving as a family for the students involved. The students are determined to once again wow the crowd with their production, for they have the ability to make the audience feel as though they are part of the story as well. The Reel strongly encourages everyone who can to buy garden or livestream tickets to see Newsies. The show must, and most certainly will, go on.
Edited by Lydia Boubendir