Apricus𖤓

~*But make them all directly from New York Fashion Plates from 1898-1899*~

(I actually have costumed a JR production before to preface, but that was on a negative budget where I mostly used my 1890s middle/working class fits that I have in my cupboard. Accurate for the era, not for Katherine.)

Please excuse the Quality. My phone camera did not do a good job of photographing my dodgy sketchbook lol.

Colour Key!

Blue = Manhattan

Outfits 1 and 1.1, for Katherine's double introduction! A day and evening dress - Pink (far away from Manhattan's Blue colour) and bright (detached from struggles of everyday people). Switching only the bodice and overskirt to aide a hopefully quicker change.

Outfits 2 and 2.1 - World Will Know and Watch What Happens Katherine. I like the idea that she clung on to the name 'Kelly' and wore a 'Kelly Green' outfit! It is edging slightly closer to Blue, but still a way away. As well as a slight further introduction of Black. Another very fashionable walking jacket that she would remove with her hat when she returns to her office. (That way she doesn't look super silly when she's singing Watch What Happens)

I like the idea that her clothes in her cupboard are so silly and fancy and FASHION that she doesn't realise it doesn't make her look serious next to the Newsies.

Outfit 2.2 The introduction of an overcoat for Seize the Day where she'll take a photo of and report on the Newsboy's strike. A lot more black - She's actually clued into how bad the situation is now, and is ready to fight for the Newsies, but still no Blue. She isn't one of them yet.

(Also, not enough productions have Katherine flat out fighting as well... just saying. Girl is a feminist who gets around New York alone. She'd definitely be into Suffrajitsu when she's older.)

King of New York Fit! Outfit 3! (I need this silly steampunk ish fit.)

Special cycling fit for KoNY (you can not convince me Bike choreo would not absolutely sparkle in that dance break.) (And you can not convince me Katherine wouldn't have been absolutely obsessed with the cycling movement. again. feminist.)

Browns with BLUE TRIM. (She's slowly becoming one of themmmm)

(ALSO! Bonus design thought! there is an (founded circa 1896 i believe) brand of special folding bike handlebars called Kelly Handlebars. I think she would go and buy them because she wanted to brag to Jack about them. (girl is obsessed))

Outfit 4! Watch what Happens reprise. She's really in it now. Black Skirt with Blue features. She wants Jack to come back. Done away with fancy coats and that.

Outfit 4.1 The fancy coats are back because... OH NO! KATHERINE'S A PULITZER???

She's trying to hide her blue waistcoat from her father (not actually trying to hide it, but her blue waistcoat=alignment to the Newsies)

Outfit 4.2 Her outfit for the rest of the show... featuring... BLUE WAISTCOAT AND NO FANCY OVER COAT> she is an honourary Newsie yippeee.

And Bonus design... SPOT CONLON!

this post is like 11 years old

hey

Big fan of high academia Dr Ryland “will call you a staggering waste of carbon” Grace who is a short tempered, egotistical, and kind of a jerk.

Big fan of how Ryland Grace can be both these things but while still having his same fundamental personality as a good person and wet cat.

Big fan of how it’s generally agreed that teaching burned the evil out of him and let his whimsy shine.

But he also,

Throws fits when things don't go his way. Not a "I'm a bad bitch" destroying everything-type fit, but tossing a trash can, breaking a screen-type fit.

Cries. A lot.

Pleads. He begs.

Doesn't answer the call to action.

Shows weakness. Being a coward and being fearful are two things he defines himself with.

Doesn't end up with the girl. In fact, that girl isn't even interested and he isn't, either.

Cherishes friendship over a romantic plot or something stereotypically brave like, "I'm going to save Rocky so I can save his world." No, he wants to save his friend, first and foremost.

Squeaks. He squeals. He screams, loudly and very high pitched. He whines. He complains. He physically struggles to open a jar. He's clumsy as hell. He makes some of the least graceful noises one can make.

Is not afraid to be the primitive species lowkey.

This is such an interesting question! My short answer is no, the newsies fandom isn't dying. However, I've been around long enough to witness that the newsies fandom does tend to go through cycles where it will thin out before gaining more engagement again.

There are two sides to the newsies fandom:

The movie musical has been going steady for 34 years with it's earliest fandom spaces being the newsies fansites of the 1990s! It continues to be a cult classic and it continues to reach new fans through a variety of different ways.

The stage musical saw it's peak in popularity in the 2010s but has also continued to find an audience, especially through students being cast in school or community productions of the show. Popular productions such as the UK production and currently the Muny also tend to contribute to an uptick in fandom activity and to the cyclical nature of the fandom as a whole.

The following data isn't by any means comprehensive, but it may interest you to take a look at the popularity of Newsies over time according to Google Trends:

Worldwide popularity of Newsies (1992 film) as a Google search item from 2004 to the present. Currently sitting at 35% popularity compared to its peak.

Worldwide popularity of Newsies (Musical by Harvey Fierstein) as a Google search item from 2010 to the present. Currently sitting at 11% popularity compared to its peak.