What better way to start your week than with an a cappella Newsies medley? We have Brigham Young University's a cappella group Vocal Point -- in part -- to thank for the above video, which offers an impressive four-minute performance that features numerous songs from Disney's Newsies. The medley itself is well worth a listen, particularly for those who are fans of Newsies, but the video is especially impressive when we take into account that the whole thing was shot in one take.
Directed and produced by Jeff Parkin, and shot at the Utah County Historic Courthouse, the video begins on the steps outside with "Seize the Day," before a cappella group Vocal Point and the dancers -- the video credits three BYU dance groups for their participation -- head inside to "King of New York." When the act moves upstairs, the song shifts to "Santa Fe." Then it's back downstairs for "Carrying the Banner," and then they bring it all back to "Seize the Day" as they return to the steps of the courthouse.
. BYU Vocal Point gives us a look behind the scenes of their music video to show us just how much effort went into getting all of this done in one take. It's impressive stuff.
It's really fun to pay attention to the split screen and watch the crew bolting up and down the stairs to get to the next scene, or the dancers twirling in place to be visible in the background of the shot. We also get a look at how they filmed the shot that moves from the first floor up to the second floor railing for the final part of "King of New York." It really makes you appreciate how fast everyone had to move to keep up with the video and how coordinated it all had to be in order to get the whole thing in one take.
And it makes me want to watch Newsies right now.
Directed by Kenny Ortega, Newsies starred Christian Bale, David Moscow and Bill Pullman and was released in theaters in April of 1992, which makes it more than twenty years old. Earning just $2.8 million at the box office -- I'm geek-proud to admit I contributed to that by seeing Newsies in the theater with my cousin during its original run -- the movie developed a cult following and has since been adapted for a stage musical.
