It's Official: Jeremy Jordan to Star in NEWSIES on Broadway

[Rob]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 11:01am

Click Here to Read It's Official: Jeremy Jordan to Star in NEWSIES on Broadway

[NYTheatre01]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 11:15am

Awesome!

Posted: 1/12/12 at 11:52am

I bet the poor guy who was supposed to do it had Bonnie and Clyde continued to run is pissed!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 11:56am

Boring. His standby looks 12. I don't get it.

[Huss417]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 12:17pm

I don't understand the Strictly Limited Engagement of 101 performances only for the run of the show.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/158512-Bonnie-Clydes-Jeremy-Jordan-Will-Star-in-Broadways-Newsies

[Ajpuppypal]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 12:18pm

I love Jeremy but he is way to old to play this role.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 12:19pm

"I don't understand the Strictly Limited Engagement of 101 performances only for the run of the show."

It's called "take the money and run".

[Huss417]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 12:20pm

It's called "take the money and run".

Then it must have an extremely low budget.

[denali.fire]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 12:26pm

I believe Max Erlich is the Jack Kelly understudy. He has great stage presence. Had B&C been received better I was hoping Max would get the lead. Limited engagement? We shall see what the award season does to the limited engagement issue.

[Mistress_Spouzic]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 2:08pm

Very excited for this one. I didn't make it to see it at Papermill and I LOVE the movie.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 2:11pm

It was stated that Disney ONLY decided to put the show on B'way to give it more legitimacy so that it would rake in the money on rights and royalties.

Their goal was always to market this for regional and community theaters.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 3:50pm

Yes Dramamama, I've heard that as well, but if the Broadway production becomes a hit, they'll likely extend the limited engagement. It wouldn't make any sense to cut off a major source of profit.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 4:13pm

Is there anything lined up for that theatre after this show leaves? I have a feeling it will be extended for the summer.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 4:47pm

This New York Times article from November addresses the thinking behind the limited run:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/theater/disney-starts-small-for-newsies-the-musical.html?_r=1

With “Newsies,” Disney is starting small. The production will cost about $5 million, and is scheduled to run at the Nederlander Theater only from March 15 to June 10. If the musical is a hit, of course, the run could become open-ended.
...
Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical, said in an interview that the three-month run for “Newsies” did not represent a lack of faith in the musical, but rather a vote of confidence. “Newsies” was developed to be licensed only for regional, professional and amateur productions — not unlike such other Disney stage shows as “Aladdin” and “High School Musical,” which have never played Broadway.

A New York run for “Newsies” will increase the value of the property in future licensing deals, more than if the show had simply been licensed after the production at Paper Mill, Mr. Schumacher said. If the Broadway run ends up lasting three months and does not recoup, he added, “I’ll be left in a slight deficit position, but I’ll make up for that in licensing.”

[RippedMan]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 5:01pm

Not a slap to the standby, just saying it seems odd to cast the standby as age appropriate but make the actual lead someone who looks in their 30s.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 5:37pm

Jordan is in his mid-twenties and does look it, but remember two things: a) 80% of the audience will be seeing him from far away, and b) he has the "Grease effect" going for him. When you see Grease the actors are always twenty-somethings playing teenagers. Because EVERYONE looks slightly older and are all dressed/acting young, we buy into the illusion.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 7:22pm

He was outstanding in the Papermill production and I can't wait to see him play the role again on Broadway. This is fantastic news!

I didn't think he looked too old, either. He didn't appear any older than anyone else onstage, and I had no trouble buying him as Jack Kelly. I had a much bigger issue with Matt Cavenaugh in WSS as Tony than I did with Jeremy Jordan in Newsies.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 9:25pm

I think it'll become open ended, at $5m it is Disney's cheapest show ever so I imagine if it is a hit, it'll recoup that pretty quickly.

[Patash]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 1:17pm

I'm a bit stunned at the comments about Jordan looking too old for the role -- like in his 30's -- just a month after all the criticisms that he looked too young to play the 22 year old Clyde and too young to play opposite the 26 year old Laura Osnes.

Huh?