Seizing the Day (and My Heart) - Newsies, a review

To a casual observer, a show centered around a strike for unfair pay and general working conditions is a bit too on the nose when you consider what is happening all around the world right now.

But I say, this is exactly what we need right now. 

If you're not paying attention, here in the UK we have had junior doctors strike, train drivers strike, teachers strike; you name the profession, there's undoubtedly been talk of a strike at some stage in the past few years, if not an actual strike. In America, actors and writers and anybody behind the scenes of our favourite television shows and films are banding together to demand fair payment for the undeniable contributions they have made. 

We are living in a time where people are finally realising their worth, finally seeing that the hand they have got is not the one they need to settle for, and finally waking up to the fact that the work they do is not appreciated like it should be.  It's like a game of Monopoly, where the richest hold all the cards, and the rest of us are just traipsing around the board, trying not to get screwed but finding ourselves screwed on every square all the same. 

There's one line in Newsies which I feels echoes this very sentiment, and summarises perfectly this new dawn of people rising up and claiming their rights to a fair and square deal, no matter what profession they work in. 

"The world will feel the fire and finally know." 

What this show does an absolutely brilliant job of showing is that even the smallest person can change the course of history, and when you have a worthy cause, it's all the more reason to fight and not sit back and let your rights get taken away, or walked all over.

Newsies is a show I fell in love with back in February. I was determined to see it again so I took a trip to see it on it's penultimate show day. When the music started, and the first of the cast made their way to the stage, I was reminded instantly why it's such an amazing show.

The whole show is very immersive, with the seating at the Wembley Park Theatre all around the stage. The cast make the most of making sure the audience are part of the action, and you are instantly drawn in. There's no ifs, ands or buts. Newsies steals the show from the very first scene.

Of course, I could write paragraphs and paragraphs about the choreography alone. It is meticulously planned so that you could watch the show a thousand times, and still have someone or something different to focus on in every scene. Each cast member delivers a powerful performance, from the excitement at starting work for the day in the song Carrying the Banner, to the thrill of getting a moment of fame in King of New York, to the anger at being walked all over in The World Will Know. 

I think the main take away from Newsies is it's a plucky little musical but with big heart and big songs, with dance numbers that had the audience cheering after every single song. There are probably only a handful of musicals that have been able to achieve this affect. 

What also works really well is how the stage is managed during scene changes. There's never a lull moment, even during the quieter, more solemn moments. I always do try and take in everything in a show anyway, because I think it's crucial to acknowledge all the behind-the-scenes cast as well as the ones you see and hear on the stage, but I do think Newsies is a musical that you can't help but marvel at everything, from the choreography, to the props and scenery itself; from the musical arrangement, to the lighting and everything else in between. No one player stands alone in making this a triumph.

Michael Ahomka-Lindsay and Lindsay Atherton were the key players in this show, playing Jack Kelly and Katherine Plumber respectively. Their chemistry was perfect, and both delivered powerful performances. I would also like to pay tribute to Ryan Kopel, who played Davey, because he demonstrated the transformation of Davey from just someone who was trying to make a living to support his parents, to a key figure in getting the Newsies union formed and up and running with Jack Kelly, and it was a sublime performance.

As I say, there was no weak performer amongst the cast. I could just rave for days and days about the cast who played the rest of the Newsies, because the sheer energy they had, and the enthusiasm they showed at every moment of the show, was infectious. I saw people bopping along to every tune, and grinning along with every interaction, however minor, they shared with the cast. 

It's a rare thing to find a new musical that sits and fits in your heart so well. Newsies delivers not only newspapers, but joy, hope, and the message that if your cause is worthy, and you can rally enough people to it, you can achieve anything, and this is why despite how doom-and-gloom the world seems at the moment, I still have hope for a better tomorrow. I can't not give this musical five stars for that alone. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank You for the Music(al)

To a casual observer, a musical is very much a marmite type of theatre. You either love it, or you hate it. 

I always think of a musical like a tree; it has to find its roots before it resembles anything even remotely passable as a piece of theatre. The fascination with musicals for me stems from the fact that at its heart, a musical is a ridiculous concept. I mean, it's not commonplace for people to sing their way through a situation or a meeting, and, if you tried, you'd be laughed out of society for good. 

The thing that makes musicals work is ironically the thing that makes some people despise them. You lose the art of reality in a musical. In a play, unless the concept is wildly abstract, you
can imagine the scenarios presented before you are taking place in real life, albeit in a different corner of time and space, whether you relate to them or not. 

I always say about people who hate musicals the same thing I say about people who hate reading books: you just haven't found the right one. I believe this wholeheartedly, even if it sounds a trite cliched. I also think that there is always at least one musical that will transform, or has transformed, who you are, for good.

Now, my 'top ten musical' list has changed a little over the years, and I suspect this will continue to change the more theatre I consume, but there is a musical I will always adore slightly more than any other. 

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

If you don't believe me, I can link you to the very facebook post where I shamelessly flaunted my second trip to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the London Palladium in the space of a week. Granted, I had been booked to see a different show that day, which unfortunately got cancelled due to illness (three guesses as to which newsworthy disease this may be referring to), but the point is when I thought about a replacement show, it didn't take me a moment to land on seeing Joseph again.

I grew up on the Donny Osmond film. My sister and I grew up together watching it, bonding over it, laughing at the same parts, imitating the actors to such a degree that our impressions carried us through life to the point where we can quote it still, and not just the songs but the way the characters performed certain lines, certain phrases. 

This is why it holds such a special place in my heart. A show about family made memories for MY family. 

So, what's the point of this article? I'm not here to persuade you on musicals if you absolutely to-your-bone hate them, but I think there's a case to be made that sometimes what makes a musical is that one moment, that one song or character that connects you in a way no other media has been able to imitate.

Some people see themselves in a Schuyler sister. Others may resonate with a Tudor queen (or six). Some people's stories are mirrored in the backdrop of Rydell High School, in a glittering emerald city, or tucked away in the shop of a former drag queen. 

Whatever your story or circumstance, a musical has more than likely covered it in some form, and if it hasn't, well the future is still unfolding as we speak. Musicals are being born every day like babies; all we can do is nurture and cherish each one, whether they are destined for the West End and Broadway, or whether they remain on one humble little stage. 

I do challenge people to find a musical they connect to, even if that ends up being the only one you ever see. If you're not sure if you'll love it or not, all I can say is take that leap of faith. 

I can one hundred percent say I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for the humble musical. I can't pretend to be good enough for a West End stage, but I will always do my best to be a star of a West End audience member. 

In a way, that is the part I was born to play. 

Musical Quote of the Moment

"Just ride, leave your past behind you, see what lies beyond the bend and ride, forget what once defined you." - Annie, Ride the Musical

A "Ride" to Remember - REVIEW

To a casual observer, a theatre trip is like a ride in a limo. 

It's a little taste of luxury, a step away from the mundane; like a limo ride, it often comes with high priced drinks, and a flash of a world you only get to know for a second before you are suddenly back in reality.

"Ride" is a musical that is its own trip; its own taste of a thousand different worlds squashed into one and a half hours of a tale that quite literally you need to see to believe. I went to see this at the studio theatre at the Curve in Leicester, and I honestly think it is going to take the world by storm. 

It tells of a tale of Annie 'Londonderry' Kopchovsky, a woman who gained notoriety for being the first woman to cycle across the world. What I loved so much about this musical is that, like the humble bicycle, this tale grew its own wheels and spun its audience around the world, grabbing our hearts along the way.

This was a two woman play, led by the sterling cast that is Liv Andrusier and Katy Ellis. Liv had previously starred in the role of Annie, so you could see how easily she took to the role again, like a duck to water. She owned the stage and owned the part as if Annie was her main role, with Liv being a side character. Every song performance was a story in and of itself, and every emotion flowed with every word, and this led to the highlight of the show.

Without spoiling, it is a rare pleasure to see a character come undone in such a way that when you see the real Annie, and understand the real story, it makes everything else fade away, and you actually realise the reality of her world is not all full of glitter, fame and glory.

Katy Ellis had no easy task to keep up with such a character, and in the wrong hands such a part had the danger of being lost in the powerful character that was Annie, but Katy did a brilliant job not only balancing Liv's performance but pushing herself as well. Not only did she have to play the extraordinary character of Martha, but she also had to play a multitude of other characters that just made the whole show even more interesting to watch. 

In a two-person play, it can be very easy for one cast member to dominate the show, but not in this case. Both women gave and took from each other with an effortlessness that was fantastic to see, and the chemistry was indescribable. It was like they had been acting with each other for years, and that is always a pleasure to see in a cast. 

The music was wonderful, and each song felt like it could have been its own show. The band did an amazing job, and it was excellently directed I felt. Each movement, each use of prop, felt so natural to see and it added to the general atmosphere of the show. I also felt it was a pleasant surprise that the studio theatre where this took place was bigger than I imagined, and as the story opened up a new world, so did the stage itself. This was a lovely bit of mirroring that I am sure was intentional and just made me fall even harder for the show.

To a casual observer, I should imagine this show was a jaunt away from what you'd normally expect from a show, but whether you're an avid theatre goer or a first timer, you can't deny this show packs a punch, and always offers a surprise in the unlikeliest of places. It is also witty and powerful and
contains themes still sadly relevant in this day and age.

Needless to say, it's five stars from me. This musical is not unlike the tale it weaves; it's plucky, extraordinary, and proves women are extraordinary, whether they are world record holders, stay-at-home mothers, or everything in between. I can't wait for the rest of the world to know about this. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

the art of a new post

 To a casual observer, it appears I am a novice in the world of blogging, and you would be correct for the most part , if we discount my past life where I ranted about fictional characters with an embarrassing amount of vitriol for someone who lives with constant anxiety and self criticism. 

But enough about my tumblr days. 

This is my foray into blogging a little bit more seriously than I’ve done previously but it’s important to stress this is just a hobby. For now, anyway.

My name is Amy and what you can expect from this blog is three main things: terrible puns and maybe the odd show referenced from time to time, a lot of gushing love and appreciation for the theatre and all its magic, and the odd theatre review because I want to put my love out there for everyone who has or ever will do a show, whether you’re an amateur starting from the bottom, or an a-lister returning to the theatre to dazzle a whole new audience.

Let’s be real for a second, for just a millisecond: the pandemic took a lot from the world, but it reminded us why theatre matters. When you take it away, yes the world still spins, people still sing and dance and tell stories outside the spectrum of theatre, but when you combine all of that, there’s a magic you can’t replicate, nor should we try to. 

‘To a casual observer’ I hope to be a blog for not just theatre lovers but the ones who very rarely take in a show but appreciate the art form; I hope it may be read by people who are looking to understand why art matters in every form and hopefully be inspired to support the theatres in their local community, something I’m passionate about myself.

Rambling aside, if you’ve read this far thank you. I don’t expect people to read this in honesty but it’s a place for my thoughts and feelings and hopes, with reviews as well for the shows I get to see.

To quote (and slightly paraphrase) one of my top shows, I think in theatre I’ve found the place where I belong. Whether you’re at the door step of theatre looking in, or have long since made yourself at home, I welcome you to this blog and thank you for reading.

Amy x