The St. Charles East theater department had its opening performance of “Newsies” on April 17, 2026, with the following shows on April 18 and 19. From the very first note, the pit played to the final bow, this show was truly spectacular.

I had already seen the movie and stage version prior to attending the show, so I was very eager to see East’s production. I had high hopes for the show, and it definitely did not disappoint.

The musical is based on the newsboys’ strike of 1899, and follows seventeen-year-old Jack Kelly (played by senior Brody Tyner) and the newsies of New York as they fight against powerful newspaper publishers for fair pay and respect. The newsies’ efforts are published in the newspaper by aspiring journalist Katherine Plumber (played by junior Giana Borri).

The show opens with the prologue song “Santa Fe,” which was remarkably sung by Tyner and sophomore Chloe Mallon, who played Crutchie. The song gives insight into the softer side of Jack Kelly and his dreams of leaving New York for a small town. Following the prologue was the song “Carrying the Banner,” which showcased impressive choreography from the entire cast. 

After the show’s introduction, it is revealed that Joseph Pulitzer (played by senior Joey Krueger), the owner of “The New York World” newspaper, has decided to increase the price newsies have to pay to buy the “papes” that they sell, to provide for themselves. Krueger demonstrated his strong stage presence in the song “The Bottom Line” through his projection during the challenging song.

An especially impressive performance was when Medda Larkin, played by junior Chloe Sawalski, sang “That’s Rich”, which takes place as Jack hides from the police in the theater. Even though she only sang one song in the entire show, Sawalski did a memorable job, and I look forward to seeing more of her in next year’s musical. “That’s Rich” was followed by “I Never Planned on You/ Don’t Come A-Knocking”, which truly modeled the strength of the show’s ensemble cast.

When the newsies discover that Pulitzer has raised the price of his newspapers, Jack rallies them with the help of Davy (played by sophomore Eli Martin) to fight the new cost. Katherine offers to write about their story to give them the publicity they need to make a change. The newsies were skeptical at first because most journalists at the time were men, and women rarely did the same jobs. In the song “Watch What Happens,” Katherine struggles to write a story that will put the newsies on the front page and help her career take off. Borri did a great job balancing acting and singing during this song, truly displaying her strengths as an actress.

Martin’s strong vocals were exhibited as the newsies rallied together in the song “Seize the Day.” I thought he did a particularly good job at expressing emotion while singing, and I am excited to see him in future roles as an upperclassman.

An exciting moment for many people in the audience was during “King of New York” when sophomore Analiese Garza sang the popular TikTok audio, “a barber shop haircut that costs a quarter.” On the night I was there, the crowd erupted with applause at Garza’s line.

During the reprise of “The Bottom Line”, the theater department’s strong acting helped create shock among the audience as it was revealed that Katherine is the daughter of Pulitzer. All the actors in the scene helped build up to the big reveal, which contributed to the audience’s shock at the plot twist. 

One of my favorite scenes in the show was the song “Something to Believe In”, where Katherine confesses her love for Jack. This scene would not have been nearly as impactful without the talented actors and singers Tyner and Borri. Their voices complemented each other well, contributing to the overall quality of the song and the scene. The song helps ease the tension created by the reveal of Katherine’s secret and, overall, is a very sweet moment.

All in all, this already amazing show was made even better by the cast and crew of St. Charles East’s theater department. The cast was even nominated by the Illinois High School Musical Theater Association for best ensemble for their fantastic performance. For information on future shows, be sure to follow the drama club on Instagram @stcedramaclub.