PSST! Presents “Newsies” June 8-July 14

VALDOSTA — With sensational dancing, stirring songs, and Brooklyn accents, Peach State Summer Theatre will stand up for the “little guy” when it kicks off a 13-performance run of “Newsies” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 8, at Valdosta State University’s Sawyer Theatre. Tickets are on sale now.

Based on the 1992 Disney film and the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899, “Newsies” tells the story of “Jack Kelly and his ragtag team of newsboys, who make a meager living selling newspapers on the streets of New York City,” according to StageAgent.com. “But when the prices of ‘papes’ are hiked and the newsies are hung out to dry, they form a union and organize a strike against the greedy publisher of the New York World. The show is an ebullient, joyful, and entertaining musical capturing the strength that young people have when they join together and stand up against injustice.” 

The musical features classic songs by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman, such as “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” and “Santa Fe.” 

“I never believe in doing something unless it has something to say, and ‘Newsies’ definitely does,” said Jacque Wheeler, director of “Newsies” and artistic director of PSST! “The music is incredibly exciting. The dances are wonderful. There’s humor and romance. And throughout you see a compelling story about struggling kids who ultimately triumph. I think the audience will have a great time, and I think they’ll also be moved.”

“Newsies” premiered at New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse in September 2011 before opening at Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre in New York City in March 2012. There the show amassed critical acclaim and commercial success. It closed in August 2014 after 1,004 performances. This was followed by tours throughout the United States and Canada as well as digital and theatrical releases. The musical has earned two Tony Awards for Best Choreography and Best Original Score and six additional nominations. It also acquired a Grammy Award nomination, two Drama Desk Awards and four additional nominations, and a Young Artist Award nomination.

Please note that “Newsies” contains some mature themes; parental guidance is encouraged.

Individual admission is $32 for adults, $28 for students and senior citizens, and $24 for Peach State Summer Theatre fans in groups of 10 or more, including taxes and fees. 

Patronages are available at a variety of levels.

The Peach State Summer Theatre Box Office is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays. It is located on the first floor of the VSU Fine Arts Building, at the corner of Brookwood Drive and Oak Street, and can be reached by calling (229) 259-7770. The online box office at www.valdosta.edu/psst is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Peach State Summer Theatre, or PSST!, is Valdosta’s premiere professional summer stock theatre. Each summer, dozens of singers, dancers, technicians, managers, and creators gather on the campus of Valdosta State University for 10 weeks, and during that time, they rehearse, build, and present three musicals in rotating repertory. “Million Dollar Quartet” kicked off a 13-performance run on May 25. The final show of the season is “Hello, Dolly!” and opens on Friday, June 22.

The 2018 Peach State Summer Theatre season marks the 29^th year of VSU producing professional theatre for the city of Valdosta, the state of Georgia, and beyond. From 1990 to 2004, VSU produced the Jekyll Island Musical Theatre Festival. In 2005, the summer theatre program was relocated to the university and renamed PSST!

The Georgia Legislature designated Valdosta State’s summer stock theatre program the Official Musical Theatre of the State of Georgia. 

VSU’s Jacque Wheeler serves as the artistic director of Peach State Summer Theatre. H. Duke Guthrie is the managing director.

Sawyer Theatre and the PSST! Box Office are located on the first floor of VSU’s Fine Arts Building, at the intersection of Oak Street and Brookwood Drive.

Visit www.valdosta.edu/psst for more information.

Visit www.facebook.com/vstatenews to view photos and learn more about the cast and crew.

“Newsies” Performance Schedule

• 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 8
• 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 9
• 2 p.m. Saturday, June 16
• 3 p.m. Sunday, June 17
• 3 p.m. Sunday, June 24
• 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 27
• 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 28
• 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 29
• 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 4, Pay What You Can Performance
• 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 5
• 3 p.m. Sunday, July 8, Interpreted for the Deaf in American Sign Language
• 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 11
• 2 p.m. Saturday, July 14