I was lucky enough to see one of my all-time favorite musicals this week for the fourth time: Newsies! If you’re in the DC area, it’s playing at Arena Stage now through December 29. Once I shared that I was lucky enough to see the show opening night over on Instagram Stories, a few DC folks reached to to me that they had no idea in town. So I thought it would be a good idea to share a little write-up about it here since it seems like many of you share my passion for Newsies!

If you’ve never seen the show, you’re in for a real treat—the dancing is amazing! The story is based on the real newsboys strike of 1899, when the newsies of New York City took on two of the most powerful men in journalism—Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. It follows the engaging group of newsboys and girls as they seek justice for better working conditions and fairer labor practices. Seeing Newsies would be the perfect activity for the whole family over the holiday—I think it’s something everyone could enjoy.

And, if you want a sneak peak or a refresher, the Broadway version of Newsies is on Netflix! The show at arena stage is blocked a little bit differently than the Broadway show, given there are seats 360-degrees around the stage. It makes for such a fun, engaging performance—and the cast even runs up and down the stairs and around the perimeter of the theater a few times! 

This was my first time seeing a show at Arena Stage, but it was a great venue—so I’ll definitely be back. There are several different stages so they can run multiple shows concurrently, and the concession stand was reasonably priced and had a variety of options. You could even pre-order your beverages for intermission!

Though Arena Stage is right near the Metro, we opted to drive given the show would be letting out late—and valet parking could not have been easier.

Thanks to Arena Stage for offering me two complimentary tickets to opening night of Newsies! As always, all opinions are my own.