RATED: PG
PERFORMANCE GUIDE
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PNC pulls back the curtain on NC Theatre’s 2017-2018 season to share a series of behind the scenes experiences with audience members of all ages. PNC’s In the Director’s Chair provides a window into the creative process. By expanding the way audiences engage in regional performances—experiencing not only the final product, but every step in between—NC Theatre is able to provide an immersive, comprehensive understanding of all the dedicated work that goes into producing an NC Theatre Show. PNC and NC Theatre are proud to give patrons a brand new perspective – In the Director’s Chair.
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IS MADE POSSIBLE BY
3 NC THEATRE: YOUR BROADWAY CONNECTION
North Carolina Theatre is Raleigh’s regional professional musical theatre company. In 1983, Raleigh's City Manager, Mr. L.P. Zachary, invited Carolina Regional Theatre- with the deft direction of De Ann Jones- to make its permanent home in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium under contract with the City. The Theatre debuted with Camelot the musical in Spring of the following year. Opening with 825 season tickets sold and a total audience of 24,000, Camelot marked the beginning of the Theatre's new direction. With this overarching support as inspiration, in May of 1984 the name was changed to North Carolina Theatre. Today, North Carolina Theatre serves as the home of quality musical theatre productions in central North Carolina, drawing more than 50,000 visitors to Raleigh Memorial Auditorium each year.
Our Mission Culture: Feed the spirit of local citizens by broad access to live theatre, while strengthening economic growth. Community: Fortify the cultural vitality of the region by offering broad access to live theatre, while strengthening eco- nomic growth. Citizenship: Foster the next generation of artists and leaders who will become future patrons of the arts through training, performance, and outreach programs.
4 TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWSIES BACKGROUND - Pages 6-9 DRAWING ACTIVITY - Page 10 SYNOPSIS - Page 11-14 CAST - Page 15 NEWSIES en Español— Page 16
PAGE : REAL LIFE NEWSIES—Page 17 ACCESSIBILITY— Page 18 COLORING PAGE— Page 19 YOUNG PEOPLE SEIZING THE DAY—Pages 20-21 INDEX OF MUSICAL TERMS— Pages 22-23
NC THEATRE’S 2018-19 OH WHAT A SEASON
Oct 16-21 Nov 13-18 Feb 12-17 March 19-24 April 26-May 5 July 23-28
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ABOUT NEWSIES
“Newsies” is a musical inspired by the real-life New York City Newsboys Strike of 1899. It is a story of class struggle and the power of the press, set in a time when “fake news” was called “yellow journalism” and newspapers often used exaggerated headlines to outsell competing papers, hawked by boys on the streets working in terrible conditions.
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BASED ON A TRUE STORY... THE STRIKE OF 1899
The Spanish-American War was an 1898 conflict between the United States and Spain that ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and resulted in U.S. acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America. The war originated from Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain, which began in February 1895. Spain’s brutally repressive measures to halt the rebellion were portrayed in several U.S. newspapers, and American sympathy for the rebels rose. The more brutal Spain was, the harder their colonies would fight. Revolts had been occurring for some years in Cuba against Spanish rule. The U.S. later backed these revolts upon entering the Spanish–American War. There had been war scares before, as in the Virginius Affair in 1873. In the late 1890s, U.S. public opinion was agitated by anti-Spanish propaganda led by newspaper publishers such as Joseph Pulitzer of the World publication and William Randolph Hearst of the New York Journal, with their use of “yellow journalism.” These publishers would dramatize the events of the war for their own financial gain and often at the detriment of public perception of factual or objective information.
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THE STRIKE OF 1899 On July 21, 1899, World and New York Journal reduced their newspaper prices. However, the other newspaper printing company, Evening World, was offering three papers for one cent. Leader of the Newsboys Group, Moses Burns, organized a boycott against the purchasing of newspapers. People were not buying the newspaper if the headlines were not attractive enough, and the situation became worse and worse. The publishers did not research the stories they were printing. They were pursuing provoking headlines to incline the interest of the general public. The publishers raised the prices of the newspaper, which made it difficult for the newsies to make a living selling papers. These young people had to use their income to eat and buy papers to sell everyday. Soon, they had enough of the unfair treatment. The newsies began their strike in New York City, where they fought against Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph. The strike lasted for two weeks. In the end, the newsies compromised with the publishers that they would purchase the papers at a higher price, however, the publishers would buy the papers back that the newsies couldn’t sell. It allowed the newsies to buy the papers without the risk of losing money. The strike was successful, and it was one of the earliest strikes that was carried out by children.
8 BASED ON THE MOVIE...
Walt Disney Pictures released Newsies in April 1992. The film was based on the story of the New York Newsies strike in 1899 and featured twelve original songs from composers Alan Menken and J.A.C. Redford. The movie received negative reviews upon its original release, however it gained a cult following on home video. It was adapted into a successful work for the Broadway stage in 2012, where it won two of the eight Tony Awards it was nominated for.
9 JACK’S DRAWING JOURNAL
Jack paints Medda Larkin’s beautiful backdrops for her performances. Use the space below to draw a backdrop for Medda’s show.
10 SYNOPSIS
ACT I Jack Kelly is high above the rooftops of New York, savoring the few moments of quiet before the sun rises and another day begins. Jack’s best friend Crutchie, a boy with a bum leg, asks for help climbing down to the streets. Jack shares the view of New York City and his dream of Santa Fe. As the sun rises, Jack meets Davey and his little brother Les to sell the newspapers. Davey and Les are differ- ent from other newsies- they are not orphans. Davey and Les started working when their father suffered from an accident. Jack decides to partner with the brothers since Les’ young age can help sell more newspapers. Newsies start the day at Newsboy’s Loading House before making their way to the Distribution Window for The World, the newspaper the boys sell to make a living. Meanwhile, Joseph Pulitzer, the publisher of The World, sits in his office, high above the New York streets and the boys of Newsies Square. He is very un- pleasant about the declining sales of his papers and vows to increase profits, even if it is at the expense of the newsies. Later, Jack, Davey and Les are chased down by a corrupt orphanage manager, Warden Snyder of the Refuge. Davey and Les are unaware of who the man is or why is he chasing them, follow Jack’s lead and run. They find safety in Medda’s Theatre.
11 SYNOPSIS Jack introduces the boys to Great Medda Larkin, one of the Bowery’s most famous performers. Jack explains to the boys that Snyder, runs the orphanage, and that’s why he is chasing them. Medda offers the theatre as a safe place for the boys. During Medda’s performance, Jack notices Katherine, a young reporter. Jack is amazed by Katherine’s beauty and intelligence. He makes an unsuccessful attempt to woo her. He sketches a portrait of Katherine, and leaves it for her to find. The newsies gather at the distribution window of The World for another day of selling papers. When the headlines go up, the boys are outraged to learn that Pulitzer has increased their price for newspapers— they can barely afford to eat as it is. After discovering that the competing newspaper, The Journal, has agreed to the same price increase, the boys decide to form a union and strike. After the first day of their strike, the boys gather at the Jacobi’s Deli to discuss their next move. Jack Kelly let boys spread the news to encourage the other New York City newsies join the strike. Katherine, the reporter from The Sun, comes to the deli in hopes that the boys can give her the scoop to write the next edition. After considering it, Jack tells Katherine to be at the distribution window tomorrow morning. Not only will the newsies prevent other boys from selling papers, but they plan to stop the newspaper delivery carts as well. Jack tells her that they have a lot riding on her writing, so Katherine assures him that they can count on her to tell their story. Only a few kids join the strike the next day, Jack urges Davey to motivate the small group of boys not to be frightened to stay and stand their ground against the paper distributors. Jack encourages the working children who have been exploited to join the strike as well. The other newsies from the city throw down their papers in support of the strike. Meanwhile, Katherine and her photographers are about to take the victory picture. Suddenly, the newsies are surrounded by a group of men and engage in a fierce fight. When the police arrive and start to chase the kids, the newsies run. Snyder takes this chance to chase down the homeless kids. Snyder scares Jack away, and captures Crutchie. Jack keeps running, and feeling guilty that he put these boys in danger. He looks out over the chaos and longs for an escape. 12 SYNOPSIS
ACT II The next morning, Katherine visits the sulking newsies in Jacobi's Deli and cheers them up by showing them that her article about the strike made the front page of the New York Sun. Thrilled, the newsies all rejoice at making the headline and imagine what it would be like to be wealthy. Meanwhile, Crutchie writes a letter to Jack, reflecting his experience at the Ref- uge. Davey, Katherine, and Les later find Jack hiding out in the basement of Medda's thea- tre, painting a backdrop of Santa Fe. Davey and Katherine attempt to decide their next move, but Jack refuses to put the newsies in danger again. Davey reminds him that they'll have to take risks in order to get Crutchie back. Jack eventually complies. Back at the World, Pulitzer converses with Warden Snyder about Jack while Katherine lis- tens. Snyder reveals that Jack is actually an escaped criminal, originally detained for steal- ing food and clothing. Jack soon arrives and confronts Pulitzer. During the conversation, Pu- litzer reveals that he is actually Katherine's father. Katherine, who was hiding in the room, tries to apologize to Jack for not telling him, but Jack brushes her off. Pulitzer offers Jack a compromise: if the strike is called off, he will be cleared of all charges and given enough money to leave for Santa Fe; if not, he and the other newsies will be sent to the Refuge. Meanwhile, Spot Conlon, head of the newsies in Brooklyn, brings in his ranks in full support of Jack's protest. Jack gathers the newsies, and not wanting to put them in any more dan- ger, reluctantly suggests they accept Pulitzer's offer. Davey and the newsies are shocked at Jack and turn their back on him. Jack later meets with Katherine once more and she tells him that despite her namesake, she was always on Jack's side. She also criticizes Jack for not being honest with her about ending up in the Refuge for stealing, however, after seeing a drawing Jack made depicting the abuse conducted at the Refuge, she realizes Jack stole the food and clothing for the other boys there. The two share a brief romantic moment and Katherine states that "I have something to believe in, now that I know you believed in me.” Jack admits that the feeling is mutual, and they kiss.
13 SYNOPSIS
Jack and Katherine then join the newsies in printing their own paper, one that will determine the outcome of the strike (Once and for All). The newsies' paper is sent to Governor Theodore Roosevelt, who ar- rives in full support of the newsies' cause. Defeated, Pulitzer compro- mises with Jack once more. Jack proposes that Pulitzer buy back eve- ry paper the newsies fail to sell every day, thus making him seem more generous and making more boys want to sell papers for him. Pulitzer is reluctant at first, but agrees. Crutchie is freed, Snyder is ar- rested, the Refuge is shut down, and the strike ends. Pulitzer offers Jack a job as a daily political cartoonist, which Jack initially declines. Jack prepares to say goodbye to Katherine, as he now plans to leave for Santa Fe, but Katherine says that wherever he goes she will go with him. The two share a kiss and Jack elects to remain a newsboy and accept the cartoonist job.
14 MEET THE CAST
Jason Gotay as “Jack Kelly” Shannon O’Boyle as “Katherine”
Starring in the show are Merwin Foard, Daniel Plimpton, Yolanda Rabun, Steve Raymond, and Huck Borden.
Cast as the powerful and strong-willed group of newsies are Ethan Baker, Matthew Davies, Joseph Gaitens, Alec Gallazzi, Melvin Gray Jr., Grant Haralson, Michael John Hughes, Wayne Mackins, Timothy Charles Malboeuf Jr., Joshua Messmore, Caylie Rose Newcom, Eddie Olmo II and Brandon L. Whitmore.
Rounding out the cast are Jeff Aguiar, Noah Daulton, Carly Grissom, Charles Machalicky, Maggie Poole, Joel Rainey, Jack Russell Richardson and Bill Saunders. The kids ensemble includes William Spencer Fitzgerald, Sawyer Parker, Carter Phillips, Evan
Tylka and Isabella Zimmermann. 15 Newsies en Español
SINOPSIS Situado en Nueva York a principios de siglo, explica la historia de Jack Kelly, un carismático joven repartidor de periódicos líder de una banda de adolescentes ‘newsies’ que sueña tan sólo con una mejor vida, lejos de la dureza de las calles. Pero cuando los titanes del periodismo Joseph Pulitzer y William Randolph Hearst suben los precios de distribución a los jóvenes, Jack encuentra un motivo para luchar por defender sus derechos. HISTORIA NEWSIES es un musical de Disney Theatrical Productions basado en la película homónima de 1992 que inspirada a su vez en la historia real ‘Newsboy Strike of 1899’, cuando el joven repartidor de periódicos Kid Blink lieró una banda de huérfanos ‘newsies’ en una lucha contra Pulitzer, Hearstand y otros poderosos editores. La película NEWSIES se convirtió en un fenómeno de culto. Su popularidad creció de manera repentina tras su edición en video lo que provocó que en el 2002 se re-editara su dvd debido a la demanda de sus fans. El filme contaba con guión de Bob Tzudiker y Noni White. El musical se estrenó en el Paper Mill Playhouse de Millburn (New Jersey) en otoño de 2011, conteniendo las canciones de la película además de varios números nuevos. Aunque en un principio el montaje tenía tan sólo licencia para representarse a nivel regional en Norteamérica, la produc- ción de NEWSIES del Paper Mill despertó un gran interés por parte de los medios de comunicación y del público. El elenco fue invitado a actuar en el programa de la ABC ‘The View’, siendo la primera vez en la historia de este programa que una producción regional se presentaba. Los fans del filme que habían esperado casi 20 años en ver NEWSIES en el escenario, y el público que lo descubrió por primera vez, lograron que el espectáculo llegara a Broadway, donde se estrenó en marzo de 2012 con la intención de permanecer en cartel durante una temporada limitada de 101 funciones. Pero su éxito mo- tivó la prórroga definitiva del musical.
16 REAL LIFE NEWSIES
Although most people get their news online What does a newsie’s day look like in 2018? these days, there are many people who get 11:30 pm— Rest up after a day of daily tasks physical newspapers delivered to them. The like school, a job, or an internship. newspaper is printed daily, and in the early 1:00 am—Wake up and grab a snack hours of the morning (1 am—5 am) the paper is delivered by people in their own cars. 1:30 am—Drive to the newspaper distribution center In fact, one of our interns here at NCT is a real life newsie! When he isn’t here helping us in 2:00 am—Pack newspapers into car and begin the office with things like this very study guide, to fold newspapers into the correct order and he gets up early in the morning to deliver the bag them. newspaper. 2:30 am—Leave distribution center to begin delivery. 3:00 –5:30 am—Deliver newspaper in various neighborhoods.
17 ACCESSIBILITY
Parking Follow this link for additional information! (http://nctheatre.com/page/planning-your-visit) The parking deck located on the corner of Salisbury and South Street as well as parking lots located directly across South Street have plenty of accessible spaces. Shuttle Service Golf carts are also available for those with mobility difficulties. The carts can be found near the accessible parking spaces both outside and in the parking deck. Patrons are transported to the entrance of the theatre. Drop Off Area The drop off area is located in the brick area in front of Lichtin Plaza. Driving on Lichtin Plaza is strictly prohibited. NCT Box Office Hours –Monday –Friday, 10 AM to 4PM Please note: after business hours the parking lot is not considered public parking for evening and weekend performances. Courtesy wheelchairs are available upon request. There is a limited supply for chairs and a driver’s license is needed. Accessible Restrooms Raleigh Memorial Auditorium Main Level: Located on east and west hallways leading into Dress Circle and Orchestra sections Mezzanine and Balcony level: Located in lobby area upstairs-the elevator is located in the center of the inner lobby. A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater Main Level: men's is on the west side of the theater, women's is on the east side. Balcony Level: both are located on east side Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals Assistive listening devices are available in each theater. For A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater, these can be obtained at the Box Office area in the lobby and operate on an infrared signal. For Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, these can be obtained at the security office located on the west side of the inner lobby, adjacent to the Box Office and operate on an FM frequency and loop system. Sign interpreted performance is also available upon request. A two to three week notice prior to performance is required. 18 COLORING PAGE
19 Young People Seizing the Day Damon and Jo - (pictured right) The duo met as students at NYU and have had an unbreakable bond since. They Jack and Finn Harries— (pictured below) both had a passion for languages and culture but, like These twin brothers began making waves as many college students, had to spend any time they had YouTubers who made silly videos ranging outside of class to find a way to survive on a shoestring from challenges to Rube Goldberg budget. They quickly realized that they could gain worldly contraptions. In recent years, as they became experiences by using what was around them. Together, young adults, their video content made a they speak 5 languages and have traveled all across major shift to global awareness and Europe, North and South America, and Asia. Their activism. They’ve found humanitarian catchphrase is “Shut up and go!” because they believe projects to document on film and organize that anyone can travel and have great experiences if you relief efforts like global access to education, trust the process. On their YouTube channel they teach clean drinking water, and natural resources. language tips, travel budgeting, and vlog their travel experiences.
Marley Dias - (pictured left) After reviewing her summer reading list, she was disappointed to find that the selections were mainly stories about white male protagonists and their dogs. She immediately decided to start a new list of books to share with her peers through a book drive. She coined her project: #1000blackgirlbooks to find books that featured stories about young black girls like herself. She knew that those stories are too often at limited availability in comparison to books that featured white protagonists like Shiloh and Where The Red Fern Grows. After exceeding her goal of 1,000 books by at least 8,000 more in 2017, she plans to continue creating a platform for stories about young people of color to be told and inspire more stories to be written with girls like her in mind.
20 Young People Seizing the Day
LINKS
Damon and Jo: Youtube.com/user/ DamonandJo
Jack and Finn Harries: Youtube.com/user/ JacksGap
Marley Dias: Instagram—@iammarleydias
Makeda Sandford: Instagram— @ohmakeda
Makeda Sanford - (pictured above) She is a recent graduate of UNC Asheville with a degree in Mass Communications and Africana Do you know a young person who Studies. She creates work centered around culture and blackness. As a freelance portrait/ is seizing the day? editorial photographer and writer, she captures feelings of youth, softness, and consciousness often through the lens of pop culture. She's worked with many notable companies like Saint Heron, Urban Outfitters Submit your story! Blog, The Photographic Journal, and WNC Magazine to name a few. Her clear passion Email us at [email protected] and talent for creative work will surely be leading her to silver screens and galleries or use #NCTNewsies on social media everywhere.
Sources: https://www.orlandorep.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Teacher-Resource-Guide_Newsies.pdf
http://www.todomusicales.com/content/musicales_ficha/146/newsies/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newsies
https://www.history.com/topics/spanish-american-war http://www.shutupandgo.travel/about/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish–American_War ttps://makedasandford.com/about
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/marley-dias-collect-books-girls-color-180967231/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JacksGap 21 MAKING A MUSICAL: INDEX OF TERMS
Actor’s Equity Association - a labor union that represents American theatre actors and stage managers. Founded in 1913, the union provides a variety of benefits and protections for members, including health insurance, a mini- mum salary and many others. Under an agreement with the Actors' Equity Association, NC Theatre is committed to hiring a significant number of Equity performers for each production. Broadway - located in the Manhattan borough of New York City, Broadway is considered the highest level of commercial, or for-profit, theatre in addition to the West End in London. Broadway theatre includes any theatri- cal performance presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500+ seats that is located in the Theatre District. The Broadway League is a trade organization that works with theatrical unions such as Actor’s Equity Association (see above) to negotiate contracts and promote Broadway theatre. Most Broadway theatre houses are owned and managed by the Shubert Organization (17 theatres), the Nederlander Organization (9 theatres) and Jujamcyn (5 theatres). Non-Profit Theatre- holds the tax-exempt 501(c)3 status and exists for the greater good of the community. They have a mission, vision, or goal regarding their artistic objectives for the theatre or their education department. Many non-profit theatres have an educational component which serves the community, such as NCT’s year- around Conservatory and its “Theatre4Change” workshop in the “Stage2School” program. North Carolina Thea- tre is a professional non-profit theatre. There are three non-profit Broadway theatre companies: Lincoln Center Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club and Roundabout Theatre Company.
Photo by Curtis Brown Photography 22 INDEX OF TERMS CONTINUED
Composer - writes or composes the musical score. Lyricist - writes the lyrics, or puts words to the songs of the musical score. Dramaturg - does research on a play or musical, such as references to historical background, research of other productions of the show, or anything that helps the director and actor understand the script better. Director - develops a vision for a certain show by ensuring its quality by unifying the artistic and production side of the show. The director typically works with actors to stage or “block” the show. The director also works closely with designers and the technical director to ensure that the production’s technical aspects are unified with his or her artistic vision. There may be Assistant Directors. Producer - the producer raises and provides financial backing for productions and oversees all aspects of putting up a thea- tre production. The producer also handles managerial functions and hires artistic personnel, such as the director. There may also be Associate Producers. Music Director - directs musical aspects of the show, such as the vocalists and the orchestra. Choreographer - choreographs or comes up with the dance or movement component of a musical, called choreography. Conductor - the person who conducts the musicians in the orchestra pit. Production Stage Manager - in charge of coordinating the aspects of a theatrical production. They are often the go- between communicator for the director and actors and the director and technical production personnel. They ensure the smooth execution of a production. Technical Director - responsible for the overall organization of the technical production process, including overseeing the implementation of the designers’ visions, developing and working within a production budget, scheduling and supervising build crews, communicating with the director, and organizing the strike or clean-up of a production following the closing performance. Theatre Etiquette- our patrons are responsible for the conventional properties of behavior, a prescribed or accepted code of decorum while also being respectful and considerate of others during the performance.
23 WANT TO SEIZE THE DAY? Check out the NC Theatre Conservatory!
North Carolina Theatre’s Flagship Training Program From Beginner to Broadway. Classes offered for ages 5–Adult! Visit nctheatreconservatory.com for more information.
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