Newsies - Patrick's Mother's Solo in "Carrying the Banner" (Jo Ann Harris)

[logan0215]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 5:07am

Hey All,

Was just watching some clips of Newsies on YouTube and have totally fallen in love with the voice of Patrick's Mother (the soloist in "Carrying the Banner).

With some research I've found out it is actress Jo Ann Harris who seemed to have a career based in the 60-80's and did reoccuring vocal work on The Simpsons in the 90's.

I was wondering if she has done any Broadway, there is very little information on her on the internet. Does anyone have any other information on her or possible vocal performances?

Updated On: 12/1/06 at 05:07 AM

[CompletlyNakedStatue]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 2:40pm

Sorry can't help you, but I wanted to bump this thread because I'm curious about her too. Love that solo in "Newsies"

[gumbo2]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 2:42pm

That solo is crazy good!

And that's all I know about that or her.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 2:56pm

Hah...your thread title is wrong, by the way. Should read "Patrick" instead of David.

Me and my friends used to parody this part of the song a lot. It is sort of random. The first time I saw it I thought she was going to end up being Jack Kelly's mother, but nope...she's just there for no reason in the song. But man she really belts it out.

Akiva

[shiksa_goddess]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 3:08pm

Yeah, I was gonna say, it's Patrick.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 3:20pm

Wow. I was just listening to it when I saw this thread.

[GEA113]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 3:23pm

haha
yeah, @ first I was gonna say, David's mother doesn't sing.

i've always loved that bit in the opening; it always gives me chills..

but i've also always wondered who patrick is.

but i have no idea about the lady, sorry


i <3 <3 <3 <3 Newsies.

[shiksa_goddess]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 3:30pm

As a side note, I always thought that Patrick's mother was Wendy Makkena, I think I should probably watch that part closer next time I see it.
Updated On: 12/1/06 at 03:30 PM

[EVIE]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 3:47pm

I've always loved that part too. I always thought she looked like the actress that played the really skinny nun in Sister Act...she sounds kinda like her to, atleast to me anyways.

[shiksa_goddess]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 3:52pm

Haha, yeah, the skinny nun from Sister Act is Wendy Makkena, that's who I thought Patrick's mother was.

[logan0215]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 5:39pm

I thought it was her as well actually, but all the research I did showed Patrick's Mother listed as Jo Ann Harris.

I was also thrown off that Jo Ann's birth year is listed as 1949, so I was like "She's 57 now?!" but she would be have been 43 when the movie was filmed.

[gumbo2]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 5:41pm

Wow, so long ago...Everytime I watch Batman Returns I can't help but thinking of Newsies, and thinking to myself "They grow up so fast..."

[BroadwayNick]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 6:00pm

I would think it was Wendy Makkena because she looks and sounds identical to her. Maybe I'm wrong though.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 8:36pm

yeah, definetely not Davids mother lol

"Patrick, darling, since you left me I am undone
Mother loves you! God save my son!"

I LOVE that solo!!

[roquat]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 10:57pm

I think that solo destroys the rest of NEWSIES, frankly. It's set up as if the movie is going to be about this woman's quest to find her son, then she vanishes. Nothing else that happens in the movie afterwards is as interesting.

[Candleshoe2]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 12:33am

It can't be Wendy Makkena because she didn't even sing her own vocals in 'Sister Act'. Andrea Robinson was Wendy's singing voice for the film.

[jillian1234]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 12:49am

I can see your point, but I think they added her in to show that many of those boys were runaways. Her solo brought that point across without having to add another story line.... I think that at least...

[logan0215]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 5:55pm

I agree.

I doubt anyone was sitting on the edge of their seat waiting for that plot to develop and therefore missed out on the rest of the film.

She was a device to show from where many of the boys came.

[roquat]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 6:00pm

"She was a device to show from where many of the boys came."

Yes, I realize that, but it was not a very smart move--they introduced her, had her sing this passionate solo, got us interested in her, and then dropped her. Almost everyone I know who saw the movie expressed bewilderment that she wasn't even referred to again. Bad construction.

[FinallyAmember]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 6:22pm

I think its a good point that her story is dropped. When all of us newsies fans work together to fund a broadway production, let's make sure to write the character a song. LOL.

This show needs to be on broadway!

[Liverpool]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 6:52pm

hey roquat, shut the **** up, ok, no one asked for a plot analysis. do you say anything positive?

[roquat]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 11:02pm

Yes. You're positively annoying.

[Mistress_Spouzic]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 1:35am

would you rather they not have touched upon parents missing their runaway kids at all? or us knowing which kid was patrick? maybe a kid keeping an eye on a parent that didnt realize he was doing such?

I thought it was odd we didnt see her again but I never got the feeling that that was where the story was going.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 1:42am

I have to agree with roquat in saying that it is bad plot construction. In a musical if you promise a payoff, you should follow through. I feel like there might have originally been a storyline with on eof the newsies being tracked down by his mother, but somewhere in the process it was edited out. It does make a good plot thread, hopefully when Disney gets wise to the fact that this would make a great stage show, hopefully they will create a plot thread for this fascinating character of Patrick's mother.

Akiva

[ActingAndy]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 1:44am

i love her solo... wow its soooo goood... explain to me again why disney wont invest in this for a broadway show? it upsets me to think that tarzan is out there when newsies isnt....