In 1899, two of the nation’s most powerful newspaper publishers, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, decided to make permanent a “temporary” increase in the price it charged the newsboys who sold their papers on the streets of New York. The boys looked like safe targets for a squeeze; many sold newspapers to help support their families and some were orphans or runaways who did it to support themselves.

The “newsies” fought back, and their strike became the basis for Disney’s 1992 film “Newsies” starring a little-known Christian Bale. Although a box-office flop, the movie developed a cult following and Disney turned it into an award-winning musical in 2012, with music by composer Alan Menken (“The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast”).

Diamond Head Theatre’s “Newsies,” which opened Friday and runs through Aug. 12, is the first local staging of the Broadway hit. Directed and choreographed by Tammy Colucci, it’s great family fun.

The opening scene introduces Nicholas Amador as veteran newsboy Jack Kelly and Isaiah Gundermann Graham as his best friend, Crutchie, so named because he needs a crutch to walk. It’s the start of a new day and Jack is telling Crutchie about his dream of leaving New York City and starting over in the semi-mythical city of Santa Fe, N.M. The song “Santa Fe” shows that Amador and Graham can sing; their heartfelt performance shows they are convincing actors as well. Amador is the show’s male lead and clearly deserves it, while Graham has a poignant solo after intermission.

Kai Durkin (Davey) and Rocco Bechirian (Les) have the major supporting roles of brothers forced by circumstances to become newsboys. Durkin is a good all-around performer, and his Davey becomes Jack’s second-in-command after the newsies go out on strike. Bechirian, a Waialae School fifth-grader making his DHT debut, has some of the best one-liners in the show.

Colucci also comes up aces with the two major female characters. Rache Sapla is irresistible as Medda Larkin, the burlesque theater owner who recognizes Jack’s artistic talent as a set painter and lets him use the theater for strike meetings. “That’s Rich” is Sapla’s big number and she makes it a dramatic highlight.

DHT veteran Kira Stone (Katherine Plumber) covers all the bases as the show’s female lead, an ambitious reporter who senses that covering the newsboys’ strike will advance her career. Stone owns the stage with “Watch What Happens,” a lively solo representation of a reporter’s struggle with writer’s block.

Shane Noel effectively represents the world of power, influence and turn-of-the-20th-century greed as Joseph Pulitzer.

The overall depth of talent in the show is seen in the fact that star-caliber dancer Dwayne Sakaguchi is performing in the ensemble.