Long before I had any aspirations of going into the newspaper business, I had a near obsession with a newspaper movie.

As pre-teens, my twin and I watched “Newsies” so many times that we memorized every song — and almost every word in the 90-minute Disney classic.

For hours on end, we would sing along and drool over Christian Bale (who starred in the film many years before his Batman days) as he beautifully sang about his dreams of leaving his job as a paperboy in New York City.

For those who have never seen the movie, “Newsies,” is a musical based on the true story of the Newsboys Strike of 1899. After legendary New York newspaper owners William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer hiked the price of papers, countless paperboys went on strike, refusing to sell the products until the price went back to normal.

To get their point across, the newsies produce their own newspaper shining a light on working conditions for youth all over the city, and (spoiler alert), in true Disney fashion, they win the battle.

I’ve always loved the inspirational story and Alan Menkin’s gorgeous music, so when we found out the Broadway version of the musical was going to make a stop in Chicago this summer, I was eager to see it live.

However, as anyone who has ever attended a touring musical knows, tickets are not cheap. And in Chicago they’re really not cheap. Once you add up costs for travel, lodging and food, the cost of a two-day trip to the city seems downright expensive. Add the headaches of navigating a busy city, organizing transportation and taking time off work, and at some point the hassle seems to outweigh the benefits.

Nonetheless, I’d racked up several vacation days and hadn’t had quality twin time in ages, so with a little coaxing, I caved. On a whim one day a couple of weeks ago, we took the plunge and bought the tickets.

Thirty seconds into the opening number, I knew the splurge was worth it.

We ended up on the main floor in the center (go big or go home, right?), close enough that even my terrible eyes could see every facial expression. We grinned ear to ear like children on Christmas from start to finish, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I teared up a time or two.

Though slightly different from the film, the live version was better than I could have ever imagined. The choreography was mesmerizing, the vocals were breathtaking and the experience was in priceless. I was pleased with the live version’s emphasis on the power of the press and enjoyed the chatter in the crowd about newspapers after the show.

More than anything though, I enjoyed the time away with my sister and the memory we’ll cherish forever.

We may have spent a chunk of change on the trip, but the experience was absolutely priceless.

 

Ambrosia Neldon is the managing editor at Leader Publications. She can be reached by phone at (269) 687-7713, or by email at ambrosia.neldon@leaderpub.com.