Book: Harvey Fierstein; Music: Alan Menken; Lyrics: Jack Feldman. At: Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St. Tickets: 800-775-2000 or www.broadwayinchicago.com; $40-$130. Runs through Jan. 4
The Disney film musical Newsies was a big fat critical and financial flop when it was first released in 1992. So imagine everyone's surprise 20 years later when Newsies became a big fat critically acclaimed Broadway stage musical hit.
Local audiences can see that amazing Newsies stage transformation that rights the film's many wrongs at Chicago's Oriental Theatre via a high-energy national tour. Newsies is truly a screen-to-stage adaptation that is far more compelling in the flesh than the original film musical ever was.
Praise must be doled out up front to Christopher Gattelli for his Tony Award-winning choreography, since his company made up mostly of young and limber men continuously dazzle as they execute perilous flips, turns and other impressive acrobatic dancing tricks ( they also sing and have good comic timing, too ). Newsies also earns the audience's awe in a spectacle-sized dance of constant motion and movement via Jeff Calhoun's cinematic direction that cleverly utilizes the massive rotating and moving stair structures by set designer Tobin Ost.
But it's playwright Harvey Fierstein ( Torch Song Trilogy, Kinky Boots ) who really deserves the hero's praise for salvaging and reshaping the less-than-best original screenplay by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White that was inspired by the real-life New York newspaper boy strike in 1899. The original film lacked romance, so Fierstein smartly found a way to inject some in by having the rebellious strike leader Jack Kelly ( a very charismatic Dan DeLuca ) fall for the newly created rising reporter named Katherine ( a smart and scrappy Stephanie Styles ).
Fierstein also insightfully reorders the placement of several film songs by composer Alan Menken ( Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast ) and lyricist Jack Feldman alongside the new stage tunes. So now Jack Kelly's "wanting song" of "Santa Fe" is introduced up front, while the up-tempo favorites like "Seize the Day" and "King of New York" respectively help end Act I and to rousingly launch Act II.
In addition to the extremely talented dancing ensemble, Newsies also has many respectably acted performances. Steve Blanchard makes for a very villainous publisher Joseph Pulitzer, while Jack Kemp and Vincent Crocilla work well as down-on-their-luck brothers Davey and Les.
Now some curmudgeons might find fault with all the David-vs-Goliath inspirational talk throughout the show, and how the newsboys will joyously dance at the drop of a hat. But they shouldn't be surprised since Newsies is a Disney product.
And in this age of big moneyed corporations doing everything to demonize and break up unions, Newsies is definitely a feel-good tonic celebrating the little guys who stand up to power. Newsies is also a celebration of second chancesespecially as it switched its status from a flop to a hit.