Newsies

RAHS Drama Club Enters Final Sprint for "Newsies"

By,

Victoria Roice

The RAHS Drama Club is in the final stages of preparation for its upcoming musical, "Newsies," with fewer than 10 rehearsals left until opening night.

Cast and crew members recently dedicated an entire weekend to an intensive rehearsal session, focusing on mastering the show's complex choreography, lines, and scenes.

"For Newsies, this was the only weekend that we had to come in to rehearse, and that's because we were learning the dances," said Anastacia Benish '26, who plays the lead role of Katherine.

Benish noted that while the weekend was demanding for everyone, the featured dancers faced the biggest challenge. "This weekend wasn't exhausting for me, but it was definitely a lot of work on our featured dancers, who are performing complex routines in every dancing song," she said.

For cast members with less dance, the weekend was a chance to focus on other skills.

"Due to my role, I only dance in one song, so the hardest part was waiting patiently for my turn," Benish explained. "I got to finish memorizing my lines... This was challenging for me, because I am not a tap dancer, and I got to try learning some for the first time."

Madeline Meyer, '27, who serves as a Dance Captain, agreed the rehearsal was intense.

“It was a lot of work and brain power to practice all weekend, but it was very fun," Meyer said. She identified the song "Seize the Day" as particularly difficult "because it has a lot of complicated dance breaks and moving pieces.”

Beyond the dancing, Meyer said the technical elements add another layer of complexity.

"There are also a lot of moving platforms that get turned or moved during the show, and that creates the different scenes," she said. "It is exhausting but it’s worth it because I love dancing."

Hal Lemaster, ‘28, who plays the lead role of Jack Kelly, said his personal challenge was the blocking—knowing where to be on stage—but agreed the set was the hardest part for the group.

“I think the set moving during songs was the hardest part because the set moving happens really fast during the music,” Lemaster said.

Lemaster also described the difficulty of portraying the "tough, union organizer" in a way that feels authentic.

“The hardest thing about playing this role is the fact that this role doesn't fit my personality, so I have to act like someone I wouldn't usually act like," Lemaster explained. "When you see a good actor, you SHOULDN'T see them as who they are in real life. They should be seen as someone who IS the character they are playing."

He added that mastering the New York accent was another hurdle for many in the cast. "It took a while to develop, however I think I have a relatively good one!”

With opening night approaching, the cast feels they are in a strong position.

"I would say that we are in a good spot," Benish said. "Almost everyone is completely memorized, we've learned all the dances... Now all that's left is adding lights, sound, and our orchestra, as well as lots of polishing.”

Meyer agreed, "All dances, songs, and scene changes have been learned and just needed to be perfected.”

Lemaster, however, noted the significant work that remains. “I would say that we are far from prepared for the show, however with the given amount of time, we should be able to finish and be prepared by the time of the showings," he said.

The cast and crew of Newsies is excited to show off the hard work they have put together in November!