![\"Scene](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772058848_345_.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nWhen Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise the distribution price of their newspapers 10 cents per hundred, the newsboys, poor enough already, are outraged. So Jack “Cowboy” Kelly organizes a newsboys’ strike. With David Jacobs as the brains behind the new union, Jack as its voice, and help from a determined female reporter, the weak and oppressed find the strength to band together and challenge the powerful.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
\/<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
Fort Myers Theatre’s production of ‘Newsies’ is characterized by gymnastic dance numbers. <\/p>\n
Directed and choreographed by Robin Dawn Ryan with assistance from Madison Alward, the production of \u201cNewsies\u201d at Fort Myers Theatre is distinguished by exceptional vocals, gymnastic dance numbers and a terrific, mostly male cast.<\/p>\n
![\"Cole](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772058848_774_.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
\/<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
Fort Myers Theatre’s production of ‘Newsies’ is characterized by gymnastic dance numbers. <\/p>\n
Four songs in Alan Menken and Jack Feldman\u2019s score are particularly noteworthy, beginning with the Newsies\u2019 haunting anthem, \u201cThe World Will Know.\u201d It is full of youthful bravado, with the choreography supplying attitude with a capital \u201cA.\u201d The number is reprised several times during the two-hour show and will stay with audiences long after the final curtain.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeize the Day\u201d captures the camaraderie of the strikers, who must find a way to unite all the newspaper delivery boys not just in Manhattan, but in the boroughs from Queens to Brooklyn.<\/p>\n
Those who love tap will be mesmerized by the cast\u2019s high-energy rendition of \u201cKing of New York.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Gianna](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772058849_174_.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
\/<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
Gianna Randall turns in a heartfelt performance in the role of reporter Katherine Plummer.<\/p>\n
Gianna Randall turns in a heartfelt performance in the role of reporter Katherine Plummer. The vulnerability she conjures in \u201cWatch What Happens\u201d does more than express her character\u2019s self-doubt and the pressure she feels to write a serious news story that portrays the gravity of the newsies\u2019 strike. It endears her to the audience.<\/p>\n
![\"Emma](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772058850_575_.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
\/<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
Emma Luke-Said as Medda Larkin leads her chorus girls in vaudeville song ‘That’s Rich.’ <\/p>\n
The show is not all gravitas. It does have some lighter moments, such as \u201cThat\u2019s Rich,\u201d a vaudeville-style number sung by Medda Larkin and her chorus girls. Emma Luke-Said is sensational as the Mae West-Aida Overton Walker amalgamation.<\/p>\n
![\"Medda](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772058851_86_.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
\/<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
Medda Larkin’s chorus girls<\/p>\n
Cole Edwards, Amadeus Starbird, and Noah and Jack Brown lead a spirited cast as Jack Kelly, Crutchie, Davey and Les.<\/p>\n
\u201cNewsies\u201d runs through March 8. Fort Myers Theatre is located on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers.<\/p>\n
![\"Scene](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772058851_625_.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
\/<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
Fort Myers Theatre’s ‘Newsies’ is distinguished by exceptional vocals, gymnastic dance numbers and a terrific, mostly male cast. <\/p>\n
MORE INFORMATION:<\/p>\n
\u201cNewsies\u201d was inspired by the Newsboy Strike of 1899.<\/p>\n
While Jack Kelly is fictional, many characters in the musical bear the names of the true working-class men and boys who stood up to William Randolph Hearst\u2019s Evening Journal and Joseph Pulitzer\u2019s New York World through their strike. For two hot and humid weeks in the summer of 1899, thousands of disgruntled newspaper hawkers, mostly boys between the ages of 8 and 18, protested the 10 cent price hike from 50 cents to 60 cents for a hundred papers.<\/p>\n
The roughly 15,000 New York newsboys were joined in their strike by boys in Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey.<\/p>\n
![\"'Newsies'](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772058852_488_.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
\/<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
Fort Myers Theatre’s ‘Newsies’ is distinguished by exceptional vocals, gymnastic dance numbers and a terrific, mostly male cast.<\/p>\n
This story was first dramatized in the 1992 Disney film starring a young Christian Bale. A box-office flop, the movie was panned by critics and also received a \u201cRazzie\u201d nomination, an award given to the worst films of the year.<\/p>\n
That did not dissuade Alan Menken and Jack Feldman from taking \u201cNewsies\u201d to Broadway.<\/p>\n
The musical premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in 2011 and made its Broadway debut in 2012. Its Broadway run extended to more than 1,000 performances and garnered Tony Awards for Best Choreography and Best Original Score.<\/p>\n
![\"Veranda](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772058852_767_.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
\/<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
Joseph Pulitzer’s son, Peter, purchased and conjoined the buildings that now comprise the Veranda Restaurant in the 1960s as a gift for his fishing buddy. <\/p>\n
The show has a local connection. Joe Pulitzer\u2019s son, Peter, once owned the two buildings that comprise the Veranda Restaurant in downtown Fort Myers. The Victorian houses were built by Manuel S. Gonzalez in 1902. Gonzalez was once of the town\u2019s original four settlers, arriving on the grounds of the Seminole and Civil war fort on Feb. 21, 1866. He built the house on the corner of present-day Broadway and Second streets for his family and the adjacent residence for his widowed mother, Evalina. Pulitzer acquired and conjoined the homes in the 1960s as a gift for his fishing buddy, Fingers O\u2019Bannon. Paul Peden purchased the buildings in 1978 and transformed them into the Veranda.<\/p>\n
![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772058853_229_.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
\/<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
Chris Dube plays Peter Pulitzer’s father, Joseph, for Fort Myers Theatre in ‘Newsies.’ <\/p>\n
The cast of \u201cNewsies\u201d includes:<\/p>\n
Jack Kelly:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cole Edwards
Crutchie:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Armadeus Starbird
Davey:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Noah Brown
Les:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jack Brown
Katherine Plummer:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Gianna Randall
Joseph Pulitzer:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chris Dube<\/p>\n
![\"Gianna](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772058853_888_.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
\/<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
Gianna Randall as Katherine Plummer faces off against Cole Edwards’ character, Jack ‘Cowboy’ Kelly. <\/p>\n
Medda Larkin:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Emma Luke-Said
Race:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nathaniel Mulvaney
Albert:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Matthew Potter
Specs:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lily Hermic
Henry:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joshua Browney
Finch:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kieran McKinney
Romeo:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Asher Edwards
Elmer:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Daniel Bender
Mush:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joshua Potter
Buttons:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jolie Browney
Splasher:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sydney Butler
Tommy Boy:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Syd
Jo Jo\/Bill Hearst:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cotton Herman<\/p>\n
![\"Gianna](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772058854_492_.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
\/<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
Gianna Randall as Katherine Plummer with the newsboys during their strike <\/p>\n
Mike:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Isa Furiate
Ike:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lauren Plank
Newsboys:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kavi Roff, Frankie Savage
Spot Conlon:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 JJ Frietas
Morris Delancey:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jackson Potter
Oscar Delancey:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mattias Wieland
Governor Roosevelt:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Terry Lavy
Nunzio\/Officer:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Terry Lavy
Hannah:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ashley Gafgan
Bowery:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Megan Iwanie, Isa, Syd, Lily
Wiesel\/Jacob\/Mangr:\u00a0\u00a0 Jayson Levy
Snyder:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gavin Ott
Bunsen:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mike Towns
Nuns:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Emma, Ashley, Megan<\/p>\n
![\"Noah](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772058855_869_.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
\/<\/p>\n
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n
Noah Brown (left) plays Davey, the brains behind the newsboys’ strike of Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper. <\/p>\n
Support for WGCU\u2019s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise the distribution price of their newspapers 10 cents per hundred,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":169261,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-169260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169260\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}