The Outsiders is a musical from 2023 based on S.E. Hinton's classic novel and features music and lyrics by Justin Levine and a book by Adam Rapp. It follows the story of Ponyboy Curtis and his gang of " greasers" in 1960s Oklahoma. The musical explores themes of class conflict, friendship, and identity.
Synopsis[]
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1967, Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade and their Greaser family of ‘outsiders’ battle with their affluent rivals, the Socs. THE OUTSIDERS navigates the complexities of self-discovery as the Greasers dream about who they want to become in a world that may never accept them. With a dynamic original score, THE OUTSIDERS is a story of friendship, family, belonging…and the realization that there is still “lots of good in the world.”[1]
Plot[]
Act 1[]
Ponyboy Curtis is writing in a notebook and starts to introduce the world of the show — Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1967. He introduces his brothers, his best friend Johnny, their gang, the Greasers, and their opponents, the upper-class Socs ("Tulsa, '67"). Ponyboy is jumped by a group of Socs led by Bob. They attempt to cut Ponyboy's hair to make him look like a Soc. Ponyboy bites Bob and is knocked unconscious. When he wakes up, his brothers are cleaning him up. The other Greasers tell Ponyboy that by going through this experience he is now a Greaser, too. ("Grease Got a Hold"). Darrel is at home and reflects on his role as a pseudo-father to his younger brothers after their parents recently died in a car accident. The rest of the gang make themselves comfortable in the Curtis house ("Runs in the Family"). Ponyboy reads Charles Dickens' book "Great Expectations" and discusses with Sodapop the similarities between the characters in the book and themselves. ("Great Expectations").
The next day, Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy go to the drive-in. There, they meet Sherri "Cherry" Valance, Bob's girlfriend. ("Friday at the Drive-in"). Dally continuously provokes Cherry until she throws her coke on him. After Dally leaves, Cherry and Ponyboy start talking and realize that the other isn't exactly as they expected according to their stereotype points of view. ("I Could Talk to You All Night"). When Bob arrives and tells Cherry not to talk to Greasers, which leads to altercation between the two groups Cherry stops them from fighting but breaks up with Bob in doing so. Ponyboy and Johnny arrive too late at the Curtis home which enrages Darrel. He shouts at Ponyboy and finally slaps him ("Runs in the Family" reprise). Ponyboy and Johnny leave the house. They sit and dream of running far away ("Far Away From Tulsa"). They are jumped by the Socs, and fight breaks out. When the Socs try to drown Ponyboy in a water fountain, Johnny stabs Bob with a switchblade, killing him. The other Socs flee, and Ponyboy and Johnny run to Buck Merril's Bar searching for Dallas. He gives them money and directions to an abandoned church where they can hide. ("Run Run Brother").
Act 2[]
tba
Production history[]
The musical was first announced in 2019 and planned to debut at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Directed by Liesl Tommy, the show was scheduled from June 20 to August 2, 2020 but got canceled due to COVID-19.
In May of 2022, there was a workshop of the Outsiders featuring Casey Likes as Ponyboy who was later replaced by Brody Grant. Finally, the musical premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, on February 19, 2023, running until April 9, 2023, with an extra week added because of strong ticket sales.
The production moved to Broadway with the same team. Previews started on March 16, 2024, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. The official opening night was on April 11, 2024. Actresses LaChanze and Angelina Jolie, along with The Araca Group, Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope, and Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, are among the producers. Danya Taymor directs, with choreography by Rick and Jeff Kuperman. Costumes are by Sarafina Bush, music direction by Matt Hinkely, and Jack Viertel is the creative director. The cast visited Tulsa, Oklahoma, for insights into the original story's setting.
In May 2024, a tour of the Musical throughout North America has been announced. The tour is planned to beginn in Fall 2025 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma following previews at the West Herr Auditorium Theatre in Rochester, New York.[2]
Cast[]
Cast list[]
Broadway cast preview
2024 Broadway cast
| Character | La Jolla Playhouse | Broadway | North American Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| Ponyboy Curtis | Brody Grant | ||
| Sodapop Curtis | Jason Schmidt | tba | |
| Darrel "Darry" Curtis | Ryan Vasquez | Brent Comer | |
| Johnny Cade | Sky Lakota-Lynch | tba | |
| Dallas "Dally" Winston | Da'Von T. Moody | Joshua Boone | tba |
| Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews | Trevor McGhie | Daryl Tofa | tba |
| Sherri "Cherry" Valance | Piper Patterson | Emma Pittman | tba |
| Marcia | Kiki Lemieux | Sarah Grace Mariani | tba |
| Robert "Bob" Sheldon | Kevin William Paul | tba | |
| Paul Holden | Brent Comer | Dan Berry | tba |
Full original Broadway cast[]
(u/s = understudy)
Johnny Cade
Dallas Winston
Darrel Curtis
Sodapop Curtis
Cherry Valance
Two-Bit
Bob
Paul
Swing
Swing, u/s Two-Bit
Brill, u/s Bob
Ace, Associate Choreo
Swing, u/s Two-Bit
u/s Cherry Valance, u/s Marcia
Steve, u/s Two-Bit
Marcia, u/s Cherry Valance
Swing
u/s Dallas, u/s Two-Bit
Beverly, u/s Cherry Valance, u/s Marcia
u/s Ponyboy Curtis, u/s Johnny Cade
Swing, u/s Darrel Curtis, u/s Sodapop Curtis, u/s Paul
Swing / Dance Captain
Ensemble, Chet
u/s Ponyboy Curtis
Ensemble, Trip
Musical Numbers[]
| Act I | Act II |
|---|---|
|
|
Awards[]
At the 77th Tony Awards held on June 16, 2024, The Outsiders won in four categories:[3]
- Best Musical
- Best Direction of a Musical: Danya Taymor
- Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim
- Best Sound Design of a Musical: Cody Spencer
Images[]
Videos[]
External links[]
- The Outsiders at Wikipedia
- The Outsiders at IBDb
- The Outsiders at Broadway.com
- The Outsiders at BroadwayWorld
References[]
- ↑ Official website of the The Outsiders musical
- ↑ THE OUTSIDERS Will Launch National Tour in 2025 in broadwayworld.com, May 29, 2024
- ↑ Logan Culwell-Block: The Outsiders Wins Best Musical at the 2024 Tony Awards at playbill.com, June 16, 2024