What I don't like about the new stage musical - Newsies (1992) Discussion

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

In regards to your first point, it could work, but it'll depend on how they handle it. I can understand wanting to establish character sooner in the plot.

The second part, though...that sounds like a bad fanfic. I'm also put off by the thought that they need to have a love story. The fact is, Newsies is first and foremost about the newsies and the strike. I personally hated the "love story" from the film (if you can even call it a love story seeing as the film spent all of ten minutes on it) and would be just as happy not having it in the stage show, especially in this fashion.

Also, this line: "It was one of those baby-sitting tools for boys," he said. "It's very boy." Lol. Yep, it's definitely a boy movie. That's why 95% of its fanbase is female. I think I know about four boys who are into the movie.

Knick-Knack, paddywack, Diva's on her throne
You just got Patti LuPWNed

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[–] CountVladDracula 13 years ago

He's an idiot and he's going to mutilate it to try to appeal to the Twilight generation. I saw this when I was nine, I'm a woman. I adore this movie.

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[–] SpeedRacer2K 13 years ago

I've got two tickets to see this next Friday. If I still see it (it was supposed to be a birthday present for my girlfriend, and we broke up this morning), I'll be sure to give my thoughts.

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Never insult seven people when you're only packing a six-shooter.

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[–] beecee101 12 years ago

Did you just say that any male that likes this film is a --- homosexual? Are all the actors gay too..Bale/Moscow/Pullman/Max? If you are a queer hunter there will be mostly hetero males gone. Do whatever you can to make something innocent to look NASTY!

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[–] BroadwayBookworm 11 years ago

What on earth are you going on about? No one said anything about homosexuality. Also, there is nothing "nasty" about homosexuality.

Knick-Knack, paddywack, Diva's on her throne
You just got Patti LuPWNed

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[–] Funnibone31 13 years ago

in regards to your comments, i saw the play last week:

1. they open the play with santa fe with jack and crutchie singing about how they want to get out of ny, start anew, go west...the lyrics are completely changed, so the song is no longer about jack and the issue over not having a family, etc. the song has a completely different meaning, and it definetly fits. i loveeee the new lyrics to the song, they are amazing.

2. if you have ever been to a broadway musical/play there is always some love story. if they want this to go to broadway they need that appeal. plus it adds something stronger than that silly sarah character...i loved the love story and i loved her character.

Life is pain, princess. . . anyone who says differently is selling something.

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[–] CountVladDracula 13 years ago

2. if you have ever been to a broadway musical/play there is always some love story. if they want this to go to broadway they need that appeal. plus it adds something stronger than that silly sarah character...i loved the love story and i loved her character.

Would I be on a Newsies forum if I didn't like musicals?! I mean... Seriously. I've been to Lestat, Dracula, Christmas Carol, The Rocky Horror Show... All on Broadway.

The fact is this particular musical is based, for the most part, on actual events. Not only were female journalists scarce in 1899 but Denton was a great character. I liked the Sarah character. I had hoped they would better develop her, not omit her all together. And Jack's issues about not having a family were important to his character.

It sounds like it was changed for shallow pandering rather than story development. And no, not ALL Broadway plays are love stories. That is an insult to the genre!

A Christmas Carol
The Wizard of Oz
Annie
The Canterville Ghost
The Miracle Worker
Cats
Julius Ceasar
Titus
Sweeney Todd
Macbeth
Suesical The musical
The Turn of the Screw
Dracula (Original play, not Wildhorn)
The Woman in Black

Do I need to go on?

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[–] Funnibone31 13 years ago

yes i realize not all broadway plays have a love story....i meant the love story in this musical will add to its appeal for the audience....especially when you have young teen/adult girls/women coming to play to see hotttt guys singing and dancing....

Life is pain, princess. . . anyone who says differently is selling something.

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[–] CountVladDracula 13 years ago

So you agree that it is pandering. It's condescending, pandering and insulting the audience in an effort to appeal to a demographic it THINKS wants the story changed drastically. I hope you've noticed that... it seems to be floundering, the play I mean. Wildhorn's Dracula did better than this and that didn't get a cast album until 2004. I gave this version of Newsies six months on the stage at best. I could be wrong but I find it insulting that this director (who actually argued with the original composer to get his way here) thought a musical set in the nineteenth century needed to be "updated" for "today's youth". This isn't f--king Twilight. It's Newsies!

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[–] Funnibone31 13 years ago

im sorry if my comment makes you think that i am insulting the audience....the play was amazing and anyone who saw it at the papermill playhouse will agree with me....apparently it was sold out every night, and families brought their kids, there were older adults young teens, young adults and eldery. the night i saw it they gave these terrific actors a standing ovation. i do not think that i means that it is floundering....the entire town of millburn new jersey was fully supportive of the play...critics from the new york times to the washington post have been giving great reviews of the play, even so much as to say that there is a lot of interest in taking it to broadway.

my comment about the love story was not meant to say that the wanted to change the story to make it like twilight. IT IS NOT ABOUT TWILIGHT AND I NEVER SAID IT WAS. i was simply saying, as a fan of the movie i was happy to see them make the love story stronger, since the story between sarah and jack was never strong. the love story is not what makes the play however. the writers stayed true to the story line and the music. a few tweaks in the storyline and the music DOES NOT mean it is twilight or that it is an insult. i disagree that it was "updated" for "today's youth." it only made the original stronger.

not sure if you saw these clips, but you can see how much heart and soul the actors, directors and writers put into this play to make it the best it can be. if you can't see that then don't go see it when it comes to broadway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJCRN-lDn9A&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnMHUgJ9jP0

Life is pain, princess. . . anyone who says differently is selling something.

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[–] CountVladDracula 13 years ago

Don't you DARE show me those HORRIBLE clips as if I am making a baseless judgement! I'm going to assume you really are sixteen that you could be so naive as to NOT realize this is about Twilight. It's about the popularity of the trend of the vapid teen romance and that is NOT what Newsies was meant to be about. It was inspired by a true story and it had a message, and now it's buried under trendy pandering that turns my stomach.

Santa Fea may as well now have the lyrics "I don't like da city... It ain't perdy." That's pretty much what they turned it into. It's Shallow. It's shallow and intellectually insulting. And the new lyrics for Seize the day barely even fit! "Nothing can break us, no one can make us stop before we're DONE!" The Hell...?! You really think that's an improvement?

I grieve for artistic integrity...

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[–] SpeedRacer2K 13 years ago

Except you ARE making a baseless judgment. You read a news article, *beep* a brick, and refuse to give the new changes a chance. If you'd actually seen the musical, then you'd know that the message is still intact.

As for there being no young female reporters during that time, perhaps you should read up on Nellie Bly. Who worked for, OH WAIT GET THIS - Joseph Pulitzer.

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Never insult seven people when you're only packing a six-shooter.

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[–] dgniewek 10 years ago

I've seen it twice and I agree, the message is intact. The musical is vibrant and engaging, wonderful staging and extraordinary dancing!

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[–] dizkidelk 10 years ago

Correct! Katherine Plumber was actually modeled off of Nellie Bly.

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[–] Funnibone31 12 years ago

how "dare" i post those clips? are you friking serious??? you have issues... and you are making a baseless judgement..you didn't see the play. end of discussion no reason to argue with someone who is an idiot

Life is pain, princess. . . anyone who says differently is selling something.

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[–] SallahTours 8 years ago

"Nothing can break us
No one can make us quit before we're done
One for all and all for
One for all and all for
One for all and all for one!"

That's the full lyric. Had to be changed to fit into the new phrasing.

I thought everyone should know the whole story, not just the half you told.

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[–] cam408962 12 years ago

I love how you said you give it six months and then it wins several Tony's and gets an indefinite extended run. Proud movie AND play fansie.

I wanna be a starship ranger when I grow up.

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[–] Savage_Pacifist 12 years ago

Ok so I just found out about the stage show, only saw the performance from the View...and am still giddy about the idea to find out too much more about it until tomorrow but I felt a need to reply you 'this' post.

you've listed a number of musicals you claim to not have any love story...I would disagree on a few of them...for simplicity I'll just repost your list and add thoughts next to a few:

A Christmas Carol - There is a love story in Scrouge's past
The Wizard of Oz
Annie - this whole show is about love
The Canterville Ghost
The Miracle Worker
Cats MEMORY!!!
Julius Ceasar ok not a musical but there are many elements of love relationships here
Titus see Ceasar
Sweeney Todd big love stories in this one...three of them...well four if you count the naugtiness that starts it all.
Macbeth see the other shakespeares
Suesical The musical
The Turn of the Screw - ok...kinda odd to list Henry James out of the woodworks...not even a musical *same with the Shakespeare*
Dracula (Original play, not Wildhorn)
The Woman in Black

Anywho...just a few thoughts...honestly didn't read too deeply into the pre-set convo but thought I'd chime in...have a good night!

Some people just get way too serious around here

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[–] firecat88 12 years ago

Cats MEMORY!!!

As a long-time Cats fan, I'm afraid I must correct you on this. No matter how many pop stars and crooners sing it, Memory is *not* a love song. It's about how getting old stinks and about how Grizabella's life was so much better when she was young and pretty.

~Sing as though no one is listening~

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[–] BroadwayBookworm 12 years ago

2. if you have ever been to a broadway musical/play there is always some love story.

Not true at all. There have been plenty of broadway musicals and plays without love stories.

Knick-Knack, paddywack, Diva's on her throne
You just got Patti LuPWNed

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[–] ananeke 9 years ago

I have to agree with the OP, Denton's character was important in the movie, and it would have been better if they just evolved the Jack and Sarah story a little instead of adding a female reporter. I was disappointed with this. I know this was an ADAPTATION, but the movie was great on its own and there was really no need to make the changes. It just didn't make sense.

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[–] SamandDeansgirl 8 years ago

Newsies the movie is my absolute favorite, always has been and always will be.

And I loved the stage version. More than loved. I thought it was great. You have to go into it with an open mind and viewing it as a separate entity from the movie. I personally loved the love story aspect. The changes they made worked and the new songs were great. I cannot say enough good things about the stage adaptation.

 J.Lennon G.Harrison R.Phoenix B.Renfro 
The Beatles = Life

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[–] Vins_gurl18 8 years ago

I have to agree with the OP, Denton's character was important in the movie, and it would have been better if they just evolved the Jack and Sarah story a little instead of adding a female reporter. I was disappointed with this. I know this was an ADAPTATION, but the movie was great on its own and there was really no need to make the changes. It just didn't make sense.

I agree with this actually.

I just saw the show last night, and didn't really care for the Jack/Female Reporter character romance that much either. I actually didn't really like the female lead in the play honestly. She was kind of annoying to me. Very talented, but I didn't like her role in the play much. She was kind of annoying honestly. Even the Jack/Sarah romance in the film was more tolerable imo.

But anyway, I was kind of bummed they took out the Denton character in the play as well, but I felt like instead of adding the female reporter (I don't even remember her name that's how "memorable" she was for me lol), they would have done better to show David and Les' FAMILY and have Jack have a relationship with Sarah (the sister). Maybe develop that more, and KEEP the Denton character in. I felt like David and his brother were kind of underdeveloped in the play, whereas there was MUCH better character development for them in the movie.

I didn't mind the lyrics changing that much (they do that with Broadway plays ALL the time).

Aside from these minor gripes.... Overall.....GREAT show!!! High-energy, fun, catchy tunes, I would HIGHLY recommend! :)

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[–] pirouette028 7 years ago

I have not seen the musical. I am here because I introduced my daughter to this film over the weekend. It was one I loved as a young dancer and wanted my daughter to see it... so here I am. lol. But I did want to speak to a couple of your points.

1) I can see them using Santa Fe as kind of a prologue song to set the stage for Jack's character and his direction. Broadway shows like to do "prologues" (Wicked, Rent, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables all had them to name a few) and Santa Fe is the best song to use because it's the only one that lets you really see who Jack is as a character.

2) I was never a big fan of the love story. Even just watching the film this weekend, it still didn't wow me. They could have done a lot better with that. While I love Denton, he could work as a female character in this day and age. I feel that is exactly what will happen if they ever remake it onscreen. Sure, it wouldn't be historically accurate, but the film itself was only loosely based on actual events. They didn't have all of the facts right either.

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[–] OneWayFilms 7 years ago

I have always been a huge fan of this film since it's original release in 1992.

When i finally saw the Broadway production, I was surprised at the changes, but NOT disappointed. In fact, I thought the changes they made were BRILLIANT!

Every time a film gets turned into a stage production (or stage production get's turned into a film) there's ALWAYS going to be some slight changes made. It keeps it fresh and gives it it's own identity. (Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors, Sweeney Todd, Grease, etc...)

I love both the film AND stage show and feel they BOTH work very well.

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