The Theatre Enthusiast

  I have wanted to write about  Newsies  since the inception of this blog . Now that we are a couple days away from the 10th anniversary of  Newsies ' opening night on Broadway, I wanted to pay homage to this underdog show that I love. I want to share my  Newsies  story in full for the first time. I want to dive into the good and the not-so-good and how my relationship with  Newsies  has evolved and matured over the last ten years. Over the years I have changed so much, but my love for this show has remained. Whew, I'm already tearing up a little bit. I just want to express gratitude so here goes nothin'.  Newsies  first appeared on my radar on Thanksgiving Day 2011 when the Paper Mill cast performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. By the end of the performance I was sold, and  Newsies  went on my list as a show I just had to see. Fast forward to April 2012 and I was en route to NYC on a school-sponsored trip, which included tickets to a Broadway show. One of the

photo by Jenny Anderson It seemed so normal yet foreign and dreamlike all at once. On a warm September afternoon, I walked out of the New York Marriott Marquis, turned right towards 46th Street, cut through the Hotel Edison lobby, and emerged on 47th Street. I stared at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, its marquee lights sparkling like a lighthouse welcoming weary sailors home. I joined the line to enter the theatre and showed the attendants my ID and proof of COVID-19 vaccination - a sign of how different life really is these days. As I passed through the metal detectors, I heard the unmistakable beeps of the ushers' ticket scanners (a sound I hadn't heard in far too long), and that's when it hit me. Broadway is back, and so am I. The usher directed us to our seats and with a deep breath, I stepped into a theatre for the first time in 18 months.  My family and I arrived into New York City earlier that day with tickets in hand for that evening to see Wicked's second perform