‘Newsies’ to take the stage at Homer high

Homer High School students will ‘Seize the Day’ this month with their performance of the musical “Newsies.”

The musical is set in 1899 New York during a strike of the city’s newsboys — who have to purchase the papers they sell.

“ … All of a sudden publisher Joseph Pulitzer wants to make more money and so he raises the price of papers,” cast member Lexie Sweeney said. “Jack, the leader of the Manhattan newsies, doesn’t like that so he calls them all to strike. There’s a little romance involved later in the story, but I don’t want to spoil it.”

Sweeney, a junior, said she was excited about doing such a large and well-known musical.

“I’m excited because it’s one of the more popular productions that we’ve gotten to do,” she said.

Homer students have been working diligently to bring to life the experience of newsies, director Kyle Schneider said.

The words ‘Extra! Extra! Read all about it!’ precede nearly every stereotypical news kid on a street hawking papers in Hollywood storylines of a certain age, but they barely scratch the surface of the work that goes into becoming, and being, a Newsie,” he said in an email.

During a March 5 tech-prep workshop, Schneider said the 60-member cast has been working on the show since the start of the second semester. Final rehearsals for the show, which was produced by the Homer High School concert choir in collaboration with Homer’s Pier One Theatre, started Monday. Jennifer Norton, stage director, said last week that the cast was making progress.

“We’re working our way through the scenes and will start running acts next week,” Norton said. “Kyle is working with vocalists and orchestra and when we get back from spring break, we’ll be slamming it all together.”

During the tech workshop, students Hope Stearns, Kay Bartle, Thea Person and Jackson Pietsch were on the stage with paint, revising components of the set backdrop from a previous production, “West Side Story.”

Students had just finished putting stands in the pits for the orchestra and were painting the bases of some of the backdrops, such as pre-1900 New York City, dubbed by one of the students as “newsies square.”

“We’ve been pulling out costumes, sets, backdrops, lots of wood. A lot of wood,” student Bryce Glidden said. “Things are coming along, we’ll be ready for the show.”

The show, which features music by Alan Menken, also involves a lot of dancing.

“Every song has at least a little bit of a dancing portion,” Gilbreath said. “Some have set choreography and some are just blocked movement.”

Gilbreath said the two songs with the most dance are “King of New York” and “Seize the Day.”

“It’s been really fun to have the choreographers come in and help us run things,” she said.

Choreographers for the show are Maura Jones and Laura Ground. The production also involves about 10 community members in the orchestra. Other contributors are Regi Johanos as stage manager, Jesse D. Bolt with lights, Drew Wimmerstedt for sound and Kiirsten Styvar as food coordinator. As usual, many parents and other volunteers have offered help.

Performances will be March 24 at 7 p.m. and March 25 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Homer High School Mariner Theatre, located at 600 E. Fairview Ave. General admission is $15. $12 for seniors, $10 for students. $40 for families. Tickets are available at The Homer Bookstore or at the door, cash or check only. All proceeds benefit the Homer High School choir program. Questions/ accommodations: 907-235-4607.

Emilie Springer can be reached at emilie.springer@homernews.com.

Photo by Emilie Springer/Homer News Crew Vern Neveras, Bryce Glidden and Jasmine Lurus work in the Homer Mariner Theater shop on March 5, preparing newspaper props for the musical “Newsies.”