Newsies: The Broadway Musical

Having been a serious fan of the original 1992 film with Christian Bale, I was excited to learn they made a stage production of the show. But then I heard they made some changes to the story for the stage adaption and then I became very skeptical.

Once I finally got to see the show LIVE in person, I was blown away by the entire production and loved the small changes they made. It actually fits better as a live production and the changes were PERFECT.

Once the show and road tour ended, I was so sad to know we'll never get to see this again, but once it was announced that they are bringing the Broadway production to the BIG SCREEN, I was more than excited.

Seeing the cinematic version of the Broadway production gave a whole new perspective on the experience. The drama seems heightened since we now get to see close ups of the characters and every emotional reaction and response. We also get to HEAR every line and word, where on stage, sometimes the lines are run together rather quickly and it's easy to miss certain elements. The lighting, the sound, the editing was BRILLIANT!

Also, the actors were full of extra life and energy and you could see their love and passion for each other and this show. This theatrical experience was OVERFLOWING with Disney magic and I confess, I teared up several times, just because it was SO AMAZING!

If you never saw a Broadway show, or can't get to New York, and if you never saw the Broadway version of Newsies...this is a MUST-SEE! The Music, the Dancing, the Acting, the Performances, the Costumes and Set....everything was SHEER MAGIC and absolutely PERFECT!

I'll never get tired of seeing NEWSIES!

Fortunately, the great performances, singing, and the opportunity for close-ups of the actors make this recording of the stage production of NEWSIES well worth seeing. I feared, however, that they would not know how to film the dance numbers, and I was correct. Too many quick cuts, too many close-ups of only a few of the dancers, detract greatly from the dance numbers. While the camera adds some good rear and overhead shots of the dancers that you can't get in a live performance, these too go by in a flash. The dancers have great technique and energy all on their own. The camera doesn't need to add any movement or energy to the proceedings, like it does when you are trying to cover for poor dancers. These folks are great, but the camera-work doesn't allow us to see them for more than a fraction of a second at a time. If the director wanted to see how Broadway dances should be photographed, all he need do is look at any Tony Awards broadcast--mainly longer shots, with a few angle shots thrown in, and close-ups only when a particular step or piece of business needs to be highlighted. But directors and editors would rather show off than respect the dance.

Beautifully performed LA version of the Broadway musical. The actors, singers, dancers all on the top of their form. And the translating of the show to TV was excellent - until it came to the dance numbers. In short, these were ruined in the editing room. Just because you can cut to another shot, doesn't mean that you should. Fred Astaire had control over how his dances were filmed and insisted in full head-to-toe shots, with little or no cutting to different angles. This might seem like an austere approach, but it worked brilliantly. Gene Kelly went a step further and also produced brilliant results. It is difficult as a director to reign in the impulse to be flashy and put your mark on what you are shooting, but with dance this has to be resisted. Rob Marshall almost ruined Bob Fosse's brilliant choreography in the movie version of "Chicago". Here we have some of the world's best stage dancers giving it their all, and the director and editor got in their way. What a shame.

I am one that enjoys Broadway shows and to combine both the Broadway & North American Tour together to make this show was Amazing. I hope they make this into a DVD like they did with CATS. The stage show personal touch versus a cinematic approach makes the show 1000x times better and easier to relate to the characters.

10/6/17. A good production for the silver screen. As much as I would have loved to have seen this on Broadway, watching it this way actually was pretty good. You could never get the close-ups like you do with this film in the theater, not to mention the prohibitive pricing of Broadway shows.