Hillary Erb and ensemble members in Quad City Music Guild's “Newsies: The Musical" at the Prospect Park Auditorium -- July 5 through 14.
Friday, July 5, through Sunday, July 14
Prospect Park Auditorium, 1584 34th Avenue, Moline IL
Described by Variety magazine as “Disney's happiest outing since The Lion King” and by USA Today as a production of “easy infectiousness” and “youthful exuberance,” the Tony Award-winning Newsies: The Musical enjoys a July 5 through 14 run at Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium, with the talents of Quad City Music Guild treating family audiences to an energetic work the Hollywood Reporter said “adheres to a time-honored Disney tradition of inspirational storytelling in the best possible sense.”
Based on Disney's live-action musical from 1992 that starred a teenage Christian Bale, Newsies: The Musical is set in the New York City of 1899, where young Jack Kelly and his ragtag team of newsboys make a meager living selling newspapers on the streets. But when the prices of “papes” are hiked and the newsies are hung out to dry, there's nothing left to do but, as the lyrics state, “open the gates and seize the day!” Led by the charismatic Jack and the independent newspaper reporter Katherine Plummer, the Newsies form a union and organize a strike against the greedy publisher of the New York World. But can a group of idealistic newsboys win against a foe as powerful as acclaimed publisher Joseph Pulitzer? Inspired by the true story of the 1899 Newsboys Strike, Newsies: The Musical captures the strength that young people have when they join together and stand up against injustice, with its book by Harvey Fierstein and score by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman inspiring the Village Voice to announce, “Extra! Extra! Newsies is a hit!”
Directing Newsies: The Musical is longtime Quad City Music Guild favorite Erin Platt, a frequent stage performer whose musical appearances have included roles in Legally Blonde: The Musical, Jeklyy & Hyde, and 42nd Street. Amy Trimble (A Chorus Line) serves as Newsies' musical director and Shana Kulhavy (The Producers) its choreographer, with additional members of Platt's creative team including: assistant director Vea Vavrosky; assistant music director Curtis Fischer-Oschlaeger; stage manager Rebecca McNamar; set designer Chris Howard; costume designer Carol Moon; lighting designer Jacob Laufenberg; sound designer Gio Macias; props designer Cherie Lyman; and producer Matt Stoefen.
Joey Dryoel, a castmate in Music Guild productions including The Wizard of Oz, Shrek: The Musical, and Mamma Mia!, portrays the heroic Jack Kelly, while legendary publisher Joseph Pulitzer is played by Nathan Bates, a crowd favorite from musicals including The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, and Guys & Dolls. Nearly two dozen talents compose Newsies' main cast: Hillary Erb; Cody Dutton; Ben Bergthold; Emily Schwartz; Kirsten Myers; Marissa Pedersen; Will Emerle; Alaina Volkert; Brighton Greim; Madalyn (Blue) Roland; Henrick Senne; Molly Ahern; Antoine Richmond; Sophie Seamer; Ava Coussens; Mia Roman; Grace Sandercock; Amber Whitaker; Avery Sondgeroth; Aurora Myers; Izzy Dudek; and Peyton Beck.
Another 20 compose the show's ensemble and tumbler team: Eli Swailes; Ella Hansen; Emily Brooks; Gavin Bates; Grace Moore; Kirsten Myers; Marcus King; Chase Coussens; Sara Laufer; Steph Curtis; Stephen Scott; Tori Vavrosky; Todd Volkert; Levi Bacon; Evy Olson; Logan Peterson; Brynna Slankard; Laiylah Dankert; Maeve O’Keefe; and Avery Kampmann. And with Curtis Fischer-Oelschlaeger and Deb Swift on keyboard, Newsies' pit orchestra is additionally composed of: Elsie Hahn; Pete Philhower; PJ Scott; Cameron Kotovsky; Sam Huffaker; Pamela Swanson; Ben McKay; Nicholas Alt; and Christine Rogers.
Quad City Music Guild's Newsies: The Musical runs at Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium July 5 through 14, with performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., Admission is $15-20, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)762-0330 and visiting QCMusicGuild.com.
