RI PROFESSIONAL PREMIERE OF DISNEY’S NEWSIES OPENS AT BILL HANNEY’S THEATRE BY THE SEA JULY 17
WAKEFIELD, RI – In celebration of 86 Years of Theatre By The Sea, owner and producer Bill Hanney is proud to present the Rhode Island professional premiere of Disney’s Newsies which will be presented from July 17–August 10, 2019.
“Anyone who knows me well, knows that I like to be the first to produce a show once the rights become available,” said Bill Hanney. “I’m so thrilled that Theatre By The Sea has the honor of presenting the Rhode Island professional premiere of this Tony® Award-winning musical!”
Set in turn-of-the century New York City, Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged “newsies.” When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what’s right! Based on the 1992 motion picture and inspired by a true story, Newsies features a Tony® Award-winning score by Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Sister Act) and Jack Feldman and a book by Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots). Featuring the now classic songs “Carrying the Banner,”“Seize the Day,” and “Santa Fe,” Newsies is packed with non-stop thrills and a timeless message, perfect for the whole family!
Directed by Richard Sabellico, who directed recent TBTS productions of Joseph…, The Music Man, Buddy, and Annie, with musical direction by Jacob Priddy and choreography by Charlie Sutton, the cast includes Clay Roberts, who was born and raised in New Zealand and trained in Australia. Mr. Roberts will be making his U.S. debut in the role of Jack Kelly. Playing opposite Mr. Roberts, in her Theatre By The Sea debut, will be Katie Claire McGrath as Katherine Plumber. They will be joined by Dean Cestari, Joseph Allen, and Matthew Packard, in the roles of Davey, Crutchie and Les. Patrick Boll, whose Broadway credits include Mamma Mia!, Twentieth Century, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hedda Gabler, and Death of a Salesman, will portray Joseph Pulitzer, and Ebony Deloney will be making her TBTS debut as Medda Larkin. TBTS Associate Producer, Thom Warren, who was recently seen as Roscoe Dexter in Singin’ in the Rain and previously as Maurice inBeauty and the Beast (BroadwayWorld nomination), returns in the dual roles of Nunzio and Snyder, and Tom Roberts, who audiences will remember from his recent TBTS appearances in The Wizard of Oz, The Little Mermaid, and Annie, returns in the multiple roles of the Mayor, Mr. Jacobi, and the Stage Manager. Rounding out the cast are Maggie Bergman,Victoria Biro, Bryan Dougherty, Joel Douglas, Jason Haggerty, Maverick Hiu, Gabriel Kearns, Seth Lerner, Natalie Livingston, Darren McArthur, Chelsie Nectow, Eric Michael Parker, Brett Pederson, William Rivera, James Schultz, and Josh Zacher.
The creative team includes resident scenic designer Kyle Dixon and resident lighting designerJose Santiago, along with David Cabral (Costume Coordinator), Danny Erdberg (Sound Design), Meg Kane (Wig and Hair Design), John Carpentier (Production Stage Manager), and Logan Pratt (Assistant Stage Manager). Disney’s Newsies is being produced for Theatre By The Sea by Bill Hanney (Owner/Producer), Kevin P. Hill (Producing Artistic Director), and Thom Warren (Associate Producer).
Audiences are invited to enhance their theatre experience by dining in the casual, contemporary and creative atmosphere of Bistro by the Sea, just a short stroll down the arbor walk adjacent to the theatre. Following performances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, beginning July 26, theatergoers can enjoy fun, food, and drinks at the popular Late Night Cabaret, hosted on alternate weekends by Poppy Champlin and Doreen Collins. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made by calling (401) 789-3030. Before or after the meal theatergoers can enjoy the lush seaside gardens, which contain over 300 varieties of perennials, grasses, shrubs and climbing plants, which offer a magical environment for flower lovers of all ages.
Disney’s Newsies will be presented from July 17–August 10, with preview performances on July 17 and 18 and opening night scheduled for July 19. Performances are scheduled for Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm, Thursdays at 2:00 pm, Saturdays at 3:00 and Sundays at 5:00 pm, with special performance times on Sunday, July 21 at 2:00 & 7:00 pm and a special added matinee performance on Wednesday August 7 at 2:00 pm. The theatre is located at 364 Cards Pond Road, Wakefield. Tickets for preview performances, Wednesday, July 17 and Thursday, July 18 are $51, and $54 – $77 for all other performances (additional fees may apply). Discount rates are available for groups of 10 or more by calling (401) 782-3800 x 112. Tickets are on sale at the box office Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am – 6:00 pm, Sundays from 12 noon – 5:00 pm and performance days until curtain, online 24-hours-a-day at www.theatrebythesea.com and via telephone during normal box office hours by calling (401) 782-TKTS (8587) or (866) 811-4111.
Located on Rhode Island’s South Shore, Theatre By The Sea celebrates 86 years of summer theatre at its best!
Theatre By The Sea has had many incarnations since opening on August 7, 1933. Tommy Brent saved the theatre from demolition in 1967 and ran it successfully until FourQuest Entertainment took over the lease in 1988. Following extensive renovations, FourQuest reopened the theatre in the spring of 1989 and continued producing high quality entertainment at the seaside playhouse until the fall of 2003. Bill Hanney purchased the property in 2007 and, with producing partners, successfully mounted a production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, just six weeks later, reopening the historic theatre on August 8, 2007. Since then, Theatre By The Sea has continued to produce a four-musical subscription season, a late-night cabaret series, a children’s theatre festival, and a children’s summer theatre camp.