Middleton High School Theatre will be presenting its rendition of Disney’s “Newsies” at the end of this week and through the weekend. There will be four performances, starting on April 28 and ending on May 1. The April shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. and the show on Sunday, May 1 will begin at 2:00 p.m. All shows will take place in the Middleton High School (MHS) Performing Arts Center.

It has been a while since MHS Theatre students were able to go all-out on a musical due to COVID-19. 

“We wanted to come back big, because the people who are here, they missed two musicals,” said Katrina Brunner, the director of “Newsies.” 

In the last two years, COVID has affected two MHS musicals: “Cinderella” and “Singin’ in the Rain.” “Singin’ in the Rain” was completely canceled, while “Cinderella” had to be performed virtually due to COVID safety restrictions.

With the pressure to make a big comeback comes a significant amount of stress. 

“It is a lot of work. It is a lot of thinking ahead and planning and coordinating,” Brunner said. However, once things start to get off the ground, it’s all worth it: “It’s pretty magical when we get to that end.”

Brunner expressed her pride in students’ abilities to persevere through the stress and pressure. 

“I don’t think that there’s anything that we can’t handle,” she said. 

The story follows a group of 19th century newsboys as they navigate the struggles of mistreatment in the workplace. 

“I think it’s a great story about kids pushing back and standing up for themselves,” said Brunner. “That’s so much [like] our high school kids right now, in this building… They are so willing to take on challenges and stand up for themselves and others.”

For more information on tickets, performances, and more, please visit the Middleton High School Theatre website.