Local brothers star together in NEWSIES at OLPD Theatre

We recently caught up with OLPD Theatre stars and siblings Jack and Billy Zabilka, who dance and sing as Jack and Les in the upcoming production of Disney's Newsies at OLPD theatre, and they took a few moments out of their busy schedules to chat with us about the show.

Have you boys ever been in a show together before?

JACK: I did Seussical in 5th grade and Billy was the baby elephant; I held him at the end of the show so I guess we've been in a show together before, but this was my first time acting with him.

Jack , we've seen you in shows with your older brother Frankie before. How is it different being with your younger brother Billy ?

JACK: It's definitely different with Billy. When I was in shows with my older brother, I looked up to him and he would give me notes, help and advice. Now I'm the one helping my brother and helping him read his lines. I do try to help him - he has a funny part and I want to help him get the most laughs in the show. It’s really fun. It's been special both ways, with both of my brothers.

Billy, what's the best thing about being in this show with your big brother ?

BILLY: The best thing about being in the show with my brother Jack is getting to hang out with him all the time!

What's the worst thing?

BILLY: The worst part is not being able to go out with the big kids after rehearsal! They are having a ton of fun together after the show! But they also spend a lot of time with me during the shows!

Jack, other than the awesomeness of being in a show with Billy, why did you want to do this show?

JACK: At first I didn’t know what I was going to do this summer. Then I heard about NEWSIES auditions. Shows at OLPD Theatre are always a blast, but this show in particular hit home for me. It is a new show for any theatre, and being a part of the first NEWSIES in the area is pretty special. I wanted to be part of that. The show is amazing . Doing it here is a big project and I wanted to go along with that ride and see the obstacles we had to face. It’s been amazing to see how much dedication people have for the show and how much talent we have-- not only the actors-- but also the directors and support staff. Dawn (Dawn Farrell, director) is just amazing. She just had such a vision. But also Rick (lighting designer Rick Keeley) Gil (set designer Gil Oliva) , Kelsey (choreographer Kelsey Bischoff) - there’s no piece of this puzzle that could be weak to pull off this show - everyone had to work hard and do their job well to make this work. It’s been an honor to be a part of this.

What's your favorite part of the show?

BILLY: My favorite part in the show is when we sing "And The World Will Know". It's a really strong song and I have some lines in it too!

Anything else you'd like us to know about this show?

JACK: People don’t know how hard it is to pull off a show like Newsies, to do it well . So many pieces have to be right . To really believe it, to tell the story, to get lost in the story, you need the cast, the crew, the direction, everything. It’s a tough, well written show. You can only do it if you do it right. Otherwise you are disrespecting the show. We are doing it right, here at OLPD Theatre.

It’s also cool being in a show with a bunch of dudes. Sometimes I feel like I'm on a football team! The dressing room is insane.

What's next after NEWSIES?

BILLY : I will be in 3rd grade at Everest Academy in Lemont

JACK: I will be studying secondary education at Lewis University

Jack, do you have any tips for keeping your balance on that scaffolding?

JACK : That took a lot of practice.

When Sam goes down-(Sam Ruby, as Crutchie) - the brakes aren’t on the mobile scaffolding- and sometimes he launches forward and I have to play catch . Once you get a feel for the movement of the scaffolding, it got easier. I would spend hours after rehearsal hanging out with Rick (Rick Keeley, lighting design) and getting a feel for it. I believe that by age 17 Jack Kelly, after living there his whole life, would know how to get around: he’s a tough guy, he’s not going to take his time, so I had to be able to get around the set and the scaffolding well, so I had to practice this a lot. So I guess my tip is, practice!

Billy, do you have any advice for other kids who would like to be on stage like you?

BILLY: I would say work hard to memorize your lines, and watch the show many times so you really know it!

Awesome advice that every actor can relate to, Billy ! We look forward to seeing you both on the stage this weekend, and many times in the future!!

IF YOU GO

This family friendly musical is full of familiar tunes and amazing dancing. Based on the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, this new Disney musical tells the story of Jack Kelly, a rebellious newsboy who dreams of a life as an artist away from the big city. After publishing giant Joseph Pulitzer raises newspaper prices at the newsboys' expense, Kelly and his fellow newsies take action. With help from the beautiful female reporter Katherine Plumber, all of New York City soon recognizes the power of "the little man", the real "King of New York". After a sold out first weekend, remaining showtimes are Friday August 9 @ 7:30pm, UPDATE FRIDAY ALSO SOLD OUT ! Saturday August 10 @ 3pm and 7:30 pm , and Sunday August 11 @ 3pm. EDIT: SUNDAY IS SOLD OUT! Tickets at Showtix4u.com For more information, call 708 857-2200 or find us on Facebook !