History of the Newsboys

 

Newsies was inspired by the Newsboys Strike of 1899 and the working conditions of the early 1900s. The strike in 1899 was sparked by William R. Hearst of the New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World refusing to lower their wholesale cost-per-paper from the increased Spanish-American War prices. These news companies, and many others, had increased the cost to outdo their competitors in sales. The war sparked an overall increase in purchases, as people were eager to hear about happenings on the field, and papers, as a result, spent exorbitant amounts of money on flashy cover pages and front line accounts in hopes of increasing advertiser (customer) engagement. To make up for the extra spent, the overall wholesale price per paper increased from 50 to 60 cents per hundred. After the war ended, however, most companies rolled their prices back, but the New York Journal and the New York World were determined not to. They assumed profit margins would be greater if they kept them higher. Sales weren’t great though and the newsies sold fewer and fewer papers. It became harder for the young workforce to make ends meet. As such, the newsies rallied together and striked, but publishers didn’t take them seriously. It wasn’t until the advertisers started petitioning the paper that things changed. Soon the newsies and publishers made a compromise: the publishers would purchase back any unsold copies, but the higher price would stay. This meant the newsies would have less financial losses.

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One noticeable aspect of the show is the age of the newsies. The entire cast is supposed to be young because, by the early 1900s, when Newsies is set, the number of children in the workforce hit its peak—around two million children were legally employed. Countless more lacked the paperwork and legal protections the two million had, however, and it’s a stretch to say there were decent protective labor laws in the first place. Nonetheless, many kids picked up work to make ends meet. 

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Many jobs available to youth were tiresome and dangerous. To power the boom in industry and the time, however, they needed to be done. Two common occupations available to kids were coal mining and factory machinery operation. Compared to these, being a newsie was glamorous. Newsies set their own working hours and personally decided how many papers they’d sell. Of course, it was hard work. Because the price of wholesale papers was so expensive, kids would work over twelve hours a day just to get by. To get more papers to sell, it wasn’t uncommon for the young laborers to use tactics like headline exaggeration, fumbling with payment, and crafting sob stories. At the end of the day, too, not all of the workers had a place to stay. While the Newsboys’ Lodging House and the Elizabeth Home for Girls provided places for the male and female newsies to crash for the night, it cost six cents a bed and six more a meal. If the day was slow and papers didn’t sell, the youth had to pick between the two. As such, it wasn’t all that rare to see a kid sleeping in an alley after hours. 

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Geography of New York

 

In the play, the different boroughs’ newsies, Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Richmond (Staten Island), were invited to join the strike. The different boroughs were historically independent cities until 1898 when they were combined to make New York City as we know it today. Each was and is distinct and unique. Brooklyn was a leading figure in manufacturing. The Bronx was originally farmland and became more metropolitan with the growing population from immigration and from the rapid industrialization of the New York City area. Queens was home to Jacob Riis, a notable photojournalist that brought to the public eye just how poor labor conditions in large cities were. Staten Island had a few name changes. Manhattan, the scene of the story, was home to the 349-foot World building. It was the tallest building in 1890 and stood towering over City Hall Park, which is the real-life counterpart to Newsie Square. The Newsboys’ Lodging House was just one block to the north. The second song of the show, “Carrying the Banner,” is set on the morning trip from the lodge to the square.

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Characters in Real Life

 

Every strike needs a leader though. Kid Blink and Morris Cohen, major figures amongst newsie history, were the inspiration for the character Jack Kelly. Blink was often quoted by papers covering the events of the strike and Cohen was one of the original organizers of it. Cohen was also an executive committee member of the newsies’ union. 

Nellie Bly, an muckraker journalist from the mid to late 1800s, was the inspiration for Katherine Plumber. She was dedicated to her job. She travelled all over and made a name for herself in a male-dominated industry. At one point, she went undercover as a patient to craft an authentic report on a mental institution. 

Nellie wasn’t the only muckraker of the time though. Jacob Riis, a photojournalist famous for his work on the children’s labor movement, documented the young laborers of the American Industrial Revolution and their poor working conditions. The Refuge and Jack’s illustrations were based on Riis’s work.

 

Aida Overton Walker lived during that period too. Walker was the inspiration for Medda. She was an African-American artist known for her refusal to conform to traditional Black performer stereotypes. She played an active role in helping other young Black women make names for themselves. Walker was one of the most revered African-American artists of her time.

Don Seitz and Joseph Pulitzer were also famous in their careers. While only Seitz was present at the strike, the roles both played were critical to the history of the period. Pulitzer was a powerful man and used the New York World to influence events around him. He used strategies like provocative headlines and fact exaggeration to sell papers. Some of the articles he published are largely attributed to influencing the start of the Spanish-American war. Because of his work on journalism, a prize for excellence in the field was named in his honor. Seitz, as the New York World’s business manager, sent daily reports to Pulitzer on all topics. He worked to manage relationships with the newsies during the strike and the information he gave Pulitzer was used to fabricate the newspaper’s side of the story. 

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History of the Show

 

Newsies was originally a movie before it was adapted for the stage. Bob Tzudiker, the screenwriter, got the idea from a book review. The book, Children of the City, focuses on the life of children from the late 1800s to early 1900s. With his wife and writing partner, Noni White, Tudiker researched and crafted the tale. The movie wasn’t originally pitched with songs and dancing, but Disney, having success with their animated musicals, felt it was time for a live-action one. However, released on April 10, 1992, it was a financial failure. When it re-released on Disney Channel for home viewers, it finally blew up. By the 2000s, there was a demand for a theatrical adaptation of the story. Constant, unauthorized productions were being put on, so Disney, of course, decided to make an official version available to the public. After deepening Jack's motivations as a character and adding the female lead Katherine, a mix between the film’s adult reporter Bryan Denton and the love interest Sarah (Davey and Les’s sister). Additional changes include strengthening the brotherhood between Jack and Crutchie, sending Crutchie to the Refuge instead of Jack (seen at the end of Act 1 and beginning of Act 2), reducing the number of songs Medda sings, and adding a total of seven songs to the script. The play blew up in the fall of 2011 and ended up winning two Tony Awards®. 

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Synopsis

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The show opens as Jack Kelly shares his dreams of Santa Fe with Crutchie before sunrise. Then, the newsies start off their day and journey to the World’s distribution center. They purchase their papers to resell and meet Davey and Les, two new newsies from a struggling family. 

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At the same time, Pulitzer, the publisher for the World, and his comrades are figuring out a way to increase their profits on their paper.

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The scene switches to follow Jack, Davey, and Les who go to Medda’s theatre after being chased down. Jack explains there why he was chased down and introduces the others to Medda. They stay to watch her perform. Jack, however, notices Katherine, a young reporter, and attempts to flirt with her, despite being clearly rejected.

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The next day, the newsies go to the distribution window to pick up their papers for the day only to realize that the bulk price has increased. They decide to go on strike. 

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After a successful day of striking, they elect Jack as the union leader and work to spread the word to other newsies across the boroughs of New York. Katherine comes to get an article for the Sun, the paper she works for. 

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The next day, Jack notices only a few kids had gathered to strike and urges the group to try to make this work anyways. Things escalate and a fight breaks out. Crutchie is taken away to the Refuge, a not so great place, in the end. Jack places the responsibility on his shoulders and feels guilty. This marks the end of Act One.

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In Act Two, the newsies drown out their woes with water at Jacobi’s Deli. Nobody’s seen Jack since the strike and everybody’s worried that their attempts to protest failed. Katherine arrives and shares the good news, however: they made the front page of the Sun! 

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Across town, Crutchie, at the Refuge, writes a letter to Jack.

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Davey, Les, and Katherine go to Meddas to find Jack and try to get him to rejoin the fight. He refuses, but eventually agrees to join. They plan a rally.

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Pulitzer discovers Katherine’s story and is furious. He wants to meet with Jack—who conveniently walks in to announce the rally. Pulitzer threatens and bribes Jack. He then orders the boy to be sent to think in his cellar.

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Later that day, the Brooklyn newsies join the rally at Medda’s theater. Davey gives an inspiring speech and Jack tries to convince everyone to call the strike off. 

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Jack runs out and finds Katherine. They argue, but eventually resolve to find a way to publish information about the strike on the only printing press available to use: the one in Pulitzer’s cellar. 

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The news spreads and Pulitzer’s office is bombarded with complaints from all over the city. Jack and other newsies leaders show up to bargain. He refuses until Governor Roosevelt (yes, the future President of the United States) shows up with Katherine and evidence and threats against him. They finally come to a compromise and the strike ends.

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Outside, Crutchie and Jack are reunited and Jack decides to stay in New York.