Capathia Jenkins Joins the Broadway Cast of NEWSIES!

Disney Theatrical Productions has just announced that Capathia Jenkins will play the role of Medda in Newsies when the show begins performances at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre on March 15th in advance of a March 29th opening.

Capathia Jenkins' Broadway credits include The Civil War; The Look of Love; Caroline, or Change and Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me. She has appeared off-Broadway in Godspell; (mis) Understanding Mammy: The Hattie McDaniel Story (Drama Desk Award nomination) and Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Capathia has been working with the acclaimed composer Louis Rosen for over six years, and together they have released three albums: South Side Stories (Rosecap), One Ounce of Truth-The Nikki Giovanni Songs (PS Classics) and most recently The Ache Of Possibility (Di-Tone). Ms. Jenkins has appeared with the Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony, Utah Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, San Diego Symphony and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. Capathia can be seen in the upcoming film Musical Chairs which will be released March 2012. Her television credits include "30 Rock," "The Practice," "Law & Order SVU", "The Sopranos" and she can be heard on the film soundtracks of Nine, Chicago and Legally Blonde 2.

Ms. Jenkins joins the previously announced Jeremy Jordan (Bonnie & Clyde) as Jack Kelly, John Dossett (2003 revival of Gypsy) as Joseph Pulitzer, Kara Lindsay (Little House on the Prairie) as Katherine Plumber, Ben Fankhauser (Spring Awakening national tour) as Davey, Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Mary Poppins) as Crutchie, and Lewis Grosso (Mary Poppins), and Matthew Schechter (Elf) alternating the role of Les.

The ensemble of Newsies will feature Aaron J. Albano, Mark Aldrich, Tommy Bracco, John E. Brady, Ryan Breslin, Kevin Carolan, Caitlyn Caughell, Kyle Coffman, Mike Faist, Michael Fatica, Julie Foldesi, Garett Hawe, Thayne Jasperson, Evan Kasprzak, Jess Le Protto, Stuart Marland, Andy Richardson, Jack Scott, Ryan Steele, Brendon Stimson, Nick Sullivan, Ephraim Sykes, Laurie Veldheer, Alex Wong and Stuart Zagnit.

Newsies, the new American musical, will move to Broadway's Nederlander Theatre (208 W 41st St) for a strictly limited 101 performance run following its critically-hailed stint at Paper Mill Playhouse last fall. The musical, featuring music by eight-time Academy Award® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Sister Act), lyrics by Jack Feldman and a book by four-time Tony® Award winner Harvey Fierstein (La Cage aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy), will play its first Broadway preview on March 15th prior to its March 29th opening night; the final performance is scheduled for June 10th. Newsies, produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, is directed by Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun (Big River revival) and choreographed by Tony nominee Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific revival).

Set in New York City at the turn of the century, Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a ragged band of teenaged 'newsies,' who dreams only of a better life far from the hardship of the streets. But when publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise distribution prices at the newsboys' expense, Jack finds a cause to fight for and rallies newsies from across the city to strike for what's right.

Newsies is inspired by the real-life 'Newsboy Strike of 1899,' when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week-long action against Pulitzer, Hearst and other powerful newspaper publishers.

For information or to register for advance ticket access notifications, visit NewsiesTheMusical.com, Facebook.com/Newsies and Twitter.com/Newsies. Tickets will go on sale January 30, 2012. Tickets are already on sale to groups of 15+ by calling 800-439-9000 or visiting www.disneytheatricalsales.com/newsies.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos