Last Edition: NEWSIES Stars Recall Favorite Memories- Luca Padovan

NEWSIES plays its final performance on Broadway this coming Sunday, August 24, but BroadwayWorld (and the rest of New York, we hope) isn't ready to let the musical leave just yet! Throughout the week, we continue the Newsies love by bringing you favorite memories from a slew of the current and past stars of the show!

LUCA PADOVAN (Les - current cast)

One of my favorite memories was when I had my Broadway debut. I was freaking out and going over my lines constantly and my wrangler, Vanessa, told me, "No matter how many shows or movies you book, you'll only have one debut and you're ready, so make it count." I will never forget that. She is the best wrangler ever, and definitely someone I want to keep in touch with...well, I want to keep in touch with everyone! Especially Zach Unger (who also plays Les). He is the best guy I have ever met. He is super talented and we are extremely close. I love that I can walk in the theater and have a 3-hour play date with him everyday. He is my "brotha from anotha motha!" I love him a lot. Another one of my favorite memories was when he and I got to represent Newsies at the Easter Bonnet and we did our own version of "Who's on First" by Abbot and Costello written by Vanessa! I'll never forget that! Everyone was laughing and clapping! I love my whole Newsies family. It's gonna be really hard to say goodbye to all of them, but I know I'll see them again soon!

NEWSIES features a Tony Award-winning score with music by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman, with a book by four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, NEWSIES is directed by Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, who won a 2012 Tony Award for his work.

When it opened on March 29, 2012, Newsies was intended for a Broadway run of just 101 performances. The show's fiercely devoted fans had other ideas, however: they propelled the show to a run that will total 1005 performances, attendance of more than 1 million and a gross of over $100M. At the time of Newsies' closing, only the landmark musical Rent will have played the Nederlander Theatre longer in its 93 year history.

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.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski