NEWSical The Musical

The show is located at Theatre Row 410 West 42nd street. It runs one hour thirty minutes with one intermission. The musical is an open ended run.

NEWSical celebrated it second anniversary running on December 14, 2012. It’s been described as “the forever changing, completely unsanitized, musical mockery of all the news that fit to spoof”.

The musical began with a cabaret production in 2002. It moved off-off-Broadway in 2004 and opened at the John Houseman Studio on Theatre Row in New York City for eight weeks. The show moved on September 10, 2004 to upstairs at Studio 54 and ran until April 17, 2005 after 215 performances. 2009 the production was titled “NEWSical the Musical: We Distort, You Decide”. It opened on November 24, 2009 at the 47th Street Theatre and closed on March 21, 2010. This production was nominated for two Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Revival and Outstanding Lyrics. The 2011 production was titled “NEWSical the Musical: Full Spin Ahead” and opened on December 13, 2010 at Theatre Rows Kirk Theatre. The show was nominated for the 2011 Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Revival and Outstanding Lyrics. It won the 2011 off Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Musical.

Music and lyrics were written by Rick Crom.

The set is bare except for a large screen located at the center of the stage and a bench in front of it. On the left of the stage is a hidden piano and to the left a stand that is also hidden. With each skit different things are reflected on the screen pertaining to that skit.

The show consists of skits made up of things that have happened in 2012 or things of general interest. Poking fun at all things but not in a cruel way from Arnold Schwarzenegger baby maker, to drugs we take every day to 2012 election etc.

I’m not going to tell you about the skits but they are funny and in good taste. Some of the sketches change each month. New ones are added and others stay the same. Starting February 6, 2013 several of the skits will reflect things that are happening in 2013.

The cast consisting of Christine Pedi, Christina Blanco, Michael West and Tommy Walker work well together. There is a good flow between them. The show tries to have guest actor for a month or more. Carson Kressley is joining the show from February 16, 2013 to March 3, 2013. Recent guest actors were Perez Hilton and Andrea McArdle.

This is a fun show to see. There are topics everyone can relate to and laugh at.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left side for recent photos. Click on recent photos for this and other shows.