the rise and fall (and rise) of disney's newsies

[@AndrewKeenanBolgerTV]

Got sent this on IG. This was so thoughtful and well researched. Also made me remember why the Newsies fandom is the absolute best, kindest, supportive, non-problematic of all fandoms. Was lucky to be there! Thanks for sharing!

[@maxwellgreenee]

Thank you so much for watching!!

[@sonofaspyder3000]

ANDREW KEENAN-BOLGER??!??!?

[@Measuresderepo]

Hiiiii Andrew!! Your slaying on your Dracula show!!!

[@maxhunke5166]

Thanks for creating such an inspirational character for all us young Tenors Andrew.

[@fab_u_lissa]

AKB?? 😮

[@penny-peanut]

Katherine is actually also seventeen- it’s never stated in the musical, but Katherine Ethel Pulitzer was actually real (though she died at the age of two from pneumonia) and based on when she was born she would have been around 17 in 1899. So really, when you think about it, Newsies is just an alternate timeline of our reality where Katherine survived pneumonia and Kid Blink was replaced by a depressed art kid who wanted to go to New Mexico. Though I do agree, the romance is not my favourite part of the musical (though I think that’s partially because I played Jack in my school’s production of it this year and I cannot flirt to save my life).

[@elizabethb4168]

Oh that's good to know!

[@kait.5437]

It’s weird she’s a reporter at 17 though. I could see her being like 18/19, so barely older than Jack but working age.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

I have a lot of problems with the Katherine character, and with the Broadway adaptation of *Newsies,* but the cleverness of what you've done here in calculating the age of Pulitzer's real daughter if she had lived to 1899 deserves respect.

[@CCisaswiftie]

YAY

[@Mariasantacruz2005]

@@kait.5437Katherine is a nepo baby

[@anony-missy]

I think the nun section is meant to be a sober moment of reflection in Carrying the Banner. The song mostly features the boys singing about how great their lives are, establishing their camaraderie and generally works as an upbeat early song to get the audience hyped and engaged. Then the nuns come in and offer them food (likely as part of some religious charity initiative) and the cheerful facade cracks for a moment. I’m more familiar with the musical, where the lyrics in this section make it clear the boys are just scraping by and the help is sorely needed. The movie features some of the same lyrics, but also has a mother walking through the crowd looking for her runaway son, clearly terrified for his safety. Either way, it suggests the ideas of a “fine life” we are being sold by the Newsies aren’t entirely accurate. This means, when the margins for the Newsies become even tighter after the papers raise prices, the audience already has an idea of how difficult it is for them to survive and thus can see how necessary their choice to strike is. Edit: the critique of the struggle not being sold enough in the movie is valid, which is probably why they rewrote the lyrics to be more explicit about the Newsies difficulties in the musical and also cast adults who can sell it better. Also the reason the people giving out food are nuns is probably because at that time most charities were religious.

[@jmercedesd]

Thank you for this! I figured it was something in this vein, but you've explained it well. And yeah, thanking about it now, it's a sober moment that isn't communicated well at ALL in the movie. :/

[@EastmanEditing]

Yes, exactly. I love the musical, but miss a few things from the film. I actually think the movie does a better job at showing the struggle right out the gate (but less of a good job later on). I don't care for the actress or the way they directed her at least, but I do wish they had a mother come out. That part is always gut wrenching, and I think it would come across better with a few changes. And while I always get a bit annoyed every time I'm jamming out in my car and the nuns come on, I appreciate the scene for what it's meant to represent. I miss Dave & Les' family story line too. I just have a lot more sympathy and connection to Jack when he's seeing a "real" family for the first time, then leaves and is all by himself. I thought the film showed that particular struggle better too.

[@SmittyTheQuickBrownFox]

The nuns in the big number is a pretty straight rip off of the Salvation Army bit in "Guys and Dolls". It's not necessarily well executed, but it's completely within the conventions of the genre, so not really a mystery.

[@terracerios5924]

Beautifully said. I grew up with the movie musical and the sobering moment was clear to me. I actually wish they kept the mother’s part in the stage musical but there probably wasn’t enough adult female cast members. Either way that part always gave me chills.

[@MarySuedonym]

Something super interesting about the film to stage transition is the removal of the sympathetic adult characters save for Roosevelt and Medda and how Jack’s character is now positioned as sort of the de facto adult to the newsies. Like in the movie he seemed more like the popular kid amongst the newsies whereas the in stage version it positions him more as the universal big brother and really emphasizes his feelings of responsibility to the other boys. Like, he’s hustling the kids out of bed and out the door, constantly worrying about them and what he led them into, and there’s no adult other than Medda to turn to for support and he’s so stressed out. I think it’s great because it really makes the new version of Santa Fe work as a desperate plea to escape the crushing pressure of responsibility and fight for basic survival. Not that the movie version isn’t great for its purpose in the narrative, but the change in characterization makes the changes to the song fit that much better. Plus, it makes a clearer link to his decision to turn on the strike. Like you know he’ll cave as soon as Pulitzer threatens the Jacobs, his protectiveness and guilt have been so heavily focused on. The question then becomes how he turns this around. It’s actually even in the production handbook that Jack should wear full length adult trousers in contrast to the other kids.

[@headphonetherapy9222]

I’m a student at the college ben fankhauser and jeremy jordan graduated from and we put on our own production a few weeks ago. jeremy jordan actually zoomed with the cast and ben fankhauser even attended the preview where he came back to recreate the poor guys head bit in a skit with the cast, and gave a talkback after the show. he seemed like a really nice guy, very down to earth. felt very surreal to do the scenic work for the Fankhauser/Jordan show at The Fankhauser/Jordan School.

[@MewGamer-bj9in]

Wow

[@kait.5437]

I think Cowboy makes perfect sense of Jack’s nickname because there is now Santa Fe opener, it first lets the audience known of Jack’s Santa Fe dream and it’s fits Jack into the newsie group (he has a nickname and everyone is playfully mocking his dream)

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

The movie's Jack styled himself "Cowboy," because he was obsessed with heroic cowboys he had read about in dime novels, and wanted to go to Sante Fe to become one. But it really makes no sense that the stage version's "Artist" Jack is even interested in Sante Fe, since what he cares about is becoming an artist. If you wanted to be an artist in 1899, you wouldn't fantasize about going out West, you'd dream about going to "Paris, France." Hey, it has the same number of syllables.

[@EastmanEditing]

@@oliverbrownlow5615 Yes agreed. That's the one thing I dislike the most about the changes. I adore the Broadway version, but would change the Cowboy story line back to the way it was and also put more emphasis on his longing to have a family, so that when he sings about going to Santa Fe, you could really see how much he's just in denial and trying to convince himself that he's not lonely and doesn't even want a family anyways...who needs somebody waiting up for you and caring about you? They'd just hold you back from your dreams. Cowboys don't have families, so as long as you can get out West, all your life problems will be solved! No more toxic work environments, no more rats and roaches, just livin' the dream! Side rant: I also hate his bright blue shirt haha. I loved CB's cowboy hat hanging of his neck and the red bandana, which would've still been enough to make him stand out on stage without looking like he's wearing a modern button down from TJ Maxx!

[@fawnclawz]

fun fact: the dont come a knockin' song in the .Jr version is rewritten as "Just a Pretty Face" and it replaces Thats Rich (dont come a knockin' is cut obv aswell)

[@ummmummuh]

My friend played Medda in the jr version and they were so excited to sing That’s Rich but their dreams were crushed when they found out about the new song 😭

[@potatopug706]

I freakin love just a pretty face tho!

[@nicoleterry8579]

Just a pretty face is actually that's rich and don't come a knocking blended together!

[@JacksonC62]

Just a pretty face is unironically better than that's rich

[@Eri-boii]

@@JacksonC62literally

[@kealops]

38:20 okay so basically when the newsies are in Jacobi’s and Katherine shows up outta nowhere, she essentially calls them a “ragtag gang of ragamuffins who don’t have a nickel to their name” (not quite a quote, I’m mixing two of her lines there I think) and Crutchie pipes up with a “hey, you don’t gotta insultin’… I got a nickel”

[@rorycharlesworthington]

(was checkin to see if someone else had explained it so i didn't have to lol)

[@clarabrandaog]

YES! I WAS ABOUT TO EXPLAIN THAT TOO LOL

[@paigemorabito4770]

I was about to say that

[@neoncamcorder]

i was GIGGLING at that one oh my god

[@fab_u_lissa]

That’s the exact quote- “ragtag gang of ragamuffins” 😂

[@ExTheaterKid2019]

According to the Newsies Wiki it states that Katherine is between 16-19, but the median of the ages is 17.5, so she technically would be closer to 18, but I feel the reason that she doesn’t look like she could be The same age as Jack in the musical is because the actress they got to play Katherine looks objectively older and does not have a baby face like Jeremy Jordan

[@kait.5437]

I think 18/19 makes the most sense. She could be working as a reporter especially if her dad owns a newspaper. Then she also not that much older than Jack 1-2 years. And she would be an adult so she wouldn’t have to sneak in or get permission to be at Medea’s show. I would imagine all the boys/Jack sneak in and then Medea just accepted them being there

[@clarabrandaog]

i mean jeremy didn't reeeeally look 17 either lol

[@pikachuchujelly7628]

A 2 year age difference in couples is basically nothing. But then if one of them is 17 and the other is 19, everyone loses their minds.

[@gracescardigan]

i know kara and jeremy (who played katherine and jack) are the same age. i personally didnt have a problem with it but idk

[@evamagee8532]

In the original broadway version of newsies, "letter from the refuge" wasn't a song. Andrew (crutchie) has stated that they added it for the 2017 pro-shot when they got the go cast back together. I also love how they changed the romance side plot. In the movie she barely has a personality and doesn't add anything to the plot. In the musical, it gives us 2 new songs and she's the reason he goes back to the boys after speaking against the strike.

[@CCClarinet12]

It was actually added in 2014 for the tour

[@theEWDSDS]

In the movie, yes she isn't as big of a force but that is also because she has a much smaller role. She replaced Denton in the musical, meaning of course she is more important. The film version, she is one of the things holding Jack to New York. Jack returned to save her (and David), thus allowing the ending to happen.

[@gab.bee123]

shocked that the tumblr section was so tame when all I could remember from being active on the site during the show's peak popularity in 2013 was seeing shipping discourse because katharine fell victim to "a woman has come between my ship so we hate her" territory

[@sagebrown7590]

I watched this musical in my journalism class as a kid and was shocked to hear it was popular years later. I appreciate it a bit more now....

[@Erasureeraser]

I loved the movie when I first watched it but after I discover the Broadway musical, I liked the Broadway even more than the movie

[@avainspired]

NEWSIES CHANGED MY LIFE (made me an insufferable 7th grader)

[@ummmummuh]

About Sarah: I think she and Jack could have had a good romance, especially if they had kept in a song that she sings, The Truth About the Moon, that was ultimately cut. The song was basically how she perceived Jack as a tragic and confusing boy instead of just thinking he’s hot or whatever (he is but you know what I mean). And, she was so robbed of being a good character as well. She was just.. kind of there. Just the stereotypical love interest who didn’t really do anything important to the plot. There’s the scene with her and Jack on the rooftop, which does sort of add to Jack’s character a little because it shows how much of a need he has for Santa Fe that he ignores what’s right in front of him. But that’s really all she does. She’s literally just there for romance that wasn’t really needed. I am very glad that Katherine was added in the Broadway version, because it shows a more independent and strong love interest with character traits that aren’t just “pretty” and “kind” or whatever. And I do like the romance that Katherine has with Jack because I think the more self-assuredness and confidence of Katherine is a good contrast to the doubt and fear of Jack, especially in Act 2. Although the romance does feel a little rushed/forced, I think it works well in the end because Katherine (along with the other newsies) shows Jack that what he really wants is right there in New York. Anyways I’m a Jatherine and Jarah defender for life (although I love Javey too). Great video!

[@hayleethompson7082]

as someone who was in the TRENCHES of the newsies tumblr fandom I’m really disappointed Jeremy Jordan as Pants didn’t come up

[@ger3818]

or spinesies

[@peculiarstitches]

What is that?

[@shiroom1]

@@peculiarstitchesrlly late reply but if you’re asking abt spinesies its abt how everyone newsie dances like they have no spine and Jeremy Jordan dances w too much spine, and it was popular in 2019 that people joked that he took their spines w osmosis

[@izzy-bx5qz]

newsies holds such a special place in my heart, both the film and proshot i’m so lucky to live in the uk bc our production is INSANE the cast is so talented, i adore the staging and sets, the theatre is really immersive, it has a zipline and slide, the newsies run all round the theatre selling papes, and one of my all time favourite changes: spot and all the brooklyn newsies are girls!! i knew beforehand but that did not stop me sobbing aggressively for the entirety of brooklyns here i urge everyone to go see it but it’s closing at the end of july :(((( (at least i’m back there for both shows tomorrow with my best friend!!)

[@winglt3]

Ive been curious about the all girls cast, one, i really wish i could see it,and two, half of Katherin's character is that she's a working woman, so my assumption is that the female jack is a lesbian.i have no idea if that is true but i haven't been able to easily find a recording so i dont really know

[@izzy-bx5qz]

@@winglt3 okay so the entire cast isnt female, just the brooklyn newsies. the manhattan newsies including jakc are all male still :)

[@winglt3]

@@izzy-bx5qz A bit disappointing, i wouldve loved a lesbian newsies, however it still seems SO COOL and i really wish i lived close enough to see it as the Brooklyn song sung by girls seems AMAZING!

[@izzy-bx5qz]

@@winglt3 the girls singing brooklyn’s here never fails to have me sobbing from the first beat and of course JUSTICE FOR THE LESBIAN NEWSIES

[@Odd067]

@izzy-bx5qz omg your so lucky! I wanted to see it sooo bad but i never got the chance it seems amazing!!

[@rlcoasters]

Ive always loved newsies. Crutchie will always be my favorite character but after I played Crutchie in a production of newsies I realized, wow… he would be so dead if it wasn’t for jack.

[@miyannapittman5580]

As a fellow Crutchie stan, my personal headcanon? Au? Dream? Is for Crutchie to just be a girl- if Newsies gets a Broadway revival, I think Crutchie should be a girl, because I mean come on- how great would it be to have such a popular character be a girl, and not have to fall in love with anyone? And have a close platonic relationship with a boy? Forgive me for this rant; I just jump at the chance to argue my case, even if it's only because I want to play Crutchie as a girl.

[@theEWDSDS]

RIP Crutchie, 188#-1899 Jack didn't catch him in time

[@averyeml]

It’s such a small piece but the choice to take that instrumental bit from the movie and turn it into a song for the musical is one of my favorite moves that Disney has done from time to time. When I got to see the broadway tour of the Beauty and the Beast musical, it was the first time a live theater experience brought me to tears. Imagine my shock the next time I watched the movie when I realized the instrumental theme that plays throughout bits of the movie (but most notably at the beginning during the stained glass bit) was turned into one of my favorite songs. It makes it feel like that song is retroactively hiding in the original work, and brings attention to the wonderful score.

[@the_kim_meyer]

As the NUMBER ONE fan of the Red Car News Boys from Disney's California Adventure I am APPALLED and ENRAGED at the abhorrent disregard of their legacy as newsies. The lack of any single acknowledgement of their existence is a shame and really ruins this video for me. They are such important boys and mean just as much to the newsies lore as Jeremy Jordan and that other Jack Kelly. Shame on you, Maxwell. You don't deserve that newsboy cap. Apology, with tears, NOW.

[@maxwellgreenee]

The Newsies at DCA aren't Newsies. They're frauds. Hack frauds.

[@the_kim_meyer]

@@maxwellgreenee it takes one to know one. don't you ever speak that way about my true newsies again.

[@the_kim_meyer]

@@maxwellgreenee i'm about to go delancey brothers mode over this

[@caseywilliamsactor]

This creator obviously doesn't know what he is talking about. The Newsies at DCA are seared into my memory. As a child, I waited to hear that glorious music start to play down the Main Street. With tears in my eyes, I waited for Newsie Mickey to come to me in his trolley. I know this is an experience universally acknowledged. It's sickening that this generation forgets.

[@urnotl0r0s]

@@the_kim_meyerNOOO 💀

[@yaboinico14]

i did newsies this year at my school, and all of the memes you’ve made perfectly encapsulates all of the drama during that period

[@snowy_owl]

This video violently reawakened my memory of performing to 'king of New York' with the rest of my dance class for our recital. I had no idea that the song was from a musical, so I have the strong urge to watch the entire thing now

[@breadboiyt35]

Racer is my favorite character so I’m glad they gave him more time to shine and his actor in the Broadway version was amazing.

[@EastmanEditing]

YESSS. Seriously my favorite role and Ben is just perfect!

[@theEWDSDS]

It always bugs me that somebody else says "a permanent box at the Sheepshead Races" that line is meant for Race!

[@alycial.9908]

There is a scene where Katherine asks the newsies if they think the most rich and powerful men will give the time of day to a bunch of kids who don’t have a nickel to their name and Crutchie says “You don’t gotta be insulting, I got a nickel” and that’s what the nickel meme is about.

[@nannabelooa4161]

37:25 btw the character is Henry, he is not the one in the picture, and the reason he’s making that face is because Race started tap dancing.

[@emmiwarford2096]

Okay I love that you acknowledged how often nuns show up in musicals for some reason !!! lmao In every single show I’ve been in, if there’s a nun- I was cast as the nun… which was genuinely about half of all shows I’ve done 😭😭

[@Measuresderepo]

What’s your typecast? Nun.

[@meddlesome-]

I've done quite a bit of research on the early Newsies film fandom. There were hundreds of fansites, thousands of fics, all written before the stage show was even announced. Most of that has seemed lost to time, which is why lately I've been making sure to collect everything I find. If anyone is curious about things they find strange or what was popular with fans at different times (I can pretty confidently divide the pre-stage period into three sort-of eras) I'm happy to answer questions. I have made every Newsies Fanlore page.

[@meddlesome-]

damn, no Spinesies or Wormsies or Lamp David or anything...

[@juliannehannes11]

Newsies was my life 2001 to 2005, I can tell you whatever you want to know about the fandom, we met up on the Newsies mailing list on Yahoo and posted our fics there and were tight knit community that was private to ward off potential predators and there were 700 to 2000 members, it was a safe space for teen girls to be weird teen girls. I had a fansite, it was the number 5 newsies fansite with every rare newsies thing from screenplay drafts, unseen pictures, scans of the promotional material, etc called Once Upon a Time In 1899, I also had a semi popular newsies fic called Azure and Loud Mouth's Excellent Adventure. I still have everything on my old hard drive, I saved EVERYTHING

[@juliannehannes11]

Also a lot of old fansites, mine included, were saved by the wayback machine

[@meddlesome-]

@@juliannehannes11 oh, that's so exciting! what was your site called? and a question I've been wanting to ask an older fan - do you know what the Herbie fic/series is? I've seen it mentioned on some older sites but I don't know much about it. as it is, I've dug up a lot, but it's always so exciting to learn more.

[@juliannehannes11]

@meddlesome- Once Upon A Time In 1899. Never heard of the Herbie fic series. There were so many newsies fics that there was a side community called Newsies MSTing where bad fics were read and trolled hard (there were A LOT of time travel self insert fics) and the number 1 Newsies fic writer was this girl who went by Student24601 and she wrote amazing a touching Jack and Davy romance fics her best one being a fic where they are camp counselors and that was the most popular Newsies fic of them all (I think it's still up, forgot the title)

[@lucygarrett9785]

Jeremy Jordan is so amazing and I wish he was in more things like this that blow up because more people need to hear his voice.

[@lilymoon96]

He's Lucifer in HH

[@pinkajou656]

he’s Varian in tangled the series!

[@lucygarrett9785]

@@pinkajou656 I KNOW I LOVE THAT SHOW!!!

[@pinkajou656]

@@lucygarrett9785 yes!!!!!

[@xombi6594]

I was...I was genuinely obsessed with this movie as a kid. I used to check the VHS out at the small movie rental place in my hometown at least twice a month.

[@Cerise4697]

Newsies is a musical I've heard a lot about but never managed to check out while still relevant (aka playing near me). This is about to be the 4th musical I'm gonna learn firsthand from this channel instead of actually directly watching/listening lol (still reeling from the shock of the Cars musical not being real btw, i fully believed it in your ratatouille vid)

[@elliotbarron]

i just closed a production of newsies where i played jack, and this show means so much to me!!!! despite the role i played i do agree on kony being the best song AND on the romance subplot being cringe!!! edit: the "nickel" meme is a reference to crutchie standing up to katherine teasing the newsies about being broke, saying "i got a nickel"

[@Measuresderepo]

Dude I played jack tooo (the jr version lol) it was awesome to have that even though I’m a girl

[@dotvanish3184]

Me too, I played Jack!!! Honestly, i agree with most takes… The romance subplot was a little weird for me, and it just felt rushed and didn’t make much sense. But KONY is absolutely the best song!!!! also the world will know too

[@pinkajou656]

I love this musical, never watched the movie, and your early Santa Fe joke (“we’ll get to Jeremy Jordan later!”) absolutely got me.

[@-psilo-9071]

It surprises me that Disney of all companies would make a movie/musicial about a strike considering they're a massive corporation, and Walt Disney himself was anti union and didn’t support the strike his own animators did.

[@colourlessvoid]

20:30 I can't remember exactly where this video is, but in an interview with Ben Fankhouser they show a video of when he was crutchie in one of these musicals, it's freaking adorable

[@caseyw1288]

I was going to leave a comment about how I remember my cringe-worthy Newsies era on tumblr but then you mentioned NEWSIEPEDIA??? THE BLOG I MADE??? I could hardly believe it when you started to scroll through it. I remember spending many autism-fueled hours writing articles for it. I will say though I didn't source the scripts or handbooks myself---other fans found them, I just put the info in them into succinct posts about each character. But WOW it's insane that my blog is still an important part of the fandom (and being used for RESEARCH???) I know you probably won't see this but. I want u to know how happy it made me to see people taking the work I did and getting some use out of it. I hope you enjoyed the deep dive :)

[@delilahrandolph3130]

38:38 It was when Katherine said “…a bunch of boys who don’t have a nickel to their names” and crutchy said “You don’t have to be insulting, I’ve got a nickel”

[@turkoala9193]

39:19 It's from Captain America's school detention video in Spiderman: Homecoming. If you watch that scene and read those lyrics in that meme with the cadence that Cap has in that scene, it is rather amusing.

[@Natalia-gp9os]

I now Christian Bale is not a skilled singer, but I think he did a good job as Jack, his confidence and playfulness is unmatched

[@graystedious1147]

I can't believe you didn't mention the homoeroticism while discussing why people were so invested in the movie! Every fandom has gay shipping, sure, but the queer coding in Newsies is on another level. (And I can only imagine how many people realized they were transmasc because of it, too.)

[@MadameChristie]

I mean that's half the fandom, the other half being all the guys, girls and non-binary kids who experienced their first sexual awakenings thanks to this movie😆

[@sonofaspyder3000]

“transmasc awakenings” *awkwardly looks around while whistling in genderfluid*

[@peculiarstitches]

Newsies was a main contributor to my FTM awakening.

[@evariste_galois]

yea, and there was a point in the video when he was praising the fandom where he said "of course there was some of the tumblr weirdness" i hope he wasnt refering to this. but later when they were making fun of shipping fanarts it kinda confirmed it for me dnsbdnsbkd like it was probably one of the big reasons the fandom kept going, and he ignored it bc he thought it was weird?

[@iHeardYourVoiceInADream]

i heard that racetrack was apparently canonically transmasc, no idea of thats true but if it is its kinda cool ig

[@widmestern]

one thing missing from this was the weird hostility btwn original movie fans and younger broadway fans on tumblr. of course if there was going to be fights about who were the Real Fans of a random disney musical btwn 20 yr olds and 13 yr olds anywhere it was gonna be on that website

[@onegirlarmy4401]

The funny thing about Christian Bale not being able to dance and sing is that he did a second musical (Swing Kids) a few years later. Not enough people talk about Swing Kids!

[@overlydramaticpanda]

Swing Kids isn’t a musical though. It’s a film that features music as a central point but it’s not using song and dance in the same way a musical does. In Swing Kids, the cast barely sings (at best, Christian Bale sings two lines of a song at various points throughout the film) and when they do sing, it’s in a diegetic “musically-untrained 1930s kids singing snatches of forbidden music to make a point” way rather than a musical theatre “I’m gonna just sing my feels” way. He also barely dances in it (especially compared to Robert Sean Leonard). All in all, it’s a very different beast compared to something like Newsies which is absolutely a full-fledged singing-dancing musical.

[@KiernanGrimes]

Loved this! Casual Newsie fan who never saw the movie. It was really fun to learn about the history I never knew!

[@Eleanor-lw9fq]

I had the time of my life as Katherine in Newsies in middle school still my favorite show I've ever been in. And before you ask yes I did hit * belt * the Broadway note at the end of watch what happens when I was 12.

[@juliannehannes11]

The fans of the movie wanted it to go to broadway, I had a campaign for it to go to broadway with over 3000 signatures back in 2004

[@XmasIsHere]

It is criminal that you did not mention the best reference from the show "Snider The Spider" Great video. My high school did Newsies for our Spring Musical and it's great to see the history of the show!

[@uneasycylinder]

OH BOY!! I only properly discovered newsies earlier this year when I saw a video of the absolutely batshit insane curtain call on Instagram and was like “huh! I think I could like this” then I discovered that there was a proshot on Disney+ and for the subsequent month or so I got really really into it. This video made me smile so hard :-)) thank you compound productions

[@fiend-ish1090]

i had no idea newsies was a big thing bc i started getting into musicals around 2019 (the dark ages honestly.....) but my "musical no one talks about anymore that i love dearly" is falsettos. i'd love to see a video on falsettos!!

[@CCClarinet12]

I became a Fansie in 2019 lol

[@ChinChily]

This was great, I'd love to see many many more videos in this format. As someone who grew up in a non-english speaking country i had never heard of either the film or the broadway musical, but i desperately wanna see them now!

[@therevoltingslob2564]

We did King of New York at a musical recital in elementary school. Obviously any song performed by a class of children who didn’t choose to sing on stage is gonna be a disaster, but it was by far the most fun song we ever had to learn I don’t have a video but just imagine about 50 ten-year-old west coast kids belting in feigned New York accents, with a great deal of “watermelon cantaloupe”-ing

[@katherinemarino2041]

This year I'm set to see four different community productions of Newsies and see Jeremy live in the fall! (A little much, mayhaps, but what can I say, the show sits proudly on a nostalgia pedestal where it will proudly remain) From one fansie to another, thank you for your thorough analysis of a musical that will forever be one of my favorites, in all its glory and goofiness ❤🗞📰

[@epedersen1347]

I was DEEP in the Newsies Tumblr fandom, so this video has found it's target audience! I was cracking up the whole time. As soon as you started showing fanart, I was like "oh god please don't let the next one be mine" haha. My old art honestly makes me cringe so much, but I can't bear to delete it because... I was just a happy kid making art about a show I liked! I'm still friends with a lot of people on Tumblr from the Newsies fandom, it was just a fun space. I will say though, as a disabled person, the one thing that still irks me about Newsies is its treatment of disability- and weirdly, this seems to have gotten worse in the stage show, as the original movie never called Crutchie "cr*p," but then the stage show has HIS BEST FRIEND do it. I've always wanted to write an essay comparing the movie to the stage show in this aspect, probably just to post on Tumblr for the ex-fansies to enjoy, haha.

[@wolfranger5526]

I looooved this movie in middle school. I would watch it several times in a row in the basment singing along. When i got to a high school i went crazy when they had made the musical version filmed it and were screeining it at a nearby theater. Going back to the movie after the stage version let me discover most of it's flaws you pointed out but still love it. Sadley i never got the chance to be in a production as i can't dance well at all and am a baritone.

[@wilmcdnu1586]

Sir I played Joseph Pulitzer to the best of my abilities in my senior year of highschool, I put alot into that role, i deserve to know what the meme at 44:24 says!

[@pal103]

Listened to this video while working on some art and I honestly forgot you weren’t a way bigger channel! The quality of your videos is great, and i could really see you going far with this. Keep up the great work! Can’t wait to add this to my “engaging yet calming vids to rewatch all the time” playlist lol.

[@alfiedavies9703]

the stage version of this is genuinely incredible, i saw it a few months ago in London and i'm gonna see it again in a week or so, it's just so gooooood!

[@apolloniahoag7292]

Even with my absolute love of the movie and real life strike (I have a quote from the real Kid Blink tattooed on me), I have yet to see the stage version. Weird, as I am a stage manager and theatre is my thing. I first saw a portion of the movie in 8th grade history but then the second time I saw it was on Turner Classic Movies in 2005ish. Now, real talk. I was part of the Yahoo Newsies fan group and it was insane to the point that Bale actually mentioned the group by name and said not to mess with them. The fandom was intense in their love; from learning every detail of the real life event as possible, which I loved, to having real world meet-ups to tour NYC to the apartments of where the real newsboys would have lived, to roleplaying as different characters and making new ones. The fandom has definitely changed over the years. Out of curiosity, have you ever seen Blood Drips on Newsies Square and/or read the original film script?

[@lisas8812]

I was REALLY into Newsies in High School. I have a VHS of Blood Drips on Newsies Square. When I threw out all my old VHS', I just couldn't part with that one hahaha.

[@peculiarstitches]

Which quote?

[@apolloniahoag7292]

@@peculiarstitches “Friens and feller workers. Dis is a time which tries de hearts of men. Dis is de time when we’se got to stick together like glue.... We know wot we wants and we’ll git it even if we is blind.”

[@peculiarstitches]

@@apolloniahoag7292 THAT'S SO COOL!!!!

[@Crraao3179]

I think the cut song (from the original off broadway run at the Paper mill Playhouse ) ‘then I see you again’ adds a lot more weight to the Jack/Katherine romance. It is incredibly slow and reminiscent of the Pocahontas love song so I understand why they chose ‘something to believe in’ for the broadway run but I think the decision to switch to ‘something to believe in’ does detract from the romance and make it more of a cliched Disney coupling. I do think their romance has very little weight to the overall newsies story but I’m a sucker for a love story so I’m okay with it.

[@wonieism]

im taking a short summer acting class at my local theater, and i made a friend pretty quickly. she recommended that i watch newsies and after watching i was immediately obsessed. its so good, i thought people were exaggerating how good it is 😩

[@rileyries3530]

As someone who loves Newsies and did it at their local theater just a couple of years ago (under a director who wanted it to be as great as the Broadway show), this show is downright fantastic, and I wanted to address a couple of things you sort of said in the analysis . For one: I one hundred percent agree with the fact that Katherine in the Broadway production just doesn't make a whole lot of sense as a love interest for Jack. And I think that partially has to do with the way that Kara portrayed her. With the script and depending on the director and who is cast as Jack, there can be a lot of chemistry between the two characters, if you allow for it. Kara plays Katherine very stiff, while I feel like when she is around the Newsies she should be played slightly laid back as if she was trying to be "one of the boys". And I believe that is why Jack falls in love with her because she challenges him as a leader who can understand his friends who he cares very deeply for. Secondly: Les's character just sucks in the Broadway show, and is part of the reason I believe we should not have child actors in the professional setting. Les is the innocent fun character who is supposed to help ask the questions that get the audience to understand the world of the Newsies. However, in the Broadway show, the kid is way too smiley and you can tell he is less focused on playing the character and is just excited to be on Broadway. That and also Les I feel is played very much like a five-year-old when he is supposed to be 9. And as someone with multiple younger siblings, a 9-year-old just isn't that happy-go-lucky all the time. So yeah, that's why those two characters just aren't as great as they should be when you watch the show in my personal opinion.

[@wonieism]

this is so true, you describe how I feel abt those 2 perfectly

[@lynnburch261]

38:57 There’s a point in the show where Katherine says that none of the Newsies have a nickel to their name and Crutchie is like “You ain’t gotta be insulting… I got a nickel.”

[@mart9417]

38:40 was when katrine said that they had no nikkel to thier name and crutcie said: hey you don't gotta be insulti, i got a nikkel

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

I saw the movie as an adult in the theater and loved it. Seriously, I was 31 and went out and bought the soundtrack immediately. For Once and For All was my favorite. I also liked High Times, Hard Times because it was reminiscent of actual turn of the 20th century songs with audience participation expected and encouraged.

[@CCClarinet12]

Omg another high times hard times fan 😂 I thought I am the only one that likes that song hahaha it is soooo underrated but that’s rich is better

[@EastmanEditing]

I'm 38 and just rediscovered it when I saw the Broadway version on Disney +. I have now rewatched the movie a couple dozen times and now the Broadway version maybe 3 dozen or so? lol. And it's only been a couple of months since my personal Newsie revival hah! (I did grow up seeing the movie and was obsessed with Santa Fe, both the song and the actual place. But I didn't have a true appreciation for it the way I suddenly do now!)

[@Genevieve0880]

As someone who was a part of the Tumblr side of the Newsies fandom, and made friends with popular Newsies Tumblr accounts: Yeah, we really loved the show, and all that came with it. A friend of mine knew a Newsiepedia mod. Most of my mutuals are from that fandom. The fandom may have died down, but I have great memories of when it was active, of when I was active in the fandom. (Ngl, you made me miss that time of my life.)

[@AquaDancer598]

the improvement in lyrics between the movie and the musical are so huge honestly, like there's obviously santa fe but the smaller things in carrying the banner, world will know, seize the day, etc just bump them all up that extra notch and it's very impressive that its the same lyricist. also my big hot take on katherine and jack's romance is that i like them a lot, but they're more like a budding relationship, and Something To Believe In just doesn't work for where they're at with each other - I Never Planned On You is a better song for them, if it came at the point that Something To Believe In does, timeline-wise (obviously it wouldn't work as well for the structure of the show)

[@EastmanEditing]

I'll always prefer Christian Bale's version! "You can laugh in my face, I don't care!" lol. The lyrics are SO much better than the musical version. And I really like that it's performed in an understated, weak and vulnerable way. (aside from the horse part...that part is insane ha). I'm really picky about vocals too, but I just feel like he sings like an average, normal person. Not nearly good enough for Broadway or community theater even, but c'mon. He's on key and his voice is soft and mellow, which I honest to God prefer to JJ's version. Corey Cott did great I think combining the soft vulnerability with the anger/defeat Jack is supposed to be experiencing, but JJ takes it to the extreme and I can't stop laughing any time I watch the Broadway Disney version! (I also laugh during CB's version, to be sure, but I prefer listening to it hah.) (Just to note, I am old and grew up with the movie, so I have a very specific vision of Jack and who he is as a person. I understand actors are supposed to make their characters their own when allowed, but I just don't personally care for his portrayal...And I'm a huge JJ fan so was really disappointed. Still love him though, but boy...)

[@rjparker268]

If I could like your comment a hundred times over, I would. Thanks for taking up for Christian Bale’s singing. I grew up doing musicals in our local community theater. I loved singing and music, and I saw Newsies in the theater as a kid. I loved the way Bale sang Santa Fe. I bought the soundtrack as soon as it came out. I listened and sang along regularly to most of the songs. Sante Fe was the song I always belted out, and even practiced singing harmony. Bale’s real and vulnerable sound is what made me love that song. Menken’s tune didn’t hurt either. I remember checking out the stage version on KZbin when it came out and was quite let down with how Jordan sang the song. Sure, he has a fine voice, but it lacked what I feel is Bale’s authenticity. Anyway, I’ve rambled on long enough. Thanks again.

[@safraberries4962]

I have seen one singular ten second clip of one of those unauthorized elementary school productions of Newsies and it was from an interview with Ben Fankhauser where he shared a clip of himself playing Crutchie

[@k_loves_dogs7260]

My school preformed Newsies as their first musical back after the lockdown and when I tell you the energy of the performers was insane. I heard that they were just dying to get back on stage that they gave 110% and absolutely nailed it. I loved watching it, I wish I could’ve been in the Pit orchestra with my friend but I didn’t join until the year after.

[@sarahgoodwin6573]

SO excited to see a new video after recently watching a ton of your content, AND for it to be about the musical that first got me interested in musical theatre !!!!!!!!

[@blue_phenix1364]

18:41 I went to camp last week and the first four days my cabin had to deal with me singing carrying the banner nonstop (but the musical one because I hadn’t seen the movie yet)

[@almayahalom9439]

great video!! also, please PLEASE make a video about falsettos!! theres only like 2 video essays out there about it 😭😭

[@ellymyths]

Okay so I already loved this video, and it’s been a few months since I’ve watched your channel but since it was announced that we’re doing Newsies this year I wanted to rewatch this after watch the musical for the first time! And I was not disappointed!

[@BlueSoulProductionsBSP]

Bro, I've been loving your content since the Scamilton video. Genuinely some of the most entertaining & insightful videos I've seen as of late. Keep it up man!

[@lenam4027]

i know nothing about musicals but i stayed for the entire thing. please definitely do more of these

[@matildaoverton2770]

Legit my favourite musical of all time, I saw it in London this summer and sobbed from start to finish

[@ellieloves2read]

i was finch in newsies during my senior year of high school, and i have a ton of nostalgia for the show because of that. it was genuinely my favorite show ive ever been in; the cast was so tight-knit and we all had a blast with it, in spite of how tiring of a show it was. so, this video brought a big ol' smile to my face. great video :] ps that bit about newsies memes being at their best when you make them yourself is so true. my cast made memes galore about this show that are completely incomprehensible to literally anyone else lol

[@leahpeachie]

i remember that my sister really loved the movie when we were kids and would always check out the dvd from the library when we would go. And I would just be so annoyed that we had to watch it. I thought it was boring simply because I thought all of the colors in the movie were too beige lmao. I was young

[@ellymyths]

Okay funfact! The prices for the Newsies raised during the War, and even assumed they'd go down after the war, but they never did so the Newsies got pissed

[@lauraelina7863]

Idk if its because im 15 or because i dont tend to think too deeply about lyrics or singing or things like that, i LOVE the 1992 newsies! I thought the songs were fantastic and acting was good and the lack of that good singing on some actors didnt bother me. I think it just gives the musical charm cause theyre litterally teenage/ child boys. All of em are fantastic dancers tho! And even tho the broadway version has more talented singers and actors i still miss the actors actually being the age of the characters. Like expecially jack kelly and other backround characters. You could really see in the movie that all the boys were friends in real life :) But dont get me wrong i love the bway version too! And im so glad it gained such a massive fandom so the movie wasnt forgotten.

[@lillyelizabethh]

newsies was the movie/musical that really got me into theater. I was always interested in theater, but Newsies made me really fall in love with it- and Christian Bale. But besides that, now it’s my dream to be on broadway so it’s definitely one of my favorites.

[@CCClarinet12]

SAME!

[@wolfwatch9731]

the nickel meme: the deliberately bad editing is a reference to the "he was there for me when no one else was" meme, and the actual text is a reference to when katherine said that the newsies "don't have a nickel to their name" and crutchie goes "HEY! ... i have a nickel"

[@JaneD0e]

EXPLAINING ALL THE MEMES AS SOMEONE WHO JUST FINISHED PLAYOING CRUTCHIE AND HAS BEEN IN THE FANDOM FOR 3 YEARS 1- I think the meme itself is self explanatory, but I think that is Romeo (I can't tell) the person on the cover is jack LMAO 2- once again, self explanatory 3- there is a meme in the fandom about crutchies line "you don't gotta be insulting.. I got a nickel" after katherines line "something something something who haven't got a nickel to their name?" (I forget the line) 4-straight up just a davey quote LMAO 5- honestly just a simple unfunny meme about the musical 6- just a huge mischaracterization on Crutchie, letter from the refuge is not made to be a sad song, it is sharing his experiences in the jail and talking about how he misses jack and is rethinking his decision about Santa Fe, genuinely wanting to go. its also showing that while ack lost faith in the strike, Crutchie still believed which was one of the points Davey made to get him back onboard. I also hate how people see Crutchie as "oh innocent smal bean!!" he is assumed to be a little younger than jack and it isshown that despite howcrutchie is physically weak it doesn't bring him down and he is very strong spirited despite being a sunshine character 7- unfunny meme about being excited for newsies woooooo 8- LMAO??? 9- matching pfps of race and spot which is a common ship in the fandom with jack 3rd wheeling 10- referencing watch what happens reprise where jack calls Pulitzer a rattle snake and davey explains that a rattle snake rattles when it is scared no comment on the.. interesting fan art 11- the fandom finds it funny how ben just repeats one line which makes it a common meme (ps they are steaming their throats) the handmade memes honestly are fire as hell but les is 10!! ALMOST!!

[@ileyhansen730]

Literally bless you so much, you have basically said everything I wanted to 😂 (also yes I think it’s Romeo but I can’t quite tell either haha)

[@dancingsun2]

Completely agree with you about the romance plot in the broadway version, it felt really forced and was a negative for me when watching (and usually i love romance plots).

[@jorctavia]

i love this SMM!!!!!!! how am i only seeing this RIGHT NOW omg thank you for your work!!! this is great

[@sarahgs_]

So happy you mentioned poor GUY’S head is sPinNiNG

[@Comemations]

Ultimate fucking respect for making a 50 minute about this masterpiece of a musical (or movie, depending on which ya’ll prefer). I seriously love how people still care about newsies years later and I’m gonna start making newsies content as well 🗣️🔥

[@AvaFromNorway]

38:54 Katherine says something about a group of boys who don’t have a nickel to their name and a Crutchie replies “I got a nickel”

[@rlcoasters]

38:48 in one of the scenes Katherine says the newsies don’t have a nickel to their name. Crutchie follows up with: You don’t gotta be insulting, and i got a nickel…

[@LyssyRandom]

I’m playing Pigtails in Newsies this summer! I’m really excited

[@amandaburton5868]

My favorite part of the newsies broadway show is that they make a big deal about how scary and tough Spot Conlon is and then the actor they chose is like 5'4

[@ghost-nh9uf]

unrelated but the opening/background being one of Tom Lehrer’s made me unreasonably happy

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

Fun fact: Tom Lehrer, the greatest song satirist of our time, has released all of his songs into the public domain, which means anyone can use them at any time, for any purpose.

[@isabell3_sc479]

i love your content so much! all of its so interesting, thankyou for the lovely video!

[@hotcocoandart]

I spent this entire video waiting for Juck to come up, and he never did. My best friend and I used to be pretty popular Newsies blogs and she was posting a lot about the West End production. Newsies fandom is actually how we met! She also happens to have created Juck. If you don't know what Juck is, don't look it up. Also low-key I was scared one of my own posts would come up and it never did and I am. So thankful.

[@mjdally82]

27:03 damn you Mr Greene 🙇🏻‍♂️ ❤️like 100 pause and rewinds and 0.25x speed and STILL couldn’t read it properly… side note it’s a very funny way to listen to JJs climactic finale 😂

[@lilymoon96]

'Hot take Jermey Jordan has a good voice' ME: ACTIVELY DRAWING LUICFER IN A MAID OUTFIT Will say, when im trying to mind my business and I hear "CHARLIE!!!" Blast in my ear at like 3x the volume as the previous song, I do want to smash my headphones and grind them into the dirt

[@steampunksloth0059]

I’m glad I got here early to see this wonderful essay

[@hannahkate18]

my little grey cap is on and my cigar is lit im so ready

[@GrimmieGirl64]

I love this style of video! I think one on Falsettos could be cool given the history and the popularity of the revival! ❤

[@charl0otti3]

i wanna watch this but im scared its gonna make me hate newsies or something its literally my favourite thing in the world and has been for over four years😭

[@nannabelooa4161]

Trust me, it won’t. I love newsies so much and this guy literally gushed about how awesome the musical is for most of it.

[@robinmacfarlane9719]

The nickel meme is a reference to a line in the show. Katherine says the boys don’t have a nickel to their name and Crutchie says he has a nickel.

[@Ilovethephantommovie]

I got a nickel!...

[@fjz10706]

My history teacher was in an illegal newsies back in the day. He was Les.

[@mexistential]

i cant believe i get these memes just bc i was on tumblr during this era and still totally know the sense of humor that existed then