Carryin' the Banner!

Totally have this collector's edition.
And two other copies.
And VHS.

"Sometimes, all it takes is a voice. One voice, that becomes a hundred. And then a thousand..."

These are the words spoken by Bryan Denton in Disney's 1992 BLOCKBUSTER "Newsies" (also known as my favorite movie in the history of the world.) Now, I put BLOCKBUSTER in giant letters with the hopes that it would be enough to revise history because, of course, the 1992 version of Newsies was not exactly a blockbuster. In fact, some would argue it was quite the opposite of a blockbuster. Some might have even suggested it was among the worst pictures of the year. (SUGGESTED. It did not WIN the Golden Raspberry that year. And I'd just like to add that The Bodyguard was also nominated, and that was a damn good movie.)

My point in all of this is that for nearly 20 years, the only thing about Newsies that got any respect was Christian Bale, who played lead Jack Kelly in the film. But the "Fansies" never forgot. And then one day....alllll that changed.

Maybe it didn't happen THAT quickly, but we kept carryin' the banner, and last spring, after years of rumors and false alarms, the announcement came that Newsies was FINALLY hitting the stage, albeit the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ. And then the fun began.

In the age of social media, "cult favorite" has taken on new life. It may still refer to an active and devoted (though very specific) group of fans, but now those fans have the tools to take their favorite subject viral to get it the attention it deserves. As a Fansie myself, it has been interesting to watch the evolution of Newsies and the fanbase - from film to stage to BROADWAY, the team behind Newsies has exploded across various platforms.

Tommy Bracco, aka "Spot",
Carryin' the Banner

Just days after it opened at the Paper Mill, the cast performed a medley on the talk show "The View" (as seen in the YouTube clip above). Two months later, "Spot Conlon" was back at the show with the headline announcing that Newsies, after such a successful regional run, was coming to Broadway, and just days after that, I had something to be very thankful for when the cast gave a performance as part of the Macy's Parade. Like so many fans, I shared links to the videos with my fellow Fansies, with people who were skeptical about the show, and with anyone I could think of who might want to buy me a ticket to see it. (Note: I'm still taking donations.)

In addition to the official appearances, DisneyOnBroadway has provided fans with a growing library of videos to make us all part of this special show. Visits behind the scenes, introductions to the cast, even previews of new songs...these are all excellent ways to engage the eager existing fan base as well as curious potential ticket buyers.

"Whaddya...scared a' Brookyln?"

Speaking of ticket buyers...have you checked out the Newsies page on facebook? The show allows fans to RSVP the date they'll be attending so they can meet up with other fans. One of the neatest things they did was create a "map" of the cities, giving a cool visual of where people were coming from to see the show.




As a fan, it was also interesting to be part of the process on Twitter. The Newsies account began as part of the Paper Mill, and they have done an excellent job of interacting with fans as their popularity has grown. While so many similar entities use their accounts primarily for broadcasting announcements and perhaps occasionally mingling with the common folk, Newsies has consistently provided active conversation. Whether the personal accounts of cast members or the official account for the show, there is no shortage of "twitpics", retweets, and seemingly genuine gratitude. From answering questions about the show to sharing updates from backstage, @Newsies feels like another fan to me, just as excited to "Seize the Day" as the rest of us are.

To quote Jack Kelly: "They got voices now...and they're gonna be listened to...."

No doubt about it...these guys will be Kings of New York as soon as performances begin on March 15th!