Want to be in NEWSIES? Open Call Is Next Week!

Paper Mill Playhouse will open its 2011-2012 season with the premiere of a new Disney stage musical, Newsies. Featuring music by eight time Academy Award®-winning composer Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Sister Act, The Little Mermaid), lyrics by Jack Feldman and a new book by four-time Tony® Award winner Harvey Fierstein (La Cage aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy), Newsies is adapted for the stage from the live-action Disney feature film musical. The production will be directed at Paper Mill by Tony® nominee Jeff Calhoun (The Will Rogers Follies, Grey Gardens). The show begins performances on Thursday, September 15. The official press opening is scheduled for Sunday, September 25. 

The production will be hosting open casting for equity and non-equity performers in May at Pearl Studios in New York City (500 8th Avenue, 12th Floor)!

The production is seeking males and females, minimum age 16 (to play 16-22), who are great dancers, singers, actors. True triple threats.

Equity female auditions will take place on Wednesday, May 4th at 10:00am (sign-in begins at 9:00am). The non- equity female call takes place on Wednesday, May 4th from 2:00pm - 6:00pm (sing-in begins at 1:00pm).

Equity males are called on Thursday, May 5th at 10:00am (sign-in begins at 9:00am). Non-equity males are called on Friday, May 6th at 10:00am (sign-in begins at 9:00am).

Auditioners are advised to come ready to dance for all of the above auditions and may be asked to sing afterwards.  the production requests that performers bring sheet music in the appropriate key. A contemporary musical theatre song is preferable. An accompanist will be provided.

The film Newsies has grown into a cult phenomenon with a generation having grown up on the movie's driving, infectious score since its 1992 theatrical release and subsequent DVD, released in 2002 in response to demand from fans. Its popularity has grown so dramatically, in fact, that - of all the Disney film musicals not yet adapted to the stage - Newsies has for years been the single most requested title by professional and amateur theatre groups, according to the world's largest dramatic licensing agent MTI. This new stage version introduces several brand- new songs by the original team of Menken and Feldman while keeping many of the beloved songs from the film, which featured a screenplay by Bob Tzudiker & Noni White (Tarzan, 102 Dalmatians).

Newsies is inspired by the real life ‘Newsboy Strike of 1899,' when newsboy Kid Blink led the ragged orphans and runaways known as newsies on a two-week long action against Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst and other powerful newspaper publishers. Set in New York City at the turn of the century, the musical is the tale of newsie Jack Kelly, who dreams of a better life far from the hardship of the streets. But when Pulitzer and Hearst raise distribution prices at the newsies' expense, Jack finds a cause to fight for and rallies his army of newsies to strike.

For more information, visit www.papermill.org.