Since we first saw Christian Bale prancing across dusty Manhattan streets belting “Santa Fe,” we’ve held a torch in our heart for the 1992 Disney live-action flop Newsies. We don’t even care the Roger Ebert once likened the film to “warmed-over Horatio Alger,” since deep down we knew that one day, we’d have the chance to audition for a stage production of the show. (In our fantasy, we weren’t Christian Bale/Jack Kelly’s love interest, Sarah, because she was a goody-goody. We were always Ann-Margret‘s brassy saloon singer, Medda Larkson.)
Now our dreams are that much closer to coming true, as the New Jersey production of Newsies at the Paper Mill Theater has just announced the full line-up for its Broadway debut on March 15th.
Even better: the role of Jack Kelly, the brash, con-artist “Cowboy” (think Sawyer from Lost, except younger, and with a terrible American accent and a love of theatrical dancing) will be reprised by Jeremy Jordan, who had left Newsies in September to star in the ill-fated Bonnie & Clyde. B&C closed last month after a brief run due to poor ticket sales.
Mr. Jordan might also be recognizable to non-theater-going audiences as Dolly Parton‘s grandson in the new Glee-meets-Sister Act 2 feature film, Joyful Noise.
Jeremy Jordan in Joyful Noise:
Christian Bale as Jack Kelly in the original Newsies:
The cast of Newsies performing on The View back in December:
