Get Your Broadway Geek On: Newsies the Musical Original Cast Recording OMG

05/15/2012 1:00 pm by

Newsies the Musical heads 007 Get Your Broadway Geek On: Newsies the Musical Original Cast Recording OMG

I’ve said it before and I will probably never stop saying it: I LOVE NEWSIES. I loved it the first time I saw it way back in 1992, in the movie theater, alternating between wanting to get up and dance with childish abandon while also processing some very complicated, very adolescent feelings about all those very nice-looking boys thrusting their hips at me up on the big screen.

I actually had NO IDEA the movie was more or less critically panned and considered a “flop” until many years later, and I remember being shocked and kind of disappointed with the movie-going public, because COME ON. It was so fun! I bought the soundtrack on cassette and the movie on VHS! I watched it a million times! It was great!

I mean, it wasn’t perfect. Okay. I got that. I could admit that it was a little corny and stuff, and not very historically accurate, but…but…Carrying the Banner! I defy anyone not to like that song. I DEFY YOU.

Luckily, OBVIOUSLY, I was not the only die-hard fan who rescued Newsies from total obscurity and promoted it to “cult hit” status. There are a lot of us. An army! A union! And thanks to a ton of amateur theater troupes and summer stock interest in a stage version, Newsies is now on Broadway (currently until August 19th, then I assume it will tour), getting nominated for Tony awards and being awesome and stuff. I haven’t seen it yet (*shakes fist at ALL THESE SMALL NEEDY CHILDREN*) but I will. As God as my witness, I will. SOON.

NEWSIESjewelcase2 300x281 Get Your Broadway Geek On: Newsies the Musical Original Cast Recording OMGIn the meantime, I shall get my nerd fix with the original Broadway cast recording, which was sent to me to “review,” because OH YES, that’s exactly what I do. I review music. Like, constantly. I’m very high-minded and I have excellent taste.

Here’s my review: Even if you haven’t seen the stage production in person, I challenge you to resist the urge to COMPLETELY SQUEE 30 seconds into the familiar notes of the prologue, and to not feel that itch to grab a hairbrush and sing along in front of your mirror to Carrying the Banner and Santa Fe and King of New York and gaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh I’m in junior high again, only with clearer skin and more self-confidence and a vague sense that I would probably creep most of the cast out, but WHO CARES.

Newsies is still my dorkariffic jam, y’all.

All the “best” songs from the musical are here, but quite a few new ones, if you’re looking to justify purchasing a SECOND Newsies soundtrack, because OF COURSE you own the movie version. (I do. Shut up.) Bill Pullman’s character has been changed to a female journalist (and a more interesting love interest for Jack than that drab, do-nothing sister type) (I HAZ A JELUS), and Medda has a new song and a stable of chorus girls. The Brooklyn gang gets their own song-and-dance number and Crutchie is there and all that.

It’s available in stores TODAY, or for download on iTunes and Amazon. You can also listen to it on Spotify.

Would you like a free copy? I would like to send you a free copy. Leave your favorite Newsies moment or memory in the comments to enter. I’ll select a (U.S.-based, please) winner this Friday at noon. IT’S A FINE LIFE, YOU GUYS.

Share
pin it button Get Your Broadway Geek On: Newsies the Musical Original Cast Recording OMG
About Amy Corbett Storch

Amy blogs at amalah.com, and can be found on Twitter @amalah. She is Team Zombie, though sometimes she is known to side with the Plants.

Filed Under: 90s, Boys!! Squee!, Contests, Movies, Music, Music Review, Musical Theater, Nostalgia, Theater Tagged With: , , ,


From Our Partners

  • Leslie MacDonald

    Oh my god – I am right there with you.   (And also currently trying to figure out how to convince my husband to see it with me if it comes to our area, but that’s another messed-up story entirely.)  God, I was in love with ALL THOSE BOYS.  I bought the sheet music and learned the songs, wrote weird middle school fanfic, you name it.  GAH.  (And now I’m old and creepy…. great.)

  • http://twitter.com/eatniks Michelle Forman

    Newsies was when I determined with all certainty that David Moscow would be my husband.  (Don’t tell my non-David Moscow husband.)

  • http://twitter.com/judycs Judy

    All I have to say is young Christan Bale and his solo about moving to Santa Fe… I LOVE Newsies, and I just watched again a few months ago….and have the book still, 20 years later.

  • https://figgsandsuch.wordpress.com/ Kelly

    Seriously — crazy — My love of newsies runs so deep and so wide that it’s causing me to stop lurking and actually comment for. the. first. time. ever!! 

    So many newsies memories — I was a typical (read rude) teenager and one Christmas promised my dad I would give him a hug if he bought me the movie….geez, looking back that was really mean, but he bought me the VHS and he got his hug.  (Love you dad!)

    When I started at  a new school – a girl there mentioned she was also a fan and we immediately clicked — she gave me a tape (so 1990s) of the soundtrack and our friendship lasted through high school! 

    I think I still have a crush on Christian Bale…I’ll have this in my head for the rest of the day — “look at me…I’m the king of New York!” Thanks for bringing up such wonderful memories of a great movie!!

  • Debbie Whalen

    I am in love with Jeremy Jordan and all things Jeremy Jordan.  I have it bad.
    Just got my tickets to see Newsies on Broadway for next month. Woot Woot!

    • Susannah Perry

       Wait… Jeremy Jordan like 90210 “The Right Kind of Love” Jeremy Jordan…?  Are my worlds colliding?

      • http://twitter.com/EmuStu Emu Stu

        Nope – Jeremy Jordan of Joyful Noise fame (? Can you call it fame if 3 people saw the movie?)

      • Siobhan

        I immediately thought of Donna Martin in her sunflower print half shirt saying “Jeremy Jordan, Alright!” when I first heard the cast announced. But definitely not that one. Most recently this Jeremy Jordan starred in “Bonnie and Clyde” on Broadway. And he just got nominated for a Tony for Newsies. 

      • Debbie Whalen

        Ha ha!  Wrong Jeremy Jordan.   The Jeremy I love so so much- plays Jack Kelly in the Broadway Newsies. 

        • Susannah Perry

           I thought Donna Martin’s Jeremy Jordan might have been a little old for Newsies… although I now see that he was also in “Never Been Kissed” and I had no idea that was him!

  • http://www.makingitworkblog.com Carolyn Russell

    AHHHH! Pretty much EVERYTHING you said about your experience with the movie when you were young? STOLE THE WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH! My favorite part of the movie? Christian Bale (and being able, years later, to say, “Hey, I knew that guy was AWESOME way back when he was singing and dancing!”) It was also the first way I was able to start convincing my super-tomboy-sisters that it was okay to like boys (there were an awful lot to choose from in that movie, so I made them debate with me who was cuter!)

  • Snarky_Amber

    Worst thing about climbing the ranks from MamaPop reader to MamaPop writer? INELIGIBILITY FOR AWESOME GIVEAWAYS OF NEWSIES MERCHANDISE. Universe, you are so unfair and stuff.

  • Amy McCullough

    I fell in love with Christian Bale because of this movie! Santa Fe & Seize the day – squee! Although one of my favorite moments was when Spot yells “Never fear, Brooklyn is here”, as the Brooklyn boys come to save the day.

  • http://twitter.com/mrschaos Jill

    Oh, Amy. You are my people.

    Do I really have to pick a *favorite* Newsies moment? Because right now I feel so jr high-ish, I’m a little embarrassed by it. Or loving it. (Seize the Day used to be my favorite…so we’ll go with that.)

  • rollergirl

    wha?? how can i choose ONE favorite moment?? okay okay.. probably when spot says “*i* say.. that whatever *you* say.. is what *i* say!” i was SO PSYCHED that spot was going to help! and also… OMFGSPOTISSOHOTHOWTOCHOOSEBETWEENALLTHEBEAUTIFULBOYS.. SWOONING.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Brooke-Ferguson-Williams/676635291 Brooke Ferguson Williams

    I have no words. I sang Santa Fe several times as auditions for musicals (and was often stunned when people had no idea where that song came from). Several of my middle school friends went to see it on Broadway a few weeks ago and I was SO jealous as they rubbed it in my face via FB.. mean girls. And then, Amy, you mentioned the idea of the show touring which – honestly, didn’t even cross my mind until I read those words. And then I squealed so loud that my daughter woke up from her nap. And! And! I also have the movie soundtrack on tape.. and CD. And the movie on VHS. And DVD. Because I roll like that.

    • Erin Morrow

       Oh I hope it tours!

  • Bridget

    O…M…G…you have made my week!  I actually sat here for 15 minutes looking at airfare to NYC to see it on Broadway before reality struck and I realized I don’t have the time nor the funds to support a SQUEEEEEEE trip for Newsies right now.  Bummer….

    Favorite moment in Newsies has to be when all hope is lost, they are so close to defeat, and then suddenly all the other Newsies show up…especially Spot.  HOORAY THE DAY IS SEIZED!!!!

    Oh thank you for raising my spirits – and the movie critics be damned – Newsies was and is a great movie!!!

  • http://twitter.com/txtingmrdarcy Brooke Shelby

    Is it reasonable to jump up and tap dance on my desk? In my cubicle? And hope against hope that some office drones will join me in a rousing musical number?

    That’s what happens in my head EVERY time I hear “King of New York.” Even though I”m in PA. WHATEVER, A GIRL CAN DREAM.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1064513651 Maia Nolan-Partnow

    I used to be head counselor of a girls’ summer camp in the Poconos. One year (circa 2005, maybe?) during our pre-camp staff training, someone at our leadership staff table says something about the weather and how we need to “seize the day.” One person starts singing.  Then someone else joins in. And soon the entire table — more than a dozen adults in their late 20s, MOSTLY MEN EVEN — is singing “Seize the Day,” and we do the WHOLE song, with HARMONY I kid you not, and the call and response section. Everything. It is amazing.

    And then we finish, and we sit down, and we look around… and a room full of 125 20-year-old counselors is just staring back at us silently. Because they were 7 in 1992, and apparently they never heard of VHS.

  • Stephanie

    Diehard Newsies fan here. My husband does NOT understand! I have to say, while I *love* Christian Bale, I secretly loved David Moscow more.  I mean, he was the kid from Big!

    But Santa Fe is my favorite song from the movie.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_36GDZVJIQTLALBZOUSEKXYQKW4 b s

    christian bale any time is particularly yummy, but king of new york was definitely a highlight for me as well.  :)

  • Qatey

    YES NEWSIES! I have so much love for that movie. In high school, our dance/chorus teacher chose a few songs for the spring performance and it was SO MUCH FUN. We got to dance to “Seize the Day” while the chorus sang… dream come true. Could just imagine Christian Bale right beside us… *sigh* I still remember some of the dance moves we learned for that, I wonder if I could still do them without pulling a muscle? (probably not likely!)

  • http://www.tagliarina.blogspot.com/ corinnetags

    I absolutely could not believe it when I found out that people didn’t like the Newsies.  I think I saw it the first time as a little kid (it came out when I was 6), but when I “found” it again at 14 with my best friend it was like re-meeting the boy next door who grew up to be totally hot but completely unaware of it, because he just wants to sing!  We would have musical sleepovers and watch and sing along at the top of our lungs!  The World Will Know!  We were such defiant little middle class teenagers.  We listened to the soundtrack sharing headphones (all stretched out – this was pre ipod/earbud dominance) on the bus with a portable CD player.   Good times… 

    I definitely do already own the movie soundtrack. 

    I also found out that one of my favorite people as an adult loves the Newsies and this did nothing but raise my esteem for her.  :)

  • http://twitter.com/MommyMergent Susie Shaefer

    Oh HELLZ YEAH. I love this movie. My husband loaned out my VHS copy to a friend who accidentally lost it in a move, and he knew he had to replace it before he told me :)

    My best friend and I would yell “NEVER FEAR, BROOKLYN IS HERE” at, oh, every opportune moment of our adolescent years. Hurray for the Brooklyn boys getting their own piece! 

  • http://twitter.com/EmuStu Emu Stu

    “Have no fear. Brooklyn is here”. I may have had a tiny crush on Spot Conlon. Okay a big crush. I tried to learn the slingshot because of him (brilliant idea when you are a terribly uncoordinated 11 year old) and ended up with a squinty eye like Spot had. Win if you ask me.

  • Erin Morrow

    Oh my GOD!  I love Newsies so much!  I was a dancer and everyone did dances to songs from the soundtrack and I was always really mad that I didn’t get to do one.  And my favorite part of the movie was the when they go to Brooklyn to meet with saw Spot Conlon.  My friends and I used to rewind and watch just that one little part over and over again because we thought he was soooo cute.  Now I think I’m gonna go watch Newsies (because of course I replaced my VHS with a DVD copy).

  • KatiGardner

    Newsies and I have had a long love affair… I couldn’t go see it in the movie theater because of that whole cancer/chemotherapy things I was doing and had no white blood cells.  I was sad.  I had to wait for it to come out on VHS… but once it did?  Oh, I spent hours memorizing it… learning all of crutchies dance moves (I have one leg, who else was I going emulate?).  But, my favorite things was introducing it to a WHOLE NEW GENERATION when I was a middle school theater teacher.  I would use the week before spring break to show my classes this movie.  It fit with the course and I got to watch Spot Collins (my personal fave).  The boys would spend most of the class protesting how unfair it was (but then I’d catch them humming Seize the Day) that they had to watch this girly movie and the girls would squee and giggle at every turn.  I own several versions and have already pre-ordered the BluRay (June 19). If you ask nicely I might record myself doing some Crutchie moves and post them at some point.

  • http://www.rovingrose.com/ Missy Rose Ewing

    Baaaa. I love Newsies! Love Newsies! I illegally taped into onto VHS from our satellitle because I lived out in the middle of nowhere (this is back when satellite dishes were like five feet wide) and watched it CONSTANTLY! I saw one number from the musical during last year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on TV and I’m pretty sure that I would have let my two small boys do anything they wanted while the number was on because Momma was busy watching Newsies!

  • Chitarita

    The fist-pump move all the way!

  • Emily

    We watched this movie so many times in my HS show choir class, we had the dances memorized. I was- and still am- in love with Christian Bale because of it.

  • http://prettysandyfeet.com/ katelin

    I just love Newsies so so much, it’s a bit ridiculous. But I gotta say one of my favorite parts is “Never fear, Brooklyn is hear.” Spot Collins, almost as cute as Jack Kelley, almost.
     

  • Jamilyn

    I totally need this soundtrack!  I’m training for a 10-mile race (in hopes of a. getting a cool finisher’s medal and b. losing many many pounds of unwantedness) and neeeed “Seize the Day” for my running mix!  Please??

    8th grade, my mom pulled me out of school early and we went to see this in a nearly-empty theater. My heart will always belong to Christian Bale. *swoon*

  • duchessbelle

    Seize the day! My go to get fired up song.

  • http://twitter.com/happycampergirl Miss Night

    I need this soundtrack badly enough that you should consider shipping it to me in Canada! When my best friend and I were in high school, Newsies (and the accompanying shared crush on Christian Bale) was our shared, secret, guilty pleasure. 10 years ago, Heather died suddenly and tragically. When I learned that Newsies was on Broadway, it was like Heather was winking at me. I laughed out loud. And then I cried.

  • Jennifer

    OMG! Love Newies! I wish I lived closer to New York so I could see it. I loved the opening song with them waking up and getting ready to to sell the newspaper.   

  • Owens Amber

    OMG! I was so in love with this musical! I used to sing the songs all the time – but the part where the moms are looking for their boys? That got me EVERy TIME. I bawled like a baby every time I got to that part.

  • http://twitter.com/buffythebitch Michelle Granrud

    AAAAHHHHHH! My cousin introduced me to Newsies and it wasn’t long before I could RECITE THE ENTIRE MOVIE! 

    Spot Collins was always my favorite….that is, until I grew up and could appreciate the beauty of Christian Bale.

  • NTE

    I also didn’t realize that people hadn’t loved Newsies the first time around until much later, and was quite disappointed in all of the world.  My sisters and I watched it enough times to make up for anyone who hadn’t seen it, though, so it all evens out.  I love Newsies without shame, because it is awesome.  Even Santa Fe, which we all know is a horrible place to sing a song about (and if I thought Christian Bale actually lived there, I would probably move there right now).  I can’t have a favorite moment, but my favorite memory is that my sisters and I would swing on the swings in our backyard singing Medda’s song – I’m not sure it’s appropriate that a 12, 9 and 6 year old were singing “And I stick out my chest!”, but it sure was fun.  

  • MollyGMartin

    Still know my show choir choreography to “Seize The Day” — am dusting that sh#t off and going to Broadway.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1427503432 Caryn Boyd Pooley

    OMG My cousins and I watched this over and over! My favorite moment in the movie is the glorious heel kick at the end which is frozen as the credit roll and unfrozen after they are done. Totally geeky. :)

  • jenagain

    I saw Newsies at *cough* the ripe old age of 19, in the theater, with the excuse of taking my two younger sisters. And promptly went out and bought the cassette soundtrack, which I wore out playing over and over in my *cough* 1984 red Fiero. Gathered in NYC this past weekend with a few friends (one from Ontario, one from Texas, one from Jersey) to see the show and pretty much swooned like a teenager the entire time. It was announced yesterday that it’s been given an open-ended run, which is fantastic, and I would kind of like to go see it about 27 more times.

    ANYWAY. My very favorite movie moment, and it’s so hard to pick, but there’s a moment during “Carrying the Banner” when they do this totally inappropriate hip thrust to “give us a good assassination” and then Christian Bale totally forgets the choreography and stumbles around for a minute, and I watch it over and over on YouTube. 

  • Rachel McGee

    I LOVE Newsies too!!  It’s soundtrack was the second CD I ever bought…only after ACE OF BASE, I saw the sign. HA! We had it on VHS and my sister and I would rewind the scene when Christian Bale kisses the only girl in the whole show over and over again.  We watched it so many times that the tape got worn out in that one spot.  Last year I decided I needed the DVD for my collection and went to Best Buy.  The guy helping me had no idea what movie I was talking about.  I told him it was a Disney movie with Christian Bale in it.  He said, “The guy from BATMAN?  He would NEVER be in a Disney movie!”  It was pretty funny when I finally convinced him to look it up for me and there he was, right on the cover of the movie right under the DISNEY logo.