Newsboy caps, dancing shoes and more than a few thick NYC accents were put to good use in a rousing and thoroughly entertaining production of the musical Newsies featuring an ensemble that wowed the crowd with their skill and energy.

Mirvish Productions is doing its part to promote a healthy uptick in cultural tourism by bringing the touring productions of two popular Broadway musicals to town in the height of summer. Cyndi Lauper’s Kinky Boots opened to very positive reviews a couple weeks back, and now Newsies, which opened last night at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, looks like it will do the same.

The musical premiered on Broadway in 2012 and was nominated for eight Tony awards thanks to the music of Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman and book by Harvey H. It is, of course, adapted from a 1992 Disney movie, which was never a big box office hit, but has retained a loyal following.

In Newsies, homeless orphaned or otherwise disenfranchised kids working the streets of New York City selling newspapers decide to organize a union behind their leader the plucky and determined roustabout Jack Kelly, who secretly dreams of splitting town for the open air of New Mexico. The union goes toe-to-toe with the rich and powerful Joseph Pulitzer, who uses all manner of dastardly shenanigans to break up the group. In the end, the good guys win after their struggle is embraced by the entire city’s child labour force as well as soon-to-be-president Teddy Roosevelt.

Although the labour history portion of the plot remains the same in movie and musical, a love story has been added in the interest of sentimentalists everywhere. As a fan of the movie, I don’t see the need, but it does allow for one of the finest performances on this evening as Stephanie Styles playing Katherine is a magnet for the audience’s attention thanks to her lovely voice and equal measures of charm and moxy.

A reporter for a rival newspaper picks up the story and becomes a friend and confidante to union leader and plucky roustabout Jack Kelly (played in the movie by a young Christian Bale). In the musical, the reporter is a female, and Kelly and her have a chemistry until we find out that she’s actually the daughter of Pulitzer, who went behind her father’s back in an attempt to make her own way in a male-dominated industry.

Star Dan Deluca as Jack Kelly is all that he is supposed to be: part bad boy, part dreamer with a strong sense of working class ethics like a singing James Dean in a newsboy cap and knickers.

The production has plenty going for it in addition to Deluca and there are a number of fine performances worth mentioning including nine-year-old Vincent Crocilla who demonstrates not only a remarkably high level of skill but also a stage presence far beyond his years in the role of Les.

Also of note is Jacob Kemp, as Les’s older brother Davey who becomes Kelly’s sidekick and brains behind the union. His voice was almost too powerful and pure, especially when paired with Deluca.

Then there’s the ensemble. Wow. Talk about stealing the show. The finest moments, the best songs, were reserved for the whole gang of rascally scamps who, either behind the leads or by themselves, literally vibrated with joyous energy and movement. They had the audience in their hands each and every moment. Every highlight of the evening featured an ensemble piece from the opening “Carrying the Banner” to “Seize the Day” and “King of New York,” all catchy and memorable songs that will leave audiences humming well into the next day.

There is plenty of historical accuracy to the work, which is based on the Newsboys Strike of 1899. And, unlike the movie, the musical version is actually more accurate with regard to the ending when Pulitzer doesn’t outright give into the demands of the newsies, but instead a compromise is reached between him and Kelly. Either way you slice it, movie or musical, the story has a lot going for it and retains plenty of relevance for today’s audience, especially with the addition of a young woman trying to get a fair shake competing with men.

Seems there is a lot of that going around despite the passing of a century or so. In addition to Styles, Newsies also features a strong performance by Angela Grovey as theatre owner and singer Medda Larkin, the only adult who has made a positive contribution to Kelly’s troubled life.

This is a good time for theatre fans in the city. Two fun new musicals in town, the Fringe Festival underway, Shakespeare in High Park soon to open, Panamania offering up many daring theatrical pieces and Summerworks just around the corner. The stage is set, now get out and enjoy it.

Newsies runs until Aug. 30 at the Ed Mirvish Theatre