The 2026 Illinois High School Theatre Festival (IHSTF), the largest and oldest non-competitive high school theatre festival in the nation, is proud to present Disney’s Newsies as its 2026 All-State production. Newsies will be presented through arrangement with Musical Theatre International (MTI) and highlights a select ensemble of the top high school actors, technicians, and musicians from throughout the state of Illinois. Disney’s Newsies, based on the 1992 motion picture, features a score by eight-time Academy Award® winner Alan Menken and Jack Feldman and a book by four-time Tony Award® winner Harvey Fierstein.
Newsies is inspired by the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway “newsies” on a two-week-long action against Pulitzer, Hearst, and other powerful newspaper publishers. Timely and fresh, the fictionalized adaptation of Newsies addresses age-old themes of social injustice, exploitative labor practices, and David-versus-Goliath struggles as the young learn to harness their power against a corrupt establishment. High-energy with non-stop thrills, the stage version introduces eight brand-new songs by the original team of Menken and Feldman while keeping many of the beloved songs from the film, including “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” “King of New York,” and “Santa Fe.” The All-State cast, crew, and pit orchestra are comprised of top student performers, musicians, and technicians from Illinois. 518 talented students auditioned for Newsies. 123 were selected for the final production Company.
All-State Director Anna McSweeney (Addison Trail High School) states, “The 2026 Illinois High School Theatre Festival All-State production of Newsies powerfully embodies the Festival theme: ‘Honoring our Past; Celebrating our Future.’ Newsies illuminates the forgotten struggles of young heroes who seized their moment, while celebrating a future where every voice, no matter how small, can ignite monumental change. Davey's rallying cry, ‘Courage cannot erase our fear; courage is when we face our fear’ inspires the group to stand up to formidable powers and demonstrate that their voices matter. I truly hope this show empowers every student in our audience to find their own voice and use it against the injustices in this world to build a better future.”
Rehearsals for Newsies take place over several long weekends during the Fall of 2025, with final rehearsals occurring the last week before the actual performances. This year’s performance venue is the Braden Auditorium at Illinois State University. NEWSIES runs from January 8th-10th, 2026. This is a closed event for participants of the Illinois High School Theatre Festival. There are no public tickets available for these performances.
