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DANCE ASSISTANT
Lynsey Dietze
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PRODUCTION MANAGER
Deb Rohrbaugh
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TECH CONSULTANT
Maisy Holmes
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A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
The year was 1899 when a ragtag group of penniless street urchins made national headlines by taking a stand against one of the most politically powerful men in New York City, newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer. Newsies is their David and Goliath story, a legend of the little guy fighting for what is right. Fighting for dignity. It’s about the fear of starting something bigger than yourself; something that you might not be able to finish. It is also a reminder that even if we don’t think we are equipped for the battle, if we do not try then we have already lost.
I am so thankful for the hard work and courage that this cast has shown as they stood up to their own Goliath this year: putting on CAHS’s first musical at the Center for the Arts in 3 years! Our students faced many challenges along the way, from the complicated dance routines and music they learned to the policies that came with this year’s health regulations. I am so proud of them for their strength of character and their willingness to stay flexible when changes came. I am proud of them for sticking it out and not quitting even when things were not going the way we expected them to go. We have worked hard. And now at the finish line we can say with confidence, knowing what we have achieved, that this is our time to shine.
A PEEK INTO HISTORY
The 2012 award-winning Broadway sensation Newsies has original roots as a 1992 Disney movie and more importantly, is based on true events in history. In 1899 the historical Newsboys Strike occurred in New York, when a group of newsies banded together to fight for their rights to earn a livable wage. Boys and girls who sold newspapers on the streets went toe-to-toe against newspaper publishers Joseph Pulitzer (New York World) and William Randolph Hearst (New York Journal).
During the 1898 Spanish-American War, newspaper sales skyrocketed, profits soared, and the newsies’ cost-per-paper increased. After the war when the Treaty of Paris was signed, giving the U.S. control of nearly all Spanish colonies, people were less inclined to purchase newspapers. Pulitzer and Hearst refused to lower the cost-per-paper down to pre-war prices as many other publishers had. Newsies saw the injustice and decided to strike in an attempt to make the two tycoons respect and treat them as legitimate business members of society. Newsies from all over the Northeast as well as other child laborers banded together and stood their ground even when things became violent. The publishers only took the newsies seriously when advertisers began to request an adjustment to their bill.
The two-week strike (July 20 - August 2) ended in a compromise. The prices stayed the same, however Pulitzer and Hearst would buy back any unsold newspapers each day. The 1899 strike is one of ten that took place in New York between 1886 and 1948. However, this particular strike is the most noteworthy one. It is a significant moment in history as being one of the first strikes carried out by children and ending in compromise. This also launched several other strikes and began an irreversible revolution of child laborers.
Now is the time to seize the day!
