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So you arrived at this website, some way or another, and you have absolutely
no clue what this whole "Newsies" thing is. Or why on earth one girl (or a hundred ~_^) would be totally and completely obsessed with it.
Thank goodness we caught this before it spreads
Just kidding, just kidding; I'll tell you all ya need to know, so sit down.... get comfy... be careful not to get any of the popcorn in your keyboard, and lets get started!!!
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It all started way way back in 1991. Thats when Disney decided, "Hey lets make a musical." Or more specifically, Kenny Ortega made a musical. And it was based on a script called
Hard Promises which was about the Newsboy Strike of 1899. Actors were hired, sets were made, scenes were filmed, and
Hard Promises morphed into the
Newsies that we all know and love today. Of course, this all means nothing to you, if you don't know what Newsies is to begin with, so....
Newsies: What on earth is it?
Newsies, to make it simple, is a musical film that tells the tale of the New York City Newsboy Strike of 1899. The story goes that the newsies were poor orphans and runaways. They lived on "a dime a day and couple black eyes". They brought you the latest news for a penny a pape.
Every morning, they would go to the distribution centers and buy the newspapers to sell, two for a penny. The trick was to sell all your papers, that way you made 50% profit.
One day, Joseph Pulitizer and William Randolph Hearst, the owners of the two largest newspapers: The World and The Journal, decided that more money could be made if they raised the price to the "distribution apparatus" 1/10 of a penny.
One tenth of a penny may not seem like much, but in a day where a good meal cost 15 cents, it was a lot to the newsies.
In the movie, the newsies could do nothing about it. But they found a leader in one Jack Kelly: a newsie with dreams of a better life free from the city. With Jack as their leader, the newsies went on strike.
What happened next? Well, I'm not gonna tell you. Go rent the movie. Borrow it from the library (Yes, libraries still do exist) Buy it even. No stores nearby?
Netflix it. It is a movie that is worth seeing at least once. Even if you don't love it like the rest of us, listen to it. It illustrates the value of actions.
Wonderin' if its appropriate for the little kids? Lemme say this. I saw it first when I was three. If there was anything inappropriate, it went over my head. Its been years since then, and most still consider it as one of the best and cleanest movies ever. There are some scary parts, and a small amount of violence (hand to hand combat), but nothing horrible. It probably won't make much sense to them anyways, but they'll love the music!!
Now for the grand question....
Why be obssessed about it? Its only a movie! Oh ho ho. Now we are gettin' personal, huh? :)
First of all: Its not just a movie. It is a portrayal of what life was like in the Guilded Age for many of the less fortunates. It has amazing themes and values (trust me - I wrote an essay on it). You have to see it to believe it, but it is true. Certainly, people weren't exactly dancing in the streets way back when, but none of us are complaining!
Secondly, why are we obsessed with it? Surely its no different from any other musical, right? WRONG. Flat out, I'll tell it to your face. Newsies is a different breed of musical. Newsies has fully developed characters: even the little kid who the other newsies use as a veritable prop has his own personality. Any newsie fangirl can list off to you which characters are best friends, even though it was never verbally said in the movie. The acting is amazing; there are so many subtlies in this movie, it would take a veeeerrrrry long time to list off (although many different websites have. And even then there are many missing)
I'll stop ranting now. If I haven't convinced you yet... there are
others who hopefully can.
So, lemme ask you......
Have you watched your Newsies today?
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Still have questions? I'd love to
hear them. If I get enough, I might even start a FAQ! ^_^ Jus' make sure the subject line is "Newsies Questions" etc, or I'll spam flag ya! :)
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