“Newsies The Musical” is terrific Bway show about workers‘ oppression
If Clifford Odets had written a musical for the Group Theater, it would have been “Newsies.” The author of the militant “Waiting for Lefty,” with its moving chorus of “Strike, Strike!,” lives in spirit in Harvey Fierstein‘s play about young exploited workers who rebel against the corporate boss.
At a time when trade unions are beaten down by the big-money people who run our country, it is thrilling to see a play that celebrates the struggle of worker to get decent pay. And especially a reminder of how corporate magnates would and did exploit children if they could. So, cheers to Fierstein for writing the book of this play. At the performance I attended, the enthusiastic reaction of the middle class audience (who could afford the tickets) shows that his message is well received. That is a story that hasn‘t been reported.