The live film of Disney’s hit musical Newsies, which was shot onstage in Los Angeles last September, will be released in cinemas across the U.S. February, 16, 18, and 22, 2017.
Billed as Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical, the film runs two hours and 25 minutes. Fathom Events is presenting the cinema release of the film that was shot in front of a live audience.
Members of the original Broadway cast reunited for the film, including Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan as rebellious paperboy Jack Kelly, Kara Lindsay as Katherine, Ben Fankhauser as Davey, and Andrew Keenan-Bolger as Crutchie.
They are joined by members of the North American tour, including Steve Blanchard as Joseph Pulitzer and Aisha de Haas as Medda Larkin.
Newsies was inspired by the real-life “Newsboy Strike of 1899,” when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week-long action against Pulitzer, Hearst, and other powerful newspaper publishers.
The stage version introduces seven brand-new songs by the original team of Alan Menken and Jack Feldman, including a song written specifically for the tour, “Letter from the Refuge,” while keeping many of the beloved songs from the film, including “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” “King of New York,” and “Santa Fe.”
“From the very beginning, the stage adaptation of Newsies has had an exciting and entirely unexpected journey, propelled by the show’s passionate fan base,” said Thomas Schumacher, president and producer of Disney Theatrical Productions. “We are thrilled to be working with Fathom Events and to have Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan and members of the original Broadway company join the North American touring cast as we take Newsies on its next exciting chapter, reaching new audiences around the world.”
The musical took home 2012 Tony Awards for Best Choreography (Christopher Gattelli) and Best Original Score (Alan Menken and Jack Feldman) and was nominated for Best Actor (Jordan), Best Book (Harvey Fierstein), Best Direction (Jeff Calhoun), Best Orchestrations (Daniel Troob), Best Scenic Design (Tobin Ost and Sven Ortel), and Best Musical.
