Newsies characters stand in solidarity against the oppression of newspapers … but not this one. Footlite Musicals assured us they like the Hamilton County Reporter. (Photo courtesy StageRight Photography)
By STU CLAMPITT
news@readthereporter.com
Cameron Callan is taking a leap as director of Disney Newsies the Broadway Musical, set for Nov. 21 through Dec. 14 at Footlite Musicals, 1847 N. Alabama St., Indianapolis.
Callan is a teacher at White Lick Elementary in Brownsburg, where he directs six programs a year with young actors in kindergarten through fifth grade. This will be his first time directing a Broadway-style musical. This time, Callan’s cast ranges in age from nine years old to late 60s and early 70s.
“I’m an elementary school teacher, so dealing with the younger ones is kind of my day-to-day,” Callan said. “With the adults it’s interesting. Just having similar expectations of what I would expect the younger ones to do, but still needing them where they are and having – not more of an expectation – but knowing they can handle more than the seven and eight-year-olds I’m used to working with.”
In addition to the wide age range, Callan’s cast is larger than normal, including 35 actors of all ages.
Callan is not going it alone. He has three choreographers, a vocal director and a musical director. Combined with the 12 live musicians in the pit, this production is set to look and sound as close to Broadway as possible.
Director Cameron Callan, while working on blocking for this play, had to “play” a little to visualize everything. Special thanks should go to his children for having the perfect toys. (Photo provided by Cameron Callan)
“I think this show spoke to me because it’s very old-fashioned and it’s just fun,” Callan said. “It’s high-energy song and dance, as opposed to a lot of modern musicals where it’s not so much story-focused but almost ‘sad just to be sad.’ This is just a good, family-friendly, high-energy, always moving, fast-paced show that anyone – regardless of experience in theater – can enjoy.”
Callan used what may be a unique method to work on blocking for this play.
“Being a very visual person who tries to picture in my head, versus writing it out,” Callan said. “A lot of the blocking that I did almost looks like football plays where I had the set drawn with arrows and X’s and circles. Then I also took some of my children’s little people toys and assigned every character in the show a little person character, and I blocked it out – basically acted it out – with all the figures just to get in my head where exactly everyone is going to go.”
For the few readers who may not be familiar with the story, The Reporter asked Callan to explain it in his own words.
“The play is based on the 1992 movie, which is based on the true story of the newsboy strike of 1899 when the newspaper sellers – some as young as six or seven years old, but all children no older than their teens – went on strike against all the major newspaper publishers in New York City,” Callan said. “They went on strike at the time for better pay and better conditions. It’s the story of what they accomplish and how they succeed in their strike.”
With only days remaining before this play hits the stage, Callan told The Reporter everyone involved is very confident in their choreography, blocking, spoken lines, and musical vocals. All that remains are a few days of last-minute polish.
“The show is appropriate for all ages,” Callan said. “It’s very classic Disney. There’s something for everyone from infants to 99-year-olds. There is high-energy dancing, jazz dancing, dancing on tables, jumps, flips, and really something for everybody.”
Disney Newsies the Broadway Musical is staging Nov. 21 through Dec. 14 at Footlite Musicals, 1847 N. Alabama St., Indianapolis. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday shows will be at 7:30 p.m. Sunday shows are at 2:30 p.m. Get your tickets online at footlite.org/buy-tickets or call (317) 926-6630.
