Strike! Newsies Musical to Make Debut at Paper Mill Playhouse

Newsies, a musical adaptation of the popular 1992 film, will premiere at New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse this fall. The production, which will be directed by Jeff Calhoun, will begin performances September 15 with an opening night set for September 25. The show features the film’s original music with original composer Alan Menken and lyricist Jack Feldman contributing new songs for the production. Harvey Fierstein will also contribute a new book. No casting has been announced.

Inspired by the real events of the Newsboy Strike of 1899, Newsies follows a young New York City newsboy who leads a group of orphans in a protest against Joseph Pultizer, William Randolph Hearst and other powerful newspaper publishers.

“Newsies is an inspiring story of the power of young people and the hope of a better tomorrow,” Fierstein said in a statement. “I have loved the opportunity to explore these rich characters and situations and I hope that we’ve given this extraordinary score an even more resonant setting.”

The original 1992 Newsies film has grown into a cult phenomenon since its theatrical release. The film was directed by Kenny Ortega and starred a young Christian Bale as well as Bill Pullman and Robert Duval.

The Paper Mill production will play a limited engagement through October 19.