Lyndonville brings a high-energy Newsies to the stage

Newsboys form union, seek fair pay in taking on wealthy publishers

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Newsboys join together in a strike in 1899. Lyndonville shares the story of the ragtag team of paperboys making a living selling newspapers on the street of New York City.

Lyndonville performed the first show on Friday evening and has performances at 7 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Sunday in the Stroyan Auditorium, 25 Housel Ave.

Amir Huzair, in back, plays the lead role of Jack Kelly, who leads the youngsters in their fight to make a decent wage.

Jennifer Neroni-Trupo, the show’s director, said the musical brings a message for equality and fair pay, child rights and activism.

“Treat people with dignity and kindness all the time,” Neroni-Trupo states in the program for the musical. “We have been working very hard during this production to make sure that every person is welcome in our theater family and that this is a place they can safely be themselves.”

The newsboys go on strike after the newspaper owners increase the costs of the “papes” or the newspapers on the newsboys, cutting into their already slim profits. The newsboys form a union and go on strike against wealthy publishers, including Joseph Pulitzer.

James Giarla plays newspaper titan Joseph Pulitzer. When circulation starts to decline, resulting in lesser profits, Pulitzer decides to charge the newsboys more to sell the newspapers.

Jack and Crutchie (Auston Bentley), right, are excited to meet two new paperboys, Davey (Noah Fox), left, and his little brother Les (Gavyn Draper). Les gives a sad face to get sympathy from customers to buy his newspapers.

The Bowery Beauties join Medda Larkin (Hannah Marker) in performing at a theater. The Beauties include Robin Botsford, Sierra Frasier, Thalia Heinsler, Karalyn Klotzbach, Dixie Nowicki and Adrianna Vanderbrook. The newsboys take cover in the theater while being chased from the warden of a juvenile detention center.

Sarah Corser plays Katherine Plumber, a young reporter who covers the newsboys’ strike. She sees it as a chance to be taken more seriously as a reporter. She and Jack also have a romantic connection.

Aurora Avery plays the role of Finch and is fired up in seeking better wages and treatment.

Jack (Amir Huzair) is discouraged when the strike gets off to a rough start, with some of the newsboys, including his close friend Crutchie, apprehended and taken to the juvenile detention center. Huzair, blaming himself for the failure, sings “Santa Fe,” wanting to runaway forever.

Katherine and Jack later team to create their own paper, the Newsies Banner. Katherine, who is Pulitzer’s daughter, writes a story about the inhumane conditions in the juvenile detention facility, using many of Jack’s drawings of the abuse. That prompts the closing of the detention center.