Bastrop Opera House’s NEWSIES Delivers with Exceptional Young Talent

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NEWSIES at Bastrop Opera House Brings Energy, Heart, and a Terrific Young Cast.

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There are some musicals that arrive with built-in challenges, and NEWSIES is certainly one of them. Based on the 1992 Disney film and inspired by the real-life Newsboys’ Strike of 1899, NEWSIES follows Jack Kelly and the young newspaper sellers of New York City as they organize against publishing magnate Joseph Pulitzer after he raises the price the newsies must pay for their papers. With music by Alan Menken , lyrics by Jack Feldman , and a book by Harvey Fierstein , the musical combines a story of young people discovering the power of their collective voice with romance, humor, and some famously athletic ensemble numbers. Bastrop Opera House takes on all of that energy in its September production, creating an entertaining evening that is especially strengthened by its young cast.

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The historic Bastrop Opera House is itself part of the experience. The organization traces its history to the late nineteenth century, and its intimate theatre provides a very different setting for NEWSIES than the large stages normally associated with the musical. That intimacy brings the audience remarkably close to the characters and makes the task of fitting a large, constantly moving cast into the space all the more impressive.

At the center of the production is Alexander Durian as Jack Kelly , and he proves an excellent choice for the role. Durian is a charismatic performer with an exceptional voice: he has the power to ring out over the full company when the score calls for it, while retaining an expressive quality in Jack's quieter moments. Harmony Carraway makes a wonderfully believable Crutchie, creating a character who earns our sympathy without ever being reduced to it. The physical contrast between Carraway and Durian also makes Jack's protective relationship with Crutchie immediately convincing. Hunter Anderson brings a strong voice and confident stage presence to Davey, while James Worden gives an exceptional performance as Les. Worden is bold, funny, and musically assured, earning some of the evening's biggest laughs. Nadya Zamora is equally successful as Katherine, singing beautifully and capturing the character's intelligence, determination, humor, and growing affection for Jack. Megan DePaoli is a delight as Medda Larkin, pairing strong singing with a colorful and confident characterization.

One of the pleasures of NEWSIES, however, is that the newsies themselves must become a character, and this ensemble does exactly that. Autumn Baker as Race, Enrique Novoa as Albert, and Blaise Garansuay as Romeo are particularly enjoyable, with Garansuay finding some nicely comic moments. They are surrounded by a hardworking company including Denali Larson-Parachini, Gareth Schukte, Gabby Heath, Braja Yanklewicz, Diego Arriaga, Hezekiah Hunter, Maizy Metzger, Olivia Siroky, Laith Mubasher, Phoebe Bartee, Eliot Ballard, Lana Mubasher, Coco Taylor-Castro, and Dayton Harwood. Individual characters do not always need to pull focus in a show like this; what matters is whether the company creates the sense of a community capable of moving, singing, fighting, celebrating, and ultimately standing together. This ensemble does, with impressive singing and dancing throughout. Juniper Moore, Jude Garansuay, and Harper Tawater add to the company as the scabs, while Gibson Helton Layton and Samuel Mendoza work well together as the Delancey brothers. Andy Sanchez makes Snyder appropriately unpleasant, and Lou Taylor-Castro brings welcome humor to multiple roles. Will Holcomb's appearance as Governor Teddy Roosevelt is especially fun and nicely played.

Tom Bristoll brings an appealing quality to Joseph Pulitzer, although the role could benefit from a little more vocal and dramatic authority to make Pulitzer a stronger counterweight to Jack and the newsies. Still, Bristoll finds the character's charm and provides a recognizable antagonist without allowing the portrayal to become cartoonish. Jonathan Worden handles several supporting assignments effectively, while Joe Wolf, LaNette Lathem, Peyton White, Abigail Pauls, Kara Linn, Collin Moore, and others round out a cast that must constantly shift between named characters and the larger world surrounding the newsies.

Director Lisa Holcomb deserves considerable credit for what happens on this stage. Her casting is particularly successful, and she manages a remarkably large company within the confines of the Bastrop Opera House without sacrificing the show's momentum. The characters feel believable, relationships are clear, and there is imagination evident throughout the staging. Just getting NEWSIES onto an intimate stage is an undertaking; making it feel this lively and expansive requires both careful planning and considerable professional skill.

Melissa Ford 's choreography is spot on and takes full advantage of the youthful energy of the cast. NEWSIES is famous for choreography that asks a great deal of its performers, and having so many young actors capable of meeting those athletic demands gives this production tremendous vitality. Music Director Marc Lionetti has also done excellent work. The ensemble is balanced, in tune, and rhythmically together, producing a consistently enjoyable musical performance. Particularly in the large company numbers (especially "King of New York"), the musical preparation pays off.

Stage Manager Michelle Saphiow and Assistant Stage Manager Aline Forasteri keep an impressive number of moving pieces coordinated throughout the production. Brad Wilbourn's sound design and engineering serve the production well, as does Ethan Bauer's lighting design. Maranda Lawson operates the light board, with Victoria Vavricek handling spotlight and run-crew duties; Jason Farley and Mike Fahrenthold contribute to set construction, and Alexander Surian serves as wig stylist. Although no individual Costume Designer is identified in the production information, the costume work deserves recognition. The visual world of the production is cohesive, colorful, period-conscious, and exceptionally effective in distinguishing characters while allowing performers the freedom of movement this choreography demands.

Ultimately, Bastrop Opera House's NEWSIES succeeds because of the collective energy at its center. This is a story about young people discovering that their voices matter more when they raise them together, and there is something particularly satisfying about watching a young company embody that message with such enthusiasm. The production has a few uneven moments, as ambitious community productions often do, but they are easily outweighed by strong principal performances, excellent ensemble work, energetic choreography, and the evident care of the creative team.

NEWSIES is an easy production to recommend for families. It offers plenty of humor and spectacle for younger audience members, strong singing and dancing, and a story about courage, friendship, loyalty, and learning to stand up for yourself and others. I strongly engourage people to go and see this fun, energetic, engaging production! Bastrop Opera House's production runs September 4–27, 2026, and it is well worth making the trip to see these newsies seize the day.

NEWSIES

Book by Harvey Fierstein , Lyrics by Jack Feldman , and music by Alan Menken

Theater Company: Bastrop Opera House

Venue: 711 Spring St, Bastrop, TX 78602

September 4-27, Fridays-Saturdays, 7:30 pm, Sundays at 2:30 pm

Running Time: 2-½ hours, one 15-minute intermission

Tickets: $30

Ticket Link: https://bohtickets.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200490117

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/austin/article/Review-NEWSIES-at-Bastrop-Opera-House-20260915)._