‘Newsies’ to be staged as ADM High School fall musical

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Child labor organizer Jack Kelly rallies his Newsies to strike in New York City at the turn of the 20th century in the ADM High School fall production of "Newsies," to be staged Nov. 8-10. Photo courtesy ADM Drama Department

ADEL, Iowa — Disney’s “Newsies,” a tale based on a true story about the 1899 newsboys strike in New York City, will take center stage at ADM to kick off the 2024-2025 theater season.

Performances are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 8th and Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Tickets are being sold online.

“Newsies” tells the story of underdog Jack and his Newsies who deliver the news on the streets of New York for pennies a day, striving to make a life for themselves amid squalor and poverty. Under Jack’s leadership, they stage a strike and stand up to the publishing titans who are making money off of the Newsies’ hard work.

“Stop the presses!” became their hallmark slogan.

Director Molly Longman said the ADM students’ hard work and dedication began with the casting process last May, and now 75 students compose the cast, crew, orchestra and dance ensemble. She became a fan of the Newsies’ story after seeing the original 1992 Disney film as a child and has been waiting for the right time to bring this show to the ADM community.

“I finally felt like our department had the numbers, strengths, and personalities to pull off a more challenging musical like Newsies,” Longman said, “and these students have not disappointed with the amount of energy they have poured into Jack and Katherine’s story. With talented underclassmen and strong senior leadership, this show feels like something special and I can’t wait for opening night!”

Music Director Daniel Novotney said she is excited to be working on his first musical at ADM High School.

“The students have done a fantastic job of matching the energy that this show takes,” Novotney said. “Singers are ready to blow you away, and the pit orchestra has been putting in some hard work to help bring the show to life. If you want to see some great acting and hear some great music, then you need to check this out!”

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