Columbiana High School will present “Newsies” today through Sunday. (Submitted photo)

Columbiana High School’s production of “Newsies,” the smash-hit musical, will play at Columbiana High School from today-through-Sunday, the musical features a score by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “Sister Act”) and Jack Feldman and a book by four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein (La Cage aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy).

The musical’s longevity and reach has been driven from the beginning by an indefatigable fan base. Beginning as a pilot regional production, “Newsies” was called to New York by critical acclaim and now “Newsies” is coming to the Columbiana community this season.

Set in New York City at the turn of the century, “Newsies” is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly(Lucas Buccheit), a charismatic newsboy and leader of a ragged band of teenaged “newsies,” dreaming only of a better life far from the hardship of the streets. But when publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer (Koe Wolsonovich) and William Randolph Hearst raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack finds a cause to fight for and rallies newsies from across the city to strike for what’s right. “Newsies” is inspired by the real-life “Newsboy Strike of 1899,” when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week-long action against Pulitzer, Hearst and other powerful newspaper publishers.

The stage version introduces eight brand-new songs by the original team of Menken and Feldman, including a song written specifically for the national tour called “Letter from the Refuge,” while keeping many of the beloved songs from the film, including “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” “King of New York” and “Santa Fe.”