Review - Newsies
If the squeals and cheers of Paper Mill's opening night audience is any indication, the brand new stage version of the 1992 Disney musical film Newsies (a financial flop that has gained a cult following through the years) should prove to be a popular hit among playgoers who enjoy hearing attractive young men belting pop anthems and watching them leap across the stage performing athletic spins and flips. But underneath the flashy performances of its title ensemble, Newsies is a slow-moving, workmanlike musical that takes an interesting, historic episode in the American labor movement and presents it as the kind of spunky entertainment that takes formulaic aim at the heart without earning any emotional payback through well-crafted storytelling.
