By Jeanni Ritchie
Newsies is a high-energy Disney musical inspired by the real-life 1899 New York City newsboys’ strike. When publishing giants Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise distribution prices, young newsboy Jack Kelly rallies his fellow “newsies” to stand up for fair wages and better treatment. What follows is a spirited fight for justice, unity, and the power of young voices to spark change.
I can’t believe I’d never seen it! But that changed last month when I caught a school show of Lagniappe Theatre’s latest production.
Walker Cheek (Jack Kelly) set the tone early, delivering a strong performance with an impressive accent and standout vocals—especially in Santa Fe. Paired with Max Warren (Crutchie), the two created some of the show’s best harmonies right from the start, grounding the story in both heart and friendship.
The first big ensemble number, Carrying the Banner, reminded me exactly why I love community theatre so much. It wasn’t just the energy on stage—it was the people.
Seeing familiar faces woven into the production made it feel personal. Jeremiah Mitchell (Race), known locally as Bolton Academy’s theatre director, stepped onto the stage instead of directing from the sidelines. Same with Talon Dearborne, who would appear later as Medda Larkin.
Corbit Bonner (Albert) immediately caught my attention—not just for his performance, but because he is the spitting image of his father, Thomas, at that age, which instantly took me back to my own community theatre directing days.
Coya Pierce (Finch/Darcy), who many recognize from ASH’s annual Legacy performances, brought that same dedication and presence to the stage. I’d just seen Jacob Jones (Davey) in the starring role of Pineville High School’s Aladdin. And Angel-Lena Wade (Ensemble/Bowery Beauty)—who first stood out to me in an earlier Lagniappe production and whom I followed to her shows at NSU—was a joy to see back where it all started.
But something else caught my attention even more—the energy on stage started to spill into the audience.
The roughhousing, movement, and high-energy choreography of the newsboys didn’t just entertain—it connected, especially with the school-age boys in the audience. Students were on the edge of their seats, fully invested in the plight of this historical event.
As the story unfolds, the song The Bottom Line introduces the powerful forces behind the strike—Pulitzer (Phillip Guin), Seitz (George Fine), and Bunsen (Caleb Dixon)—raising the stakes for the newsies’ fight.
Dearborne brought bold personality and an incredible voice to Medda Larkin in That’s Rich, while Virginia Tudor (Katherine Plumber) stood out with Watch What Happens, balancing strong vocals with the role’s journalistic determination and relevance. Along with directors Ross and Karen Schexnayder, the young cast members credit both women with helping achieve the incredible harmonies of the musical numbers.
Walker Cheek continued to shine in The World Will Know, capturing both Jack’s leadership and vulnerability, and I could not have imagined a more perfect actor for the role. Even the students were lining up for his autograph post-show, something he’d better get used to!
One of the things Lagniappe does best is to utilize space and engage with the audience throughout their productions. Students sang and danced—seamlessly blending choreography and set movement—during large ensemble numbers.
Standout moments included Seize the Day, one of the most powerful and fun ensemble numbers, King of New York, a tap-heavy crowd favorite, and Brooklyn’s Here, a high-energy rally moment featuring Jairus Killings as Spot Conlon. Jasper Moton (Les) was absolutely adorable and brought a lightness to the story that balanced the heavier themes.
Newsies was a really fun show with meaningful themes, strong performances, and the kind of big musical numbers that stay with you long after the curtain falls.
Rounding out this magnificent cast were Grant Blakeney, Lily Blakeney, Thomas Bonner, Grace Brundrett, Lucy Brundrett, Breleigh Bamburg, Evie Beaubouef, Flynn Cahill, Kelsi Cheek, Kimberly Coco, Skyler Cruse, Elli Claire Falgoust, Lee Fine, Mary Gootee, Braxton Guillot, Harlee Hebert, Zaria Hudson, Audrey Johnson, Natalie Johnson, Hudson Jaques, Denton Jaques, Ellie Jaques, Josie Jaques, Logan Lemoine, Malachi Marzett, Nataleigh McBride, Leland McCullough, Stella McCullough, Aryn Mitchell, Kholby O’Reilly, Aleigha Perkins, Miguel Perez-Cruz, Abigail Roper, Camylla Torres, Sophie Trump, Baylee Vanderlick, Ava Warren, Daisy Wester, Garrett Wester, Spring Wester, and Ja’Mari Wilson.
Next up for Lagniappe is the production of Disney’s Moana Jr. May 8–10 at Lagniappe Theatre Event Center, 7521 Coliseum Blvd, Alexandria. To get tickets or to sponsor a school show through their SIT program, email info@lagniappetheatre.
