MovieChat Forums > Newsies (1992) Discussion > Musical was a let down

Musical was a let down

posted 9 years ago by Amalthea_Last_Unicorn
4 replies | jump to latest

I saw the musical in Toronto and, sadly, must admit that they ruined a lot of the songs, characters and moments that made Newsies a cult classic

1) the melody and lyrics of the songs were changed, for the worst, such as "Sante Fe", originally a somber ballad in the midst of more high paced numbers, it was Jacks moment to show his complexity. The stage number turned it into an angry drama fest.
You can here the original show soundtrack for yourself on Youtube to see how awful the changes are

2) They made David an obnoxious and fumbling dork (he's basically like a white Urkle in the show); the great thing about movie David is he starts off as a quiet, book smart, kid who progresses into a reluctant leader, that's what made him likeable

3) There was no Racetrack Higgins in the musical, seriously, no Racetrack, what were they thinking?

4) They actually introduce Spot Collins while singing "we are Newsies, we're from Brooklyn" repetitively, it was corny as hell. I almost wish they would have written out of the whole Brooklyn newsies scene if that is what they were going to dismantle it to.
If you were waiting to see the whole "never fear, Brooklyn's here" scene, it wasn't included

5) There was no grande mass rally at the end where all the child workers come out to support the Newsies, it was just a few Newsies on stage cheering; very underwhelming and unprofessional, something I would expect from a school production

On the up side, the dancing was fantastic probably the best choreographed musical I've seen; the new Medda Larkin was one of the few positive changes they made, along with making Jack a talented artist who eventually goes on to be a professional illustrator, it's nice to see some closure with how Jacks life turns out in that regard

[–] irishekl 9 years ago

I totally agree! I saw it last night and I thought it was so painful to watch. Katherine was annoying and unesassary, The kid was obnoxious. They ruined King of New York; no Spot or Jack. A huge let down :(

[–] rndmr2 8 years ago

3) There was no Racetrack Higgins in the musical, seriously, no Racetrack, what were they thinking?

Racetrack is in the Musical, He is listed as "Race"

I agree, I didn't care for a lot of the changes in the Musical but I still enjoyed it for the most part. I knew about most of the changes so I went into it expecting them.

[–] SamandDeansgirl 8 years ago

On the contrary, I absolutely loved the stage musical!! And Newsies is and always has been my favourite movie ever. I've loved the movie since I was a kid. Admittedly, I was a cautious of how the musical would be and if it would do the movie justice. Honestly? I thought it was amazing. I loved the take on the original story and the changes they made. Making Jack an artist for instance and I loved the addition of Katherine. She was great and her song is one of my favourites from the musical soundtrack. Making her Pulitzer's daughter was a great twist and also, her and Jack's love story was a perfect addition.

I disagree about David. I mean, yes, I can see where you're coming from. But it's for the stage. I think his character was still good and he still made the journey from quiet, bookish kid to leader. Although yes, sometimes he did make me laugh.

I also have to disagree about Santa Fe. I thought it packed the emotional punch it should have. And I did like that Jack was angry and conflicted. It added more weight.

I personally loved the songs. Of course they were different and there were a lot added. I think they did really well here too. I absolutely adore the songs. And the choreography? Absolutely flawless and amazing. Best I've seen.

Also, the whole rally of child workers at the end? That's not exactly practical for the stage. You can't have a whole massive crowd of people. It's supposed to be implied that there is a huge crowd. You have to fill in the gap with your imagination. And they did a good job of it.

I think it's all about the mindset. You have to see the musical as a separate entity from the movie. The movie is one thing, the original, yes, but the musical is something completely different. I can't say enough good things about it. Funnily enough, I happen to be listening to the soundtrack at this moment.

And yes, Racetrack was a character. He's there, trademark cigar in hand, and he leads "King of New York." And about Spot and "Brooklyn's Here"--I get it what you're saying.

Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I'm not saying that fans of the movie have to like the stage musical. I, for one, thought it did the movie justice and I look at it as getting more out of the Newsies story. It's like having the movie you love and getting so much more extra to love about it.

And I have to say, the cast I saw, the National Tour cast in Toronto, did a phenomenal job. And the original Broadway soundtrack, with Jeremy Jordan as Jack, is simply perfect.

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[–] HorrorFanatic24 7 years ago

Horrible play