The Ontario Theatre Review: Disney’s Newsies at The Grand Theatre
By Ross
There’s something uniquely special about attending the Grand Theatre’s High School Project. The audience buzzes with thrilled energy, cheering on these young performers with a warmth that melts this theatre junkie’s heart. I haven’t made it to one of these productions since 2022’s Into the Woods, which brought to life Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s magnificent (and complicated) score. What makes these presentations remarkable is how fully the Grand Theatre steps up and pulls out all the stops, surrounding the students with professional-level design and staging. It’s hard to grasp just how much learning (on so many levels) must happen during these runs! With great thanks to the fine work of set design consultant Joshua Quinlan (Crow’s Wights), costume designer Lisa Wright (HSP’s Matilda the Musical), and lighting designer Echo Zhou周芷會 (Tarragon’s A Poem for Rabia), along with their student crews, this year’s Newsies feels as special and wonderful as ever. It really is the squarest deal in town.
The Tony Award-winning musical Newsies feels like the perfect fit for this ambitious and beautifully crafted High School Project, gifting us all an inspiring story about kids who fight for what is right at the turn of the century against those in charge. With music by Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors), lyrics by Jack Feldman (Beyond Therapy) and book by Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song), the family-friendly musical energetically comes to life, following the story of newsboys and newsgirls who dream of a better life and lead a crusade for justice against the powerful man who seems to control the world, at least in these young people’s eyes. It just doesn’t feel fair or right to these Newsies— and that’s exactly the kind of lesson these students can and should unpack on stage.
The energy is all there as we watch and engage with the student cast of Newsies. It bursts with confidence and drive, led by the strong Trent Robichaud, who makes Jack Kelly both charismatic and emotionally grounded. Opposite him, the lovely Keirah Buckley brings spunk and warmth to Katherine Plumber, the ambitious young reporter who catches Jack’s eye; together, they spark with chemistry, and their duets feel full of grit and charm. As the outsider siblings that Jack befriends at the circulation gate, Paxton Nair (Davey) and Tessa Pritchett-White (Les) deliver standout performances — Nair with a steady, earnest presence and Pritchett-White with her hilarious timing and eager stance — rounding out the story’s emotional core and keeping the action buoyant and engaging.
These young performers excel in their well-formed leading roles, bringing heart and passion to both their vocals and their character work. Yet, for me, the emotional core of the show lies truly in Leland Chafee’s tender turn as ‘Crutchie‘. His Act II moment — sing-writing a letter to Jack from the Refuge describing its dangerous, filthy, and abusive conditions — is moving and gentle as he intones the touching “Letter from the Refuge.” Delivered with understated honesty, it’s a performance that emotionally connects as Crutchie pleads for the newsies to keep looking out for one another, signing off simply: “your brother, Crutchie.”
Balancing all that youthful optimism, Alexandra Stockford embodies the ruthless, evil oligarchy/publisher of the New York World, Joseph Pulitzer, with cruel precision, supported by a gang of thugs who sharpen the show’s stakes. But beyond these principal roles, the entire ensemble, both adults and students, finds distinct moments to shine, carving out bold, memorable characters through movement, stance, and sheer energy, seizing the day like there’s no tomorrow.
Their showstopper “King of New York“, led by a smooth, magnetic Hayden Baertsoen as Newsie Romeo, is a true highlight — the kind of big, polished number that makes you forget you’re watching high-schoolers rather than seasoned professionals. The show itself also feels timely and resonant, its themes of justice and solidarity echoing the world around us today — a perfect fit for a cast and crew of high school students to dig (and tap) their theatre-loving souls into. Based on the 1992 Disney movie starring Christian Bale, Bill Pullman, and Ann-Margret, Newsies charges headstrong into the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City. It comes out swinging, finding a solid grounding to play out this history on that wide Grand Theatre stage, thanks to the vibrant energy of these young singers, dancers, and performers.
The Grand Theatre’s High School Project absolutely excels with this production of Disney’s Newsies, overflowing with iconic dance numbers choreographed by Krista Leis (Capital Theatre’s Snow White: The Panto), lovingly delivered songs under the musical direction of Matthew Atkins (Grand’s Comfort & Joy), and a gorgeously honest staging guided by director Ray Hogg (Soulpepper’s A Strange Loop). Every element is performed with commitment, style, and delight by this year’s remarkable cast of high school students. It’s a gift and a joy to witness young performers exploring their talents and commanding the main stage with such passion and confidence. Go see this, if you can, because these Newsies are worth every dime of that Grand Theatre ticket.
The Student Company of Disney‘s Newsies
Cast
Marissa Allen
HANNAH / ENSEMBLE
Abena Baah-Frimpong
SEITZ/ ENSEMBLE
Hayden Baertsoen
ROMEO / ENSEMBLE
Sophia Belleth
MEDDA LARKIN / ENSEMBLE
Keirah Buckley
KATHERINE PLUMBER / ENSEMBLE
Joshua Cassar
MORRIS DELANCEY / ENSEMBLE
Leland Chafee
CRUTCHIE / ENSEMBLE
Marina Daminelli Krieck
MOTHER ABBESS / ENSEMBLE
Isaac De Melo
HENRY / ENSEMBLE
Evan Doerr
ELMER / ENSEMBLE / FIGHT CAPTAIN
Shakotshanunyatha Doxtator
OSCAR DELANCEY / ENSEMBLE
Josephine Gajasan
MS JACOBI / ENSEMBLE
Sam Harson
DARCY / ENSEMBLE
Isabelle Hiltz
JO JO / ENSEMBLE
Aya Holzberg
ALBERT / ENSEMBLE
Alexis Khanna
MUSH / ENSEMBLE
Solange Kirkwood
SPOT CONLON / ENSEMBLE
Eva Klimchuk
MIKE / ENSEMBLE
Rendall Lackenbauer
BILL / ENSEMBLE
Jack Lindsay
SPLASHER / ENSEMBLE / CO-DANCE CAPTAIN
Lara Manocchi
NUN / ENSEMBLE
Morgan McLenaghan
ROOSEVELT / ENSEMBLE
Erica Mota
EXTRA EXTRA! / ENSEMBLE
Paxton Nair
DAVEY / ENSEMBLE
Tessa Pritchett-White
LES / ENSEMBLE
Taylor Reaume-Cunning
FINCH / ENSEMBLE
Hannah Reid
IKE / ENSEMBLE
Trent Robichaud
JACK KELLY / ENSEMBLE
Sal Rogers
SHERLOCK / ENSEMBLE
Santiago Rojas
BUNSEN / ENSEMBLE
Solarah Rose
SPECS / ENSEMBLE
Olivia Schiedel
BUTTONS / ENSEMBLE / CO-DANCE CAPTAIN
Alexandra Stockford
JOSEPH PULITZER / ENSEMBLE
Navya Vaillancourt
SNYDER / ENSEMBLE
Desi vanBeek-Paterson
RACE / ENSEMBLE
Chloe Webb
WIESEL / ENSEMBLE
David Weber
TOMMY BOY / ENSEMBLE
Lyla Worrall
WATSON / ENSEMBLE
