Newsies

In 1899, 17-year-old Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly lives with other struggling newsies on the streets of Manhattan, selling copies of The New York World. They endure cold mornings, hot afternoons, and constant hustle as they carry the banners of their trade. Jack dreams of something bigger beyond the pavement of New York.

David Jacobs and his younger brother Les join the newsies, and Jack quickly sees David's intelligence and Les's marketable charm. The brothers are invited to dinner at the Jacobs' home, where Jack meets their sister Sarah. He confesses a longing to reach Santa Fe and a sense of belonging his own family never gave him.

Pulitzer raises the price of newspapers for the newsies, triggering outrage among the troupe. Jack and David galvanize the other Manhattan newsies to walk off the job and strike together, chanting a new resolve to tell their side of the story. The strike's spark is lit as 'The World Will Know' becomes their rallying cry.

Jack and Les confront Joseph Pulitzer at his office, and Pulitzer ejects them from the premises. Bryan Denton, a reporter for The Sun, takes an interest in the boys' story and follows the strike's developments. The confrontation signals the newsies' first real clash with the power behind the newspapers.

David informs the Brooklyn newsies about the strike, and their leader Spot Conlon reluctantly opposes the walkout. Despite initial resistance, Brooklyn crews begin to rally behind Manhattan, expanding the strike citywide. The movement gains momentum as new voices are drawn in.

Delancey brothers capture Crutchie, a disabled newsie, and he is sent to the Refuge, a grim orphanage and juvenile detention center. Warden Snyder neglects the orphans while embezzling funds meant for their care. The imprisonment of Crutchie underscores the human cost of the conflict.

The newsies' attempts to deter strikebreakers are revealed as a trap orchestrated by the Delancey brothers. Spot arrives with the Brooklyn newsies, and the two groups manage to repel the mob. Denton reports the clash on The Sun, keeping the public informed of the escalating conflict.

Denton's front-page reporting on The Sun raises public awareness and injects ambition into the movement. The newsies imagine the potential fame of their cause and begin planning a citywide rally to pressure the publishers.

Snyder informs Pulitzer that Jack is an escapee, leading to Jack's arrest. He is sentenced to four years in the Refuge, while Denton is reassigned as a war correspondent. Pulitzer offers to waive Jack's sentence if he works despite the strike, threatening harsher consequences otherwise.

During breakfast atop the Jacobs' apartment building, Jack confesses his dream of fleeing to Santa Fe. Later, Medda Larkson's Bowery performance rallies the gathered newsies to stand together for their cause. The morale boost helps sustain the fight.

Using an old press from Pulitzer, the kids publish a 'Newsie Banner' that spreads to child laborers citywide, drawing attention to the Refuge abuses. Denton shares the paper with Governor Theodore Roosevelt, exposing the mistreatment of the children. Public sympathy begins to tilt toward the newsies and their cause.

Roosevelt has Snyder arrested, releases the children from the Refuge, and thanks Jack for alerting him to the situation. He offers Jack a ride, but Jack is persuaded to stay in New York after Roosevelt's intervention. The city celebrates as Sarah and Jack kiss and Spot is returned to Brooklyn.