The theatre production Newsies has been a star on Broadway since it first came out. With over 1,000 performances since it first played, Newsies has been loved by family and friends since. The entire play is based on a simple strike from the past, creating a beloved musical for ages to come. Kenny Ortega is the director of the beloved historical musical, released in both America and England (as The News Boys). The musical is popular all over the world for the amazing songs which show the harsh realities of newspaper boys living on the streets, pushed down by the wealthy overlords of the cities.

The story focuses on Jack Kelly, an enigmatic character with a kind heart but several flaws. We’re quickly introduced to his best friend, nicknamed Crutchie, who is also in the newspaper-selling business. Later on, he meets David and his younger brother, Les, who he quickly adopts into his ranks due to Les’ cuteness. The main conflict comes from who is presented as the story’s main antagonist, Joseph Pulitzer, who raises the price of newspapers, forcing the newsies to work more just to pay for the next day’s work. Their solution to this problem is a strike.

Several things are historically inaccurate with Newsies, like the fact that Pulitzer wasn’t as bad as the musical set him out to be. He raised prices to sell more papers with the newly increased interest in the Spanish-American war. All of the newspaper companies raised their prices in fact, but after the war ended, Pulitzer and William Hearst were the only ones to not lower their prices to match everyone else’s. Another major thing they got wrong was the gendering. Girl newsies took full advantage of the fact that they were girls, and some boys even altered their clothing and redid their hair just so they could sell more papers. In the musical, not a single girl can be seen selling papers. The final (and most major) error in the movie is Crutchie. For just a few frames, you can see him walking in the background without his crutch, and this is in one of the first scenes, which makes it just a tad more noticeable. 

Newsies is an amazing theatre production, and like all, there are some flaws, but unlike other movies with huge inaccuracies, Newsies still makes the movie enjoyable for everyone. The small errors are barely noticeable on the first few watches, and the music just makes it even better to experience. I’d personally recommend Newsies to anyone who has kids over the age of 10. It’s a good theatre production to watch on the first go, but if you watch it several times, things start to stand out about the play. Otherwise, it’s an amazing musical that will likely tear out the heartstrings of some people watching it, making it even better to watch with someone you love.