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Musicals based on movies can be good or bad compared to their sources. Musicals based on Disney movies are often just unnecessary. They adjust the plot and characters, add songs, and stretch the story too thin. While their spectacle is fun to watch, Disney shows coast by on brand recognition and nostalgia rather than a worthy adaptation.

"Newsies," based on Disney's 1992 movie-musical, rises above its contemporaries as a family show doesn't pander to The Mouse Empire's sanitized standards. Recreating historic New York and the 1899 newsboy strike grounds the production, so disbelief isn't suspended like it is when staging worlds of cartoon fantasy. Naturally, minor plot contrivances are made to ease its translation to the stage, but thankfully nothing like the misguided dimming of Mrs. Banks' fiery feminism in "Mary Poppins." Though the cast needed better dialect coaching, I'm impressed that they kept the film's mild swearing (common and in-character for teenage boys). It helps immeasurably that Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein adapted the script. The dialogue is witty but kid-friendly, and there are great zingers and profound modern parallels to cherish.

The real reasons to enjoy "Newsies," however, are its toe-tapping music and top-notch dancing. A deserving winner of Tony awards for Score and Choreography, the show hums with a kinetic energy that's absent from many current musicals. The lyrics aren't particularly memorable on their own, but they're bolstered by catchy, uptempo music from stage and screen veteran Alan Menken. Further elevating the production are acrobatic dance moves that exuberantly showcase its youthful characters without showing off. The audience gets a feast for their ears and their eyes.

My cynical side predicts that Disney won't rest until every last one of their movies has a musical counterpart. Meanwhile, my optimistic side hopes that future productions wind up closer to the sincerity of this one than the safety of the rest.