Seize the Day – Newsies

RACETRACK:

In 1899, the streets of New York echoed with the voices of Newsies.
Peddling the papers of Joseph Pulitizer,
William Randolph Hearst, and other giants of the newspaper world.
On every corner you heard them carrying the banner.
Bringing you the news for a penny a pape.
Poor orphans and runaways, the newsies were a ragged army, without a leader.
Until one day, all that changed.

CARRYING THE BANNER

RACETRACK:

That’s my cigar

SNIPESHOOTER:

You’ll steal anudder

KID BLINK:

Hey, bummers, we got work to do

SPECS:

Since when did you become me mudder?

CRUTCHY:

Ah, stop yer bawling!

SEVERAL NEWSIES:

Hey! Who asked you??

MUSH:

Try Bottle Alley or the harbor

RACETRACK:

Try Central Park, it’s guaranteed

JACK:

Try any banker, bum, or barber …

SKITTERY:

They almost all knows how to read!

KID BLINK:

I smell money

CRUTCHY:

You smell foul!

MUSH:

Met this girl last night …

CRUTCHY:

Move your elbow!

RACETRACK:

Pass the towel!

SKITTERY:

For a buck, I might!

NEWSIES:

Ain’t it a fine life
Carrying the banner through it all?
A mighty fine life
Carrying the banner tough and tall
Every morning
We goes where we wishes
We’s as free as fishes
Sure beats washing dishes
What a fine life
Carrying the banner home-free all!

JACK:

It takes a smile as sweet as butter

CRUTCHY:

The kind that ladies can’t resist

RACETRACK:

It takes an orphan with a stutter

JACK:

Who ain’t afraid ta use his

KID BLINK:

Fist!

NEWSIES:

Summer stinks and winter’s waiting
Welcome to New York
Boy, ain’t nature fascinating
When you’se gotta walk?
Still, it’s a fine life
Carrying the banner with me chums!
A mighty fine life
Blowing every nickel as it comes

CRUTCHY:

I’m no snoozer
Sitting makes me antsy
I likes living chancy

NEWSIES:

Harlem to Delancey
What a fine life
Carrying the banner through the slums

THREE NUNS:

Blessed children
Though you wander lost and depraved
Jesus loves you
You shall be saved!

NEWSIES:

If I hate the headlines
I’ll make up the headline
And I’ll say anything I hafta
‘Cause at two for a penny
If I take too many
Weasel just makes me eat ’em afta

NEWSIES:

We need a good assassination!
We need an earthquake or a war!

SNIPESHOOTER:

How ’bout a crooked politician?

NEWSIES:

Hey, stupid, that ain’t news no more!
Uptown to Grand Central Station
Down to City Hall
We improves our circulation
Walking till we fall

SANTA FE

JACK:

So that’s what they call a family
Mudder, fadder, daughter, son
Guess everything you heard about is true.
So you ain’t got any family
Well, who said you needed one?
Ain’tcha glad nobody’s waiting up for you?

When I dream on my own
I’m alone, but I ain’t lonely
For a dreamer, night’s the only time of day
When the city’s finally sleeping
When my thoughts begin to stray
And I’m on the train that bound for
Santa Fe

And I’m free
Like the wind
Like I’m gonna live forever.
It’s a feeling time can never take away
All I need’s a few more dollars
And I’m outta here to stay
Dreams come true
Yes they do
In Santa Fe

Where does it say you’ve gotta live and die here?
Where does it say a guy can’t catch a break?
Why should you only take what you’re given?
Why should you spend your whole life livin’
Trapped where there ain’t no future
Even at seventeen
Breaking your back for someone else’s sake
If the life don’t seem to suit ya
How bout a change of scene?
Far from the lousy headlines

And the deadlines in between

Santa Fe
Are you there?
Do you swear you won’t forget me?
If I found you would you let me come and stay?
I ain’t getting any younger
And before my dying day
I want space
Not just air
Let ’em laugh in my face, I don’t care
Save a place
I’ll be there

So that’s what they call a family?
Ain’tcha glad you ain’t that way?
Ain’tcha glad you got a dream called
Santa Fe?

MY LOVEY-DOVEY BABY

ANNOUNCER:

And now gents, the moment you’ve all been waiting for.
The sensational songbird. The Swedish Meadowlark, Miss Medda Larkson.

MEDDA:

My lovey dovey baby
I boo-hoo-hoo for you
I used to be your tootsie-wootsie
Then you said ‘tooldle-dedoo’

I miss the hanky-panky
Each nighty-night til three
Come back my lovey dovey baby
And coochie-coo with me

Our life was ducky-wucky
So goody-good were we
Come back, my lovey-dovey baby
And coochie-coo with me

THE WORLD WILL KNOW

JACK:

Pulitzer and Hearst
They think we’re nothin’
Are we nothin’?

NEWSIES:

No!

JACK:

Pulitzer and Hearst
They think they got us
Do they got us?

NEWSIES:

No!

JACK:

Even though we ain’t got hats or badges
We’re a union just by saying so
And the world will know!

What’s it gonna take to stop the wagons?
Are we ready?

NEWSIES:

Yeah!

JACK:

What’s it gonna take to stop the scabbers?
Can we do it?

NEWSIES:

Yeah!

JACK:

We’ll do what we gotta do
Until we break the will of mighty Bill and Joe

NEWSIES:

And the World will know
And the Journal too

Have we got news for you
Now the world will hear
What we got to say
We been hawkin’ headlines
But we’re makin’ ’em today
And our ranks will grow

CRUTCHY:

And we’ll kick their rear

NEWSIES:

And the world will know
That we been here

JACK:

When the circulation bell starts ringin’
Will we hear it?

NEWSIES:

No!

JACK:

What if the Delanceys come out swingin’
Will we hear it?

NEWSIES:

No!
When you got a hundred voices singin’
Who can hear a lousy whistle blow?
And the world will know
That this ain’t no game
That we got a ton of rotten fruit and perfect aim
So they gave their word
But it ain’t worth beans
Now they’re gonna see
What “stop the presses” really means
And the day has come
And the time is now
And the fear is gone

BOOTS:

And their name is mud

NEWSIES:

And the strike is on

BOOTS:

And I can’t stand blood

NEWSIES:

And the world will –

JACK:

Pulitzer may own the World but he don’t own us!

NEWSIES:

Pulitzer may own the World but he don’t own us!

JACK:

Pulitzer may crack the whip but he won’t whip us!

NEWSIES:

Pulitzer may crack the whip but he won’t whip us!
And the world will know
And the world will learn
And the world will wonder how we made the tables turn
And the world will see
That we had to choose
That the things we do today will be tomorrow’s news
And the old will fall
And the young stand tall
And the time is now
And the winds will blow
And our ranks will grow and grow and grow and so
The world will feel the fire
And finally know!

SEIZE THE DAY

DAVID:

Open the gates and seize the day
Don’t be afraid and don’t delay
Nothing can break us
No one can make us
Give our rights away
Arise and seize the day!

DAVID AND NEWSIES:

Now is the time to seize the day
(Now is the time to seize the day)
Send out the call and join the fray
(Send out the call and join the fray)

DAVID:

Wrongs will be righted
if we’re united

DAVID AND NEWSIES:

Let us seize the day!

Friends of the friendless seize the day
(Friends of the friendless seize the day)
Raise up the torch and light the way
(Raise up the torch and light the way)
Proud and defiant
We’ll slay the giant
Let us seize the day
Neighbor to neighbor
Father to son
One for all and all for one!

Open the gates and seize the day
(Open the gates and seize the day)
Don’t be afraid and don’t delay
(don’t be afraid and don’t delay)
Nothing can break us
No one can make us
Give our rights away
Neighbor to neighbor
Father to son!
One for all and all for one!

KING OF NEW YORK

MUSH:

A pair of new shoes with matching laces

RACETRACK:

A permanent box at Sheepshed Races.

SPOT:

A porcelain tub with boiling water

KID BLINK:

A Saturday night with the mayor’s daughter!

RACETRACK:

Look at me
I’m the King of New York!
Suddenly
I’m respectable
Staring right atcha
Lousy with stature

JACK:

Nubbin’ with all the muckety-mucks
I’m blowin’ my dough and goin’ deluxe!

RACETRACK:

And there I’ll be
Ain’t I pretty?

RACETRACK & JACK:

It’s my city
I’m the king of New York!

BOOTS:

A corduroy suit with fitted knickers

LES:

A mezzanine seat to see the flickers

SNIPESHOOTER:

Havana cigars that cost a quarter

DAVID:

An editor’s desk for our star reporter!

NEWSIES:

Tip your hat
He’s the King of New York!

DENTON:

How ’bout that?
I’m the King of New York!

NEWSIES:

In nothing flat
He’ll be covering
Brooklyn to Trenton
Our man Denton

KID BLINK:

Making a headline out of a hunch

DENTON:

Protecting the weak

RACETRACK:

And paying for lunch

DENTON:

When I’m at bat
Strong men crumble

RACETRACK:

Proud yet humble

DENTON & RACETRACK:

I’m/He’s the King of New York

NEWSIES:

I gotta be either dead or dreaming
‘Cuz look at that pape with my face beaming
Tomorrow they may wrap fishes in it
But I was a star for one whole minute!

Starting now
I’m the King of New York!

DENTON:

Ain’t you heard?
I’m the King of New York!

NEWSIES:

Holy cow!
It’s a miracle
Pulitzer’s crying
Weasel? He’s dying!
Flashpots are shooting bright as the sun
I’m one hifalutin’ sonuva gun!
Don’t ask me how
Fortune found me
Fate just crowned me
Now I’m King of New York!

Look and see
Once a piker
Now a striker
I’m the King of New York!

Victory!
Front page story
Guts and glory
I’m the King of New York!

HIGH TIMES, HARD TIMES

MEDDA:

High times, hard times
Sometimes the living is sweet
And sometimes there’s nothing to eat
But I always land on my feet
So when there’s dry times
I wait for high times and then
I put on my best
And I stick out my chest
And I’m off to the races again!

My good friend the mayor, he called me today
He said all the voters are turning away
“Help me,” he cried, “or they’ll give me the axe!”
I said, “Your Honor, you’ve got to relax …” Everybody!

ALL:

High times, hard times
Sometimes the living is sweet
And sometimes there’s nothing to eat
But I always land on my feet
So when there’s dry times
I wait for high times and then
I put on my best
And I stick out my chest
And I’m off to the races again!

MEDDA:

So your old lady don’t love you no more
So you’re afraid there’s a wolf at your door
So you got street rats that scream in your ear

ALL:

You win some, you lose some, my dear!
Oh, high times, hard times
Sometimes the living is sweet
And sometimes there’s nothing to eat
But I always land on my feet
So when there’s dry times
I wait for high times and then
I put on my best
And I stick out my chest
And I’m off to the races again!

I put on my best
And I stick out my chest
And I’m off
And I’m off
And I’m off to the races again!

SEIZE THE DAY (CHORALE)

NEWSIES:

Open the gates and seize the day
Don’t be afraid and don’t delay
Nothing can break us
No one can make us
Give our rights away
Arise and seize the day

SANTA FE (REPRISE)

JACK:

Santa Fe
My old friend
I can’t spend my whole life hidin’
You’re the only light that’s guidin’ me today

Will you keep a candle burnin’?
Will you help me find my way?
You’re my chance to break free
And who knows when my next one will be?
Santa Fe
Wait for me

ONCE AND FOR ALL

DENTON:

This is the story you wanted to write,
Well tonight is the night that you can

JACK:

Just get this done and by dawn’s early light
you can finish the fight you began

DAVID:

This time we are in it to stay

SARAH:

Think about seizing the day

JACK:

Think of that train as she rolls into old Santa Fe
Tell em’ I’m on my way

MORE NEWSIES:

See old man Pullitzer’s snug in his bed
He don’t care if we are dead or alive
Three satin pillows are under his head
While we are begging for bread to survive
Joe, if you’re still countin’ sheep
Wake up and read em’ and weep
You got your thugs
With their sticks and their slugs
Yeah, but we got a promise to keep

Once and for all
Something tells me the tide’ll be turnin’
Once and for all
There is a fire inside me
That won’t stop burnin’
Now that the choices are clear
Now tomorrow is here
Watch how the mighty will fall
For once and for all

This is for kids shinin’ shoes in the street
With no shoes on their feet everyday
This is for guys sweatin’ blood in the shops
While the bosses and cops look away
This is to even the score
This ain’t just Newsies no more
This ain’t just kids for some pie in the sky
This is do it or die
This is WAR!

Once and for all
We’ll be there to defend one another
Once and for all
Every kid is our friend
Every friend a brother

Five thousand fists in the sky
Five thousand reasons to try
We’re goin’ over the wall
Better to die then to crawl
Either we stand or we fall
For once
Once and for all

THE WORLD WILL KNOW (REPRISE)

LES:

When the circulation bell starts ringing, will we hear it?

RACETRACK:

Nah!
What if the Delanceys come out swinging, will we hear it?

LES:

No!

NEWSIES:

When you’ve got a million voices singing who could hear a lousy whistle blow?
And the world will know!
The world will feel the fire and finally know!

CARRYING THE BANNER (REPRISE)

NEWSIES:

Try Bottle Alley or the harbor
Try Central Park, it’s guaranteed
Try any banker, bum, or barber …
They almost all knows how to read!
Summer stinks and winter’s waiting
Welcome to New York
Boy, ain’t nature fascinating
When you’se gotta walk?