' 'Queen of New York' ' has several Awesome Moments including, but not limited to:
- Snyder ends up chasing the newsies through a rainstorm at the end of Davey and Les' first day. When the brothers get separated in the ensuing crowd, Crutchie grabs Les moments before Snyder catches up to them, and practically drags him the last block home. As Davey says, she may well have saved Les' life. Keep in mind, this is a girl with a disabled limb who was wearing 1899-style skirts at the time, has her own fear of Snyder to contend with, and barely knew Davey and Les at that point.
- Crutchie insists on accompanying Jack to Brooklyn so she can lobby for that borough's newsgirls to join the strike. To win Spot Conlon's approval, she initially lets him think she's a guy. Spot assumes he's dealing with a scrawny disabled kid under the age of 10 who doesn't really sell papers and is instead Jack's hanger-on for pity points. Crutchie disabuses him off this notion when she chokes up on her crutch like a baseball bat, swings it at a nearby milk bottle, and breaks said bottle in half. She then takes off her cap and exposes her braid. Spot is duly impressed.
- Shannon Sofia Daly, AKA Bridge, leader of the Brooklyn newsgirls, is a Handicapped Badass and a Crowning Moment Of Awesome. She sets up and completes physical challenges without flinching, insists Crutchie stay true to her femininity, and will go after anyone who even breathes a hint of pity or ableism around her.
- So too, Katherine's godmother/honorary aunt Lizzie Campbell is awesome all around. She's the definition of a Cool Old Lady and an ardent supporter of both Katherine and Crutchie.
- During the distribution center attack, Crutchie witnesses cops menacing Jack and kicking Pepper, the youngest newsie in her charge, out of their way like a soccer ball. Her response? Rush into the fray, pain and risk be damned, scream at the cops to leave Jack alone, call the one who kicked Pepper a "sick bastard" to his face, and trip the smaller of two cops with her crutch so Jack can get out of danger. Plus, she nails him in the instep and nets him a very swollen, bruised ankle.
- Crutchie gets one in the Refuge of all places, when she informs Snyder that he is just a person with absolutely no power over her, and live or die, she has more support and love in her life than he ever will. Double points since at that moment, the scales are leaning heavily in favor of "die"; Crutchie has been beaten black and blue and sliced with a letter opener, she's starving and dehydrated, and sans her crutch and glasses, she can neither walk nor see well. Plucky Girl indeed!
- Katherine, Sarah, Bridge, and the newsgirls get an awesome moment during Crutchie's rescue from the Refuge. After Snyder threatens to have Crutchie sent to an insane asylum and holds Katherine at gunpoint to get her to let in the attendants sent to take the other girl away, Katherine stabs Snyder between the eyes with her hatpin, while Sarah slides down a banister, slams her foot into his kidneys, and knocks him out with a fire extinguisher. Meanwhile, Bridge and the Brooklyn newsgirls join their male counterparts in attacking the Refuge's matrons and guards, plus destroying the place.
- In a slight twist on the musical's original ending, Crutchie goes toe to toe with Snyder at the final rally. This includes beaning him with a metal crutch (a replacement for the wooden one Snyder used as a weapon against her). Perhaps as a nod to her Proper Lady upbringing, Crutchie also waits for permission before handcuffing Snyder after his arrest, and tells him with genial sarcasm that she's sorry their association has to end like this. She throws in a "my dear Mr. Snyder" as payback for his use of Terms of Endangerment with her.
