Dear Newsies,
For some, you have been inspiring the dancer, singer and revolutionist inside of us since 1992 thanks to a box-office-flop-turned-cult-hit movie. For others, it was at New Jersey’s Papermill Playhouse where the stage production came to life and later transferred to Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre followed by a North American touring production.
No matter when it was, this story changed lives.
Since 2012, you, a wonderfully crafted high-energy show, have been taking audiences by storm, both on and off Broadway. You taught all of us to really believe in ourselves that we have a voice even when one person says you don’t. No matter how small or what age we are, what we do and say matters. We are able to make changes in the world. And that is why you have defeated all odds.
I want to thank you for giving me something to believe in. I discovered you at a time where I felt stuck in my own life, similar to how Jack feels in New York. No one understood what I was going through because even though on the outside I appeared to have everything together, on the inside everything seemed to have been falling apart. But when we listen and later watch a show about a group of kids who see something wrong and make it right again, what’s more motivating and capturing than that?
I also want to thank you for both the Internet friends and in-person friends I’ve made because of you. Having a love for you has sparked lifelong friendships that only "fansies" can understand. Feeling lost at one point and then feeling found is the absolute best.
I want to thank the cast, from the movie to the current "toursies." Thank you for bringing this story to life. Thank you for being a part of something bigger than anyone ever thought it would be. Your journeys from Newsies and beyond have inspired many to take the journey through musical theater themselves. Because you brought this show to life, future performers will rise to greatness and take the stage they one day. A new generation of musical theater students and professionals will one day answer Newsies to the question of, “What inspired you to get into theater?”
I want to thank the crew, writers, producers and creators. All of you are the backbone of this show. Alan Menken and Jack Feldmen – thank you for giving Newsies a second chance during the stage musical process. It’s not too often anyone gets a do-over, and this was done better than anyone could have imagined.
And even though we "fansies" will have to say goodbye to the tour in October, we will never forget it and are thrilled to hear about the regional productions. But we will always remember the promise from Thomas Schumacher on Aug. 24, 2014 – the day the show closed on Broadway – that “never – and I have predicted in your lifetimes – will there be a night that Newsies is not playing somewhere in the world.” We will hold you to that promise, Mr. Schumacher, and thank you for it.
Continue to seize the day,
A Fansie
