Ivan as "Dutchy"
You all remember him. He was the bright-eyed, bespectacled blond kid in the background in nearly every scene in "Newsies." He waved around a weenie on a stick in Tibby's, he consulted Kloppman for advice on how to spell "Strike", and he handed out papers with Blink. If you hadn't noticed, he was also one of the best dancers in the film. And although they never say his name, Dutchy-spotting is fast becoming one of the most entertaining pasttimes in Newsie-worshipdom. When Jenna first tried to make me, Jess, watch Newsies with her, she said to me: "did you know that some of the Roundhouse cast members are in this?" "Really?" I asked. "Which ones? Is the blond guy one of them?" "You mean, Ivan Dudynsky? Sure, he's Dutchy." "Give me the film- NOW!" I shrieked. You see, Ivan was always my favorite RH cast member.
Admittedly, it's hard to find Ivan in "Newsies". But we are undaunted by this. Instead of lamenting the fact that he's a pretty minor character, we invented a game called "Dutchyspotting." In order to play Dutchyspotting, you will need the following:
- A VCR
- A copy of the video "Newsies"
- Several giggly friends
- Popcorn is optional
The rules are fairly simple. Everyone pays close attention to the crowd scenes. Whenever someone sees Dutchy, they point to the screen and yell "DUTCHY!!" If it is disputed (or if he looks particularly yummy) you can back the movie up, or watch the same scene again in slow motion. Eventually we will try to incorporate this into the Newsies Drinking Game, but until then it's fun anyway.
For advanced Dutchyspotters, try this:
- Get a clipboard and a stopwatch and record each time you see Dutchy.
- Throw popcorn at the screen every time you see Dutchy.
- Drink a two-liter bottle of Jolt before watching the movie.
- Try Dutchyspotting with "Encino Man" or "Toys." (Not with Roundhouse though)
- Look for another character even more random than Dutchy (though we do not guarantee that this will be as much fun.)
For those of you seeking Jess's trashy R-rated fan fiction, you are undoubtedly disappointed to find that it is no longer spouting Elvis Costello lyrics at the bottom of the Newsies page. And you might be wondering what happens next or why it isn't here in the first place. Unfortunately, to paraphrase my New England peers, you can't get theah from heah anymoah. Here's why.
This is the link that takes you back to the main page