The Newsies cast was made up of some 40 children who only had one week to prepare for the performance, but were clearly made for the stage and nailed it! (Ken Miller photos)
Liberty Theatre in Rock Port put on Disney’s Newsies Jr. Friday and Saturday, July 17 and 18, 2026. The cast was comprised of area youth and teenagers, who went above and beyond to bring this tale to life. (AC Mail photo)
Jack Bailey, left, played Jack Kelly and Kelly’s friend Crutchie was played by Milo Piper, right. Jack Kelly is the strike leader and main protagonist of Newsies.
The Liberty Theatre Youth Production Workshop presented Disney’s Newsies Jr. last weekend. Ava Oswald played Katherine Plumber in the play. Katherine is a young, ambitious reporter who covers the newsies’ strike.
Elaina Kroeger, left, portrayed Bunsen/Seitz, Wendy Hurst, middle, played Hannah, and Briar Daugherty, right, played Joseph Pulitzer.
Alli Swoboda played Medda Larkin and the Bowery Brigade was played by Madelynn Bingham as Olive, Jolie Steuter as Ada, and Langley Gerdes as Ethel.
Jo Hurst (Les) and Isaac Dougherty (Davey) pick up their “papes” from Frank Kroeger (Wiesel), Levi Hirner (Oscar Delancy), and James Swoboda (Morris Delancy).
Over 40 area youth took to the Liberty Theatre stage last weekend to perform Disney’s Newsies Jr. at the Atchison County Memorial Building in Rock Port, Missouri. With the help of directors Erica Taylor and Mikaela Sons and the production crew, the youth performed “a thrilling 60-minute adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, tailored specifically for middle school and youth theater groups. It follows charismatic newsboy Jack Kelly as he leads an empowering, historic strike against unfair newspaper publishers in 1899 New York City.” A total of 368 people attended the shows.
Cast and crew members included: Jack Kelly – Jack Bailey; Crutchie – Milo Piper; Race – Nella Steuter; Albert – Brynlee Rosier; Muriel – Izzy Carpenter; Nancy – Leevi Driskell; Specs – Blaykleigh Daugherty; Pigtails – Lily Maupin; Hazel – CeCe Hall; Buttons – Wynne Griffin; Tommy Boy – Charlie Carpenter; Romeo – Elizabeth Lundy; JoJo – Mae Moody; Katherine Plumber – Ava Oswald; Oscar Delancy – Levi Hirner; Morris Delancy – James Swoboda; Wiesel – Frank Kroeger; Davey – Isaac Dougherty; Les – Jo Hurst; Joseph Pulitzer – Briar Daugherty; Bunsen/Seitz – Elaina Kroeger; Hannah – Wendy Hurst; Snyder – Noah Davis; Medda Larkin – Allie Swoboda; Bowery Brigade: Ada – Jolie Steuter; Olive – Madelynn Bingham; Ethel – Langley Gerdes; Scab 1 – Jolie Steuter; Scab 2 – Madelynn Bingham; Scab 3 – Langley Gerdes; Spot Conlon – JJ Hirner; Dorothy – Madelyn Henggeler; Bill – Lane Seeley; Governor Theodore Roosevelt – Lane Seeley; Newsies Ensemble – Claire Bingham, Braeley Cook, Ivy Daugherty, Norah Georges, Madelyn Henggeler, Belle Herron, JJ Hirner, Portia Ingram, Elsie Ostrom, Oscar Palmer, Veda Seeley, Lane Seeley, Willow Smith, Nora Spiegel, Mary Anne Swoboda, and Elliott Thomas; director – Mikaela Sons; director/choreography – Erica Taylor; backstage crew – Abbie Harms, Audrey Dougherty, Claire Spiegel, Isabella Kroeger, Kennedi Seiter, and Cora Hirner; costumes – Leah Skorupa-Mezger and parents/community members; set building – Scott Deatz and Cody Johnson; set painting – Abbie Harms; sound design – Scott Deatz; and lighting design – Molly Carpenter.
