Extra, Extra: ‘Newsies’ To Be Stage Musical, Annoying Theater Kids Excited

Geoffrey Golden — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:47:15 +0000

Batman has intense childhood scars. Maybe that’s why actor Christian Bale is so adept at playing the caped crusader. One of his earlier roles was 1992′s Newsies, a huge flop with critics and at the box office. On his experience, Bale said, “Time healed those wounds. But it took a while.” Well, some people’s garbage is other people’s front page headlines, because the now “cult classic” movie about singing newsboys is coming to… New Jersey.

The Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn will stage a production of Newsies exclusively for geeky musical theater girls in their late 20s this fall. Alan Menken (the good Disney animated movies from the early 90s), the musical’s original composer, is revamping the story and songs along with Harvey Fierstein (Hairspray). There will even by a girl newsie named “Swifty,” or as I call her: “Newserella.” Here’s why she’s being created, according to Menken:

My daughter went to a girl’s camp where they did Newsies, and they invented a character of Swifty for her to play. She said, ‘Dad, if you ever do Newsies on stage, you’ve got to let Swifty be in the show.’

This is not the first instance of kids at summer camp greatly affected the lives of an adult. (Badass News)

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Extra, Extra: ‘Newsies’ To Be Stage Musical, Annoying Theater Kids Excited