By Sam Desmond
Adolescence is often a time of disruption — but imagine that upheaval taking the form of standing up to the most powerful man in media.
“Newsies,” a coming-of-age musical that mirrors both its young protagonist’s journey and the rise of labor rights in America, opens Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Argyle Theatre in Babylon.
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Director Tommy Ranieri says his vision for the production is rooted in tapping into the audience’s psyche.
“For a teenager, ‘Newsies’ is about having autonomy in your life when you’ve been told what to do and how to live,” Ranieri said. “It teaches young people that their voice matters and they can put it into action.”
Set in 1899 New York City, the story follows Jack “Cowboy” Kelly as he leads his fellow newsies — newspaper hawkers — in a strike against media baron Joseph Pulitzer after the publisher raises the cost of The New York World at distribution sites, leaving the boys to absorb the increase.
While the musical is loosely based on the real Newsboys’ Strike of 1899 — a two-week protest that reportedly cut Pulitzer’s circulation from 360,000 to 125,000 — Rainieri believes its themes resonate strongly in 2026.
“It’s not your grandmother’s ‘Newsies,’” Ranieri said. “It’s a story where you have people with lots of money that run media working with the government to invade another country. William Randolph Hearst told the president, ‘I’ll fund your war.’”
Actor Sean Condenzio, who portrays Oscar Delancey, said the production does not shy away from the harsh realities of the era.
“I’m excited to show the trouble of their condition, their homelessness, their world of 1899 with children working and try to present it through our acting and open eyes of the way it’s been and how it could be,” Condenzio said.
To prepare for the show’s sprawling set — which features 40-foot-high mansion gates — Ranieri and his team conducted extensive visual research, studying black-and-white photographs and period clothing catalogs.
“The turn of the century has less color and patterns,” Ranieri said. “We have browns, blues and denims. The pops of color are with the upper class, where there’s fuchsia and pink. Deep purple is the most expensive.”
The newsboys appear in worn, patched clothing that reflects their subsistence lifestyle, while the girls’ boarding school costumes include corsets and petticoats designed to convey grace and structure.
Actress Cara Rose DiPietro, who plays reporter Katherine, said her character’s “curiosity, strength and persistence” drew her to the role.
During dream sequences, the stage is washed in deep blue hues, while scenes set in Santa Fe reflect a Southwestern palette of oranges and rust tones.
Rainieri encourages audiences to pay special attention to the Act I finale, “Seize the Day,” which features 26 actors on stage.
“It’s a huge brawl, but also a dance of celebration,” he said.
The technically demanding choreography throughout the show, Ranieri added, is ultimately “about telling stories.”
Uplifting and timely, “Newsies” aims to spark conversation — and perhaps a little revolution — long after the final curtain falls.
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Top photo: Renderings of the upcoming Argyle Theatre stage for “Newsies.” Set design by Christian Fleming. Photo courtesy of Argyle Theatre.
