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'Newsies,' Anthony Bourdain coming to Pantages Theatre

HOLLYWOOD – By popular demand, Disney’s “Newsies” will return to Los Angeles for the first time since its premiere engagement in spring 2015. 

This 2-week return engagement at the Pantages Theatre will play Aug. 30 through Sept. 10.
 Tickets for “Newsies” are currently on sale only to current season ticket holders. Individual tickets will go on sale to the general public on May 22 at 10 a.m. 

Tickets will be available for purchase online at HollywoodPantages.com, or Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-982-2787. Tickets start at $29.

 “Newsies,” the new American musical, features a Tony Award-winning score with music by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman, a book by four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein and is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. 

“Newsies” is directed by Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, who won a 2012 Tony Award for his work.  The entire creative team has reunited to bring the break-out musical to audiences across North America.

When it opened on March 29, 2012 “Newsies” was intended for a Broadway run of just 101 performances.  The show’s devoted fans had other ideas, however; they propelled the show to a run of 1,005 performances, attendance of more than 1 million and a gross of over $100 million.
 While on Broadway, “Newsies” set and broke seven Nederlander Theatre house records and became the highest-grossing show from the 2011-12 Broadway season. 

The show received 23 major theatrical nominations – including eight Tony Award nods – and won Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Score and Choreography.

Set in New York City at the turn of the century, “Newsies” is the rousing tale 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.

“Newsies” is inspired by the real-life ‘Newsboy Strike of 1899,’ when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week-long action against Pulitzer, Hearst and other powerful newspaper publishers.

The stage version introduces seven brand-new songs by the original team of Menken and Feldman, including a song written specifically for the tour called ‘Letter from the Refuge,’ while keeping many of the beloved songs from the film, including ‘Carrying the Banner, ‘Seize the Day,’ ‘King of New York’ and ‘Santa Fe.’

Since the film’s 1992 theatrical release and subsequent DVD release, “Newsies” has grown into a cult phenomenon, and for years had been the single most requested title of all the Disney musical films not yet adapted for the stage.  (The film featured a screenplay by Bob Tzudiker & Noni White of “Tarzan” and “102 Dalmatians.”)

The performance schedule for “Newsies” is Tuesday through Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 pm and 8 pm and Sunday at 1 pm and 6:30 pm. There is an additional matinee at 2 pm on Friday, Sept. 9, and there are no performances on Sunday, Sept. 11. 

Opening night is Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 8pm.

“Newsies” is recommended for ages 6 and up. All patrons entering the theatre, regardless of age, must have a ticket.

Anthony Bourdain
Meanwhile, best-selling author and television host Anthony Bourdain announced he will bring his show, “The Hunger” to the Pantages Theatre on Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. 

The performance will be part of an 11-city North American tour that launches Oct. 25 in New York. 

“The Hunger” serves audiences an all new live show featuring an unyielding, brutally honest monologue reflecting on diverse culture, street cuisine and his travels to lesser-known locations around the world, followed by an open Q&A session.

Hollywood Pantages presales begin May 5 and tickets for the general public are on-sale May 20. Today through May 1, fans can register at AnthonyBourdainOnTour.com to receive a presale code to purchase tickets before the May 20 general public on sale.