This week, the Cathedral Prep and Villa Maria Academy theater program will be performing their final show of the year, Newsies the Musical. The show will start on Thursday, May 9 and end on Sunday, May 12. Newsies is a Broadway musical that is about two hours long and features many amazing songs and dances.

The story of the musical is based of the real life events of the Newsboys strike of New York City in 1899. The play tells the story of Jack Kelly and his fellow newsboys, as they work to gain their rights from harsh newspaper distributor, Joseph Pulitzer. You’ll have to come see it if you want to hear the full story, but it’s sure to be a whole lot of fun.

The cast for this show is one of the biggest in Prep-Villa theater history, with over 80 Prep and Villa students participating. Many of these participants are seniors who will be performing in their final show in the Prep-Villa theater program. The main character in the show, Jack Kelly, is played by senior Elijah Lyons. When asked, Elijah had this to say about the upcoming show, “Newsies is energetic, full of laughs, and filled with tons of the catchiest songs.”

The show is directed by Fr. Mike Demartinis and Mrs. Eden Ihrig, who have been working very hard, along with the rest of cast, to prepare for opening night. Many of cast members have been working on their songs and dances for over two months.

Villa junior Olivia Mraz had this to say about her experience with the show. “It has been an amazing time being part of Newsies with such an outgoing and talented cast. I cannot wait for everyone to get the chance to see this incredible show!”

It’s safe to say, everyone in the cast and crew is hoping for a big turnout this week to close out the 2018-19 school year in style.