The Cast of MLHS’ Newsies Leaps into Spring Performances

In comparing their current lives to the 1899 New York City blue-collar newsboy revolt, most Mountain Lakes High School Theatre students can’t relate. But in preparations for their production of Disney’s Newsies, they understood well the themes of community, friendship and persistence in the face of extreme difficulty.

“Our characters push through their struggles instead of focusing on the struggles themselves,” said Jamie Barnett, who plays Crutchie. “Even though Crutchie has a physical disability, his character doesn’t revolve around the disability itself. Rather, his character focuses on his endless optimism and refusal to let his physical circumstances get the better of him.” 

 The endlessly optimistic MLHS students have not allowed the health pandemic and physical circumstances get the better of them. Through the past two years, the school district has allowed live shows to go on, and the high school adapted to restrictions by holding past productions outdoors and masked. This will be the first full-scale show since Covid that will be held indoors and unmasked.

 It has taken the efforts and persistence of the entire local community to allow live theater to flourish at MLHS throughout the past two years — particularly through these times of social and labor upheaval. Said Eric Lee, who plays Davey: “Newsies shows us that everyone in society, regardless of how different everyone's interests may be, is connected. The newsies made a lot of noise for sure, and rightly so, but their movement for social change stuck to standards of respect and dignity.”

A special dress rehearsal performance for all community members 55 years old and older will take place on Wednesday, March 2, 2021 at 4:30 pm. Admission is complimentary to this performance, and no reservations are necessary. Location is 96 Powerville Road, Mountain Lakes.

Newsies performances take place March 3, 4 and 5 at 7:30 PM. A matinee will run on March 5 at 2 PM. To buy reserved seating tickets for $12-$15 each, go to https://mlhs.booktix.com/.

SHOWTIMES:

Thursday, March 3, 2022 at 7:30 pm

Friday, March 4, 2022 at 7:30 pm  (ASL Interpretation available)

Saturday, March 5, 2022 at 2 pm

Saturday, March 5, 2022 at 7:30 pm

LOCATION:

96 Powerville Road, Mountain Lakes, NJ

For more information and to buy tickets:

MLHS.booktix.com

Cast:

Marina Barbarisi, Jamie Barnett, Jonathan Barnett, Nicholas Bordoni, Naomi Boswell, Sabrina Burke, Ava Capetta, Robert Caruthers, Jonah Caso, Casy Covart, Kayla Giordano, Bridget Hill, Elizabeth Jantzen, John Lane, Madeline Laurens, Eric Lee, Conrad Lewis, Sophia Li, Quinn Longo, Toleeya Napolitano, Alexander Nielsen, Grant Nikolsky, Arunima Paul, Catherine Pickett, John Pietranera, James Purcell, Fernando Ramos, Arya Shah, Nicholas Tripodi, Ingrid Witty, Lillian Xie, Rowan Zollner