The Muny Announces Principal Cast for Disney’s ‘Newsies’

ST. LOUIS — Casey Likes, Michael Park, Anastacia McCleskey, Bryce Williams, Kayla Pecchioni, Nolan Almeida and Jaron Bentley will star in the Muny production of Disney’s Newsies when the audience favorite returns this summer to Forest Park.

Inspired by a true story and based on the beloved 1992 film, Disney’s Newsies runs July 16-22 and is presented by Edward Jones.

The show’s creative team is led by Denis Jones (director), Richard J. Hinds (choreographer) and Annbritt duChateau (music director/conductor).

“Newsies has been a beloved show even before it was a show,” said Muny Artistic Director & Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “Audience members would ask us about it, assuming it had been onstage. It’s powerhouse entertainment, and it’s sure to delight everyone who’s anticipating it.”

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CASEY LIKES (Jack Kelly) makes his Muny debut. He is an award-winning and critically acclaimed actor, singer, writer, director and producer known for leading performances on Broadway as Marty McFly in Back to the Future (OCC nom), William in Almost Famous (Theatre World Award) and recently off-Broadway as JD in Heathers The Musical. A performer since age 3, he led MGM’s film Dark Harvest and played Kiss legend Gene Simmons in Spinning Gold. Other film: Everything Must Go. TV: Sheriff Country, The Birch, Acts of Crime (directed by Sam Esmail), American Blackout. Regional: A Christmas Carol. He recently directed (and starred in) a reimagining of Spring Awakening, performed his solo cabaret show Back to the Past at 54 Below and has several awarded short films. Jimmy Awards finalist.

MICHAEL PARK (Joseph Pulitzer) Originally from Canandaigua, NY, Michael Park is a distinguished performer whose versatile career spans Broadway, television and film. After honing his craft at Nazareth College and Rochester’s Blackfriars Theatre, he gained national recognition touring with The Phantom of the Opera. Park is a celebrated fixture of the New York stage, notably originating the role of Larry Murphy in the hit musical Dear Evan Hansen, for which he received both a Grammy and an Emmy Award. His extensive Broadway credits include the Grammy-winning Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Carousel, Tuck Everlasting and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. On television, Park is widely recognized for his 13-year tenure as Jack Snyder on As the World Turns, a performance that earned him two back-to-back Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor. His screen presence extends to acclaimed series such as Stranger Things, You, Mindhunter and House of Cards. Most recently, he appeared in the La Jolla Playhouse production of The Recipe.

ANASTACIA McCLESKEY (Medda Larkin) is an award-winning actor, singer, writer and speaker and returns to The Muny for the third time. On Broadway, she recently originated Carol Evans in Boop! The Musical and Mary Church Terrell in the Tony-winning Suffs. Other Broadway: Nurse Norma in Waitress (HBO Max); Dottie in the revival of Caroline, or Change; an original Diva in Priscilla Queen of the Desert; Abraham Lincoln in Hair; The Book of Mormon; Violet; Tarzan. West End: Close to You. Regional: Mighty Real, a Fabulous Sylvester Musical (Izora Rhodes/Choreographer); Rent (Joanne) and The Color Purple (Celie, St. Louis Theater Circle Award) at The Muny; Disney’s Hercules (Thalia) at Paper Mill; The Tattooed Ladies (Trixie/Eddie) at PTC; Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Barrington; Afterwords (Jo) at 5th Avenue; Annie Live! (Sophie, Mrs. Greer, Perkins) on NBC. TV/film: New Amsterdam, The Good Fight, Daredevil, Public Morals, Madam Secretary, Release, Sex and the City 2. Nominated for Helen Hayes, Alliance and Audelco awards.

BRYCE WILLIAMS (Davey) returns to The Muny for his second year. Muny: Randall in Bring It On: The Musical. Pre-Broadway workshops: Bobby in Oh L’Amour, Ensemble in The Turning. Regional: Daniel in Once on This Island (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma), Drifter/Ensemble in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Broadway Rose Theatre Company). Bryce is a rising senior at The University of Oklahoma.

KAYLA PECCHIONI (Katherine Plumber) makes her Muny debut. She is a New York City-based actor currently appearing in Ragtime at Lincoln Center Theater. Broadway: Ragtime (OBRC, u/s Sarah), The Great Gatsby (OBC, u/s Daisy Buchanan), Some Like It Hot (OBC, u/s Sugar), Paradise Square (OBC, u/s Nellie). She also appeared as Nabulungi on the national tour of The Book of Mormon and as Maggie in A Chorus Line at Signature Theatre, featuring original choreography by Denis Jones. Television: The Tony Awards (75th, 76th), the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Good Morning America. Originally from Louisville, Ky., Kayla holds a BFA in musical theatre from Northern Kentucky University.

NOLAN ALMEIDA (Crutchie) returns to the role that marked his professional theatre debut at age 15 (5-Star Theatricals, director Richard J. Hinds). Since then, he has led the national tour of Peter Pan (director Lonny Price), in which he performed over 350 shows in more than 35 cities across North America. Most recently, Nolan spent the last year in Austin, Texas, filming the upcoming Apple TV series Brothers, where he appears opposite Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.

JARON BENTLEY (Les) makes his professional debut. A St. Louis native, Jaron performed his first season at The Muny in 2025 in the Youth Ensemble for Evita and Disney’s Frozen. His previous credits include Raisin (Travis Younger) with The Black Rep; Finding Nemo (Nemo) and The Color Purple (Young Harpo) with the Center of Creative Arts; Ragtime (Young Coalhouse Jr.) with Union Avenue Opera; and A Christmas Carol (Tiny Tim) with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Jaron is a COCA Pre-Professional Dancer in two companies: Ballet Eclectica and COCAdance.

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Additional casting will be announced. The Telsey Office is the official casting partner of The Muny.

The design team for Disney’s Newsies includes Patrick Garr (associate choreographer); Tijana Bjelajac (scenic designer); Emily Rebholz (costume designer); Paige Seber (lighting designer); Joshua Hummel (sound designer); Caite Hevner (video designer); Tommy Kurzman (wig designer); Kelsey Tippins (production stage manager); and The Telsey Office/Lindsay Levine, CSA (casting).

The Muny artistic staff includes Artistic Director & Executive Producer Mike Isaacson, Associate Artistic Director Michael Baxter, Director of Production Tracy Utzmyers, and Music Supervisors Michael Horsley and Evan Roider.

When New York’s powerful newspaper publishers raise distribution prices, charismatic teen Jack Kelly rallies his fellow newsboys to strike back. The Broadway smash was last seen at The Muny in 2017. Disney’s Newsies delivers an electrifying evening of theatre — empowering anthems, jaw-dropping choreography and a timeless message of standing up for what’s right.

Disney’s Newsies has a Tony Award-winning score by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman, with a book by Harvey Fierstein. Based on the Disney film written by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White.

Disney’s Newsies is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.

Performances of Disney’s Newsies begin at 8:15 p.m. July 16-22. Season 108 at The Muny also includes Hairspray (June 15-21), Shrek The Musical (June 25-July 2), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific (July 6-12), Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations (July 27-Aug. 2), Meet Me In St. Louis (Aug. 6-13) and Something Rotten! (Aug. 17-23).

New season tickets start at just $126 and are on sale now at muny.org, by phone at (314) 595-5750 or at the Muny Box Office in Forest Park (9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday). Single-performance Muny tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. May 18.

A 20% group discount is available for parties of 15 or more. To start the free reservation process, visit muny.org/groups or call (314) 595-5708.

Visit muny.org/newsies to read content notes and more about Disney’s Newsies.

Photos, logos and other promotional assets are available in the Muny Press Room.

Now in its 108th season in St. Louis, The Muny — the recipient of the 2025 Regional Theatre Tony Award — is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to producing exceptional musical theatre that is accessible to all, continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park. As the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre, The Muny welcomes more than 300,000 patrons each summer for seven world-class productions, each built from the ground up in St. Louis. Learn more at muny.org, and follow along at facebook.com/munytheatre, instagram.com/themuny and youtube.com/themunytv.