Capathia Jenkins Joins Cast of Broadway’s Newsies
(© Tristan Fuge)
Capathia Jenkins will play the role of Medda in the Broadway production of Newsies, to begin performances at the Nederlander Theatre on March 15 in advance of a March 29 opening. Jeff Calhoon, who helmed the stage musical’s premiere at Paper Mill Playhouse last fall, will once again direct the production, which will be choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, who also created dances for the Paper Mill production.
Jenkins has previously appeared on Broadway in The Civil War; The Look of Love; Caroline, or Change and Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me. She received a Drama Desk Award nomination for her work in (mis) Understanding Mammy: The Hattie McDaniel Story Off-Broadway, and has been working with composer Louis Rosen for over six years, and together they have released three albums: South Side Stories (Rosecap), One Ounce of Truth-The Nikki Giovanni Songs (PS Classics) and most recently The Ache Of Possibility (Di-Tone).
As previously reported, the Broadway company will feature Jeremy Jordan as Jack Kelly, John Dossett as Joseph Pulitzer, Kara Lindsay as Katherine Plumber, Ben Fankhauser as Davey, and Andrew Keenan-Bolger as Crutchie, all of whom appeared in the musical’s original production. Lewis Grosso and Matthew Schechter will alternate the role of Les.
The ensemble will include Aaron J. Albano, Mark Aldrich, Tommy Bracco, John E. Brady, Ryan Breslin, Kevin Carolan, Caitlyn Caughell, Kyle Coffman, Mike Faist, Michael Fatica, Julie Foldesi, Garett Hawe, Thayne Jasperson, Evan Kasprzak, Jess Le Protto, Stuart Marland, Andy Richardson, Jack Scott, Ryan Steele, Brendon Stimson, Nick Sullivan, Ephraim Sykes, Laurie Veldheer, Alex Wong and Stuart Zagnit.
Set in New York City at the turn of the century, Newsies, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman, and a book by Harvey Fierstein, tells the story of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a ragged band of teenaged ‘newsies,’ who dreams only of a better life far from the hardship of the streets. But when publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack finds a cause to fight for and rallies newsies from across the city to strike for what’s right.
