When NEWSIES was announced to be returning to Japan, this time with Taisho Iwasaki of Bishonen as the lead role of Jack Kelly, I was ecstatic. I had learned about this musical more than a decade ago due to a friend’s whole-hearted obsession with it but didn’t believe it was in the cards for me to see it in person. With the inclusion of Taisho in the second iteration of the Japanese NEWSIES cast, I knew it was time to finally experience it, and I eagerly waited for October to arrive.
NEWSIES takes place in 1899 and follows Jack Kelly, played by Taisho, the unofficial leader of the Manhattan newspaper boys, also called the newsies. Despite living in poverty, Jack, his best friend Crutchie, played by Kazan Yokoyama, and the newsies make the best of their lives and find joy in it. When Joseph Pulitzer, played by Zen Ishikawa, raises the price of newspapers for the newsies to increase profits for himself due to decreased newspaper circulation, Jack rallies the newsies to strike against the increased prices. With the help of a young reporter named Katherine, played by Madoka Hoshikaze, they try to spread the word about the injustices they face.
What struck me the most about this particular musical was how well Taisho performed. Jack Kelly is an incredible multi-faceted character. When we are initially introduced to Jack, he is confident and almost brash in the way he is conversing with the newspaper staffers who the newsies buy their papers from. Jack is a confident teen that exudes the energy of a leader, and Taisho radiates this energy on stage. It’s especially seen in the song Carrying the Banner. Though this is a group ensemble number with Jack and the newsies, the confident way Taisho sings and dances makes him stand out amongst all of the cast members on stage.
Jack also exhibits traits that he will do anything to sell papers to customers. When a new newspaper boy named Davey, played by Seishiro Kato, and his younger brother Les, triple casted with Hiroto Itayama, Takehaya Okubo, and Yuma Naka, join the Manhattan newsies, Jack attempts to take Les under his wing. Jack tells Les to pretend to be younger than he is on top of sensationalizing the news to sell papers. Davey’s strong morals won’t allow him to engage in such nefarious tactics, and the audience is led to believe Jack has a certain “scumbag” energy to him.
It’s only when the warden of the Refuge, a juvenile detention center, recognizes Jack on the streets, forcing Jack, Davey and Les to flee to a vaudeville-style theatre, do the audience learn the softer and kinder side of Jack. He paints backdrops for the owner, Medda, played by Hiromu Kiriya, and, as the musical enters the second act, we learn he trafficked food and clothes for the newsies. It’s this kindness that allows the audience to know the bravado of Jack is merely a façade for those around him, and Taisho plays each of these different facets of Jack’s personality brilliantly. His mannerisms during his more bravado scenes allows him to hide these gentler traits from the audience.
When Pulitzer raises the price of the newspapers for the newsies, this kindness and righteous fury comes bursting from Taisho as he leads the newsies to create a union as well as strike against the new pricing. This strong sense of justice in Jack is evident, and the song The World Will Know is the perfect example of how Taisho is the perfect lead for this musical. Standing front and center amongst the newsies, Taisho commands attention as he performs the song, but therein lies the magic of his performance. Though he leads this powerful performance, a call to action as well as a promise the world will learn about their strike, Taisho stands out but he also has the ability to blend in. His voice mixes with the ensemble cast while matching his dance moves perfectly with those around him. Taisho shows off his ability to be a leader on top of knowing when to pull back and let everyone on stage shine together.
There are also hints scattered throughout the first act that Jack is quite the lady’s man, flirting with any pretty girl he sees. This can be seen in his interactions with Katherine, a female reporter working under a fake last name, before they are formally introduced to one another where she brushes off his words, to which this thoroughly confuses him. Jack cannot understand why this woman is ignoring his advances, and Taisho’s expressions of confusion are heartwarmingly adorable to watch. These scenes also hint to a deeper character trait of Jack’s where he is not used to being turned down or denied what he wants once he’s set his mind to something. This rejection serves as the catalyst, pushing Jack and Katherine closer together as the musical progresses.
Though Jack’s persistence exasperates Katherine to no end, the two begin to build a small affection for each other over the course of the first act, the turning point being the song I Never Planned on You/Don’t Come A-Knocking. Jack stumbles into Katherine’s private booth at Medda’s theatre, who is reporting on the show. The two nearly stumble into an argument before Taisho convinces her that he wasn’t following her. While she enjoys the show, Jack draws a sketch of Katherine on a newspaper, leaving it for her when he takes his leave. This kindness is what draws Katherine to Jack, offering her services as a reporter to get the news out about the newsies’ ongoing strike.
This isn’t to say that Jack and Katherine’s budding mutual affection is smooth sailing. In the second act, when Jack goes to invite Pulitzer to the newsies’ rally, he learns Katherine’s true last name: Pulitzer. The reporter he had believed was on their side is the daughter of the man Jack has been striking against. This scene is painful to watch because Taisho’s expressions are so vivid and the betrayal so clearly etched into his expressions. The dawning realization that Katherine was keeping a secret from him tugs at the heart, and all you want to do is give Taisho a hug. As the scene progresses, you feel the despair clinging to Jack as he considers taking Pulitzer’s offer to pay Jack’s way to Santa Fe.
It’s these later scenes in act two that truly highlight the magic of Taisho’s acting. From accepting Pulitzer’s bribe to end the strike to his argument with Katherine and subsequent kiss on the rooftops, Jack goes through a range of emotions quickly on stage. It’s a rapid flash of emotion, but the way Taisho is able to pivot from scene to scene while remaining believable in his performance is commendable. His duet with Katherine, Something to Believe In, is a beautiful end to this turmoil as the pair brainstorm and execute their own newspaper to spread the news about the strike amidst a media blackout.
NEWSIES is an absolutely fantastic production full of show stopping dance numbers and unforgettable songs. Taisho is an absolute powerhouse in the vocal department, and any song featuring his singing shines. It would be an absolute disservice to his talent to not mention the first act closing song, Santa Fe. After the capture of Jack’s friend Crutchie by the workers at the Refuge, Jack sings about his desire to move across the country to Santa Fe where he believes all of his dreams will come true.
The passion in Taisho’s voice is evident from the first few notes, ringing hauntingly beautiful as the notes soar higher and higher. At the apex of the song, the stage rises up, Taisho reaching his hand into the sky as if to capture his dreams in it. It is the kind of performance that is simple in its execution but lingers in the memory for weeks due to the pure vocal talent. Santa Fe is truly the kind of song that shows the bottomless depths of Taisho’s vocal abilities yet also hints that there is more to him that we haven’t seen yet.
NEWSIES was an absolute dream to be able to watch. It fulfilled a seven month desire of mine to see Taisho on stage leading a Broadway musical. It was a challenge that he rose to the occasion to meet. I can only hope that he continues to grow and evolve as a performer, so that he can continuously headline bigger and bigger productions in the Japanese theater scene.
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