Leaping, twirling and executing complex dance moves, the young actors starring in the upcoming Alexander Children’s Theatre School production of “Disney’s Newsies,” demonstrated skill and agility during a recent rehearsal.
The musical was inspired by the real-life Newsboys’ Strike of 1899, when newsboys – who at the time were essential for distributing newspapers – held a two-week-long strike to force changes in how Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst’s newspapers paid the boys.
Derek Dowcett, 17, who plays the lead role of strike organizer Jack Kelly, said he joined ACTS at his friends’ recommendations and because he “was really looking for a way to expand [his] dancing.”
Joining the school has given Dowcett more than he imagined. The Waltham High senior said he never dreamed he’d be chosen for the starring role and is excited for the opportunity to use his dance skills in the upcoming musical.
“I have a deep passion for it,” said Dowcett.
Wearing small-brimmed newsboy caps, the teens ran through their lines, songs and routines at the Piety Corner Club, ACTS’ rehearsal space, demonstrating impressive athletic and memorization skills ahead of the first performance on Jan. 9.
Most actors in the company come from the area, including Waltham resident Anabel Rutledge, who plays reporter Katherine Plumber, the lead female character. Other Waltham teens in “Newsies” are
- Brian Crowley (Davey – Cast A/Race – Cast B)
- Connor Romancewicz (Davey – Cast B/Race – Cast A)
- Hanz Louis (Joseph Pulitzer)
- Lillian Ebert (Medda Larkin)
- Gabrielle Fox (Les)
- Matt Cronin (Finch)
- Gena Haggerty (Tommy Boy)
- Antonio Rodriguez (Morris Delancy and Darcy)
- Antonio Allia (Oscar Delancy and Bill)
- Ashley Dowcett (Bowery Beauty and Nun Scab #1)
- JJ Britner (Nunzio and Guard)
- CJ Joyce (Jacobi and Mayor)
For anyone nervous about but interested in performing in a play or musical, Dowcett advises them to “just go for it. … You meet so many great people.”
Strong tradition
Stephanie Mavrides, ACTS’ founding director and executive producer, has always loved dance. A former professional ballerina, she still dances and believes the artform gives performers a strong foundation.
A Waltham resident, Mavrides decided to open ACTS in 1999 in response to local children’s interest in theater. The company put on its first show, “Pinocchio,” in 2000 at The Umbrella in Concord and has been raising the curtain ever since. ACTS even produced an online version of the musical “Be More Chill” and an outdoor version of “Spring Awakening” during the Covid pandemic.
“It made the kids happy” after losing so much during the pandemic, she said.
Her students mean a lot to Mavrides, and many former play participants have returned to work for her years later. “I can’t tell you how gratifying it is,” she said.
Former ACTS actor Tricia Whitlock has worked on numerous shows with the company, including as director and choreographer of “Newsies.”
“Tricia is a brilliant director … it’s such a pleasure to watch her direct these kids,” said Mavrides.
“It’s a really beautiful, full-circle moment,” reflected Whitlock, who started performing with ACTS at age 9. She acted with the company until she turned 18.
“It was a huge part of my life,” she reminisced. She and three of her four sisters were able to join the school after Mavrides offered generous scholarships.
Whitlock credits her ACTS training as the reason she was able to live and act professionally in New York for seven years.
In addition to working on the ACTS shows, Whitlock also assists actors who are high school seniors applying to college for musical theater. She helps them prepare for auditions “to make sure they are ready to launch,” she said.
Whitlock said she loves to see the confidence kids get from being on stage.
“It’s so cool to see the growth both artistically and adolescence-wise,” she said.
ACTS will present “Disney’s Newsies,” Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 10 at 8 p.m.; and Jan. 11 at 1 and 6 p.m. For more information and tickets, visit the website. Performances take place at The Umbrella, 40 Stow St., Concord.
The group’s next show will be “Frozen.” ACTS will hold auditions in late January, with shows scheduled in June.
