Ikhlas Haji

“Newsies” characters Katherine Plumber (Kalleigh Malecha) and Jack Kelly (Ethan Armstrong) banter on stage.

Opening night for the musical, “Newsies”  is on Friday, Feb. 23.  The music is by Alan Menken; lyrics by Jack Feldman, with the book by Harvey Fierstein. Newsies is a musical based on the Disney Plus film written by Bob Tzdiker and Noni White. 

It is about a historical group of kids who sold newspapers around New York City in the 1800s. These kids relied on the income of the paper to survive. Bigger companies decided to raise the price that the Newsies would have to pay to get the papers they were selling. 

The Newsies decided to go on strike and create a union. They went on this strike and had a positive resolution, showing the power of minors and groups working together. 

The show focuses mainly on Jack Kelly, played by senior Ethan Armstrong, who is the leader of the group of Newsies. Jack becomes friends with a guy named Davey, played by senior Reuel Borkenhagen, who is the brains behind the strike. Borkenhagen has played in 12 shows spanning his high school career both in and outside of OHS, which makes him feel confident in his performance.

Borkenhagen said, “We’ve put a lot of work into this show over the last few months and I think we’re ready to perform. At this point, there isn’t much more actual preparation I can do, beyond getting ready mentally. My lines are memorized and I know the dances so the important thing now is to keep myself confident and get some rest before the long weekend of shows.” 

The entire cast has been working extremely hard and they are very proud of their work. Armstrong said, “My favorite part of the show is a musical number called ‘Once and for All,’ it’s a pivotal part in the show and the message it sends is really cool.”

The Newsies cast has been practicing since just before winter break. The musical is directed by Erik Eitrheim, he said, “It has been a grind”. Many people have worked hard to make this musical a great performance: Mr. Erik Eitrheim is the director, Ms. Paula Asmus is the musical director and choreographer, Doc Grauberger is the technical director, Mr. Pete Guenther is the pit director, Mr. Dylan Weese is the lighting director, and Ms. Betsy Cole is the costume designer. 

The cast has spent countless hours doing cardiovascular exercises with Coach Jerry Eggermont in preparation for the intense dancing and singing they will be doing. As well as the training, they have been practicing for hours daily after school.

Junior Kalleigh Malecha plays the main female role of Katherine Plumber. She said, “Lately we have been practicing so much, I don’t get home til about 11:30 p.m. but it is going so well.” The many hours of practicing will definitely pay off. 

The new auditorium has provided many opportunities and has really expanded the horizon for the entire theater department. There is now a pit built into the auditorium which will make it much easier for the shows to run. 

Mr.Eithreim said, “I wouldn’t say we did bad shows in the old OHS but there were a lot of constraints making it more difficult, so I am very excited for the opportunities the new auditorium has.” 

There are many new possibilities like the pit, lighting and more space for the musical to run, making it much easier. 

Opening night is Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. The show will run February 23, 24, March 1 and March 2 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 25 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are available on Hometown Ticketing, most easily accessed on the Owatonna High School Activities page. Tickets are $5 for students and $8. Activity passes will be accepted. No cash will be accepted at the door.

Buy tickets here.