In the age of musical adaptations, it’s understandable to be skeptical about one of the most enduring young adult properties coming to the stage. However, The Outsiders feels completely original, and re-invents itself for Broadway. The result is an innovative and marvelous telling of a classic story with brilliant staging, an energetic cast, and the best music of the season.
The Outsiders is a book many of us read in school as teenagers. It tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis, a 14-year-old boy in 1967 Tulsa, Oklahoma who finds community after the death of his parents in a gang called the Greasers. It explores the relationships Ponyboy has with his brothers, his best friend, the Greasers, and the rival gang called the Socs (short for socialites.) It also highlights the socioeconomic differences dividing the gangs, with the working-class Greasers living on one side of the city and the upper-class Socs on the other. Things take a turn for Ponyboy when, after forming a connection with a Soc girl, he gets ambushed by the gang which leads to a fatal stabbing. The plot isn’t too far off from West Side Story, emphasized by a dramatic rumble. The Outsiders‘ strength, though, is in elevating the story to gripping theater.
Many musicals these days take a story that could take place a century ago or in a different part of the world, and force showtune music that never quite fits. The Outsiders made the bold decision to bring on Jamestown Revival, a little-known folk duo of Zach Chance and Jonathan Clay, to compose the music & lyrics with Justin Levine. The result is a score of folk, soul, western rock, & Americana that actually feels authentic to the setting of The Outsiders. In addition to sounding realistic, the music is incredibly catchy. “Tulsa ’67” opens the show with flash, “Great Expectations” is a commanding ‘I want’ song, “Little Brother” is a devastating soulful climax, and “Run Run Brother” may be the best new song on Broadway this season. The combination of quality and authenticity elevates this score to levels we rarely see achieved in adaptations.
In addition to the music, The Outsiders is a technical marvel. The direction by Danya Taymor is excellent, utilizing a deep roster of characters who get to shine while still focusing on the core story. There are multiple flourishes from the creative team to prove that Danya Taymor’s artistic vision can match that of her aunt, visionary director Julie Taymor. The scenic design, by AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, features a stage completely covered in rubber pellets, made to look like gravel in a junk yard. The scenery is hightened by multiple cars on stage, some fire displays, and collapsible parts of the set used at dramatic moments. Sound design, by Cody Spencer, is highlighted at multiple points in the production. When Ponyboy gets knocked unconscious or is held underwater, the sound makes you feel like you’re actually in his head. Every technical category comes together for a climactic fight scene in Act 2, which delivers one of the most gripping scenes I’ve ever seen on stage. As the Greasers and Socs fight for control of Tulsa, rain is massively pouring down all over, completely drenching the cast. The lighting and sound design highlights every punch viscerally, as if you can feel it from your seat. The choreography from Rick and Jeff Kuperman is great throughout, but is especially impressive as they flip and fall over each other in the rumble. This scene in The Outsiders is one of the most intense and impressive pieces of staging I’ve ever witnessed.
The cast, made up largely of lesser-known young actors, is excellent. Brody Grant feels completely natural as Ponyboy. He commands the show from the moment he walks on stage (a few minutes before the show begins), until the very end. In an exceptionally demanding role, vocally and physically, he carries us through the entire journey as the narrator and emotional centerpiece. My one criticism is with his diction, which at times made some words unclear. It may be a character choice to mumble, as if how a Greaser would talk, but his remarkable voice (highlighted especially in “Great Expectations”) deserves to be fully understood. It’s Joshua Boone who steals the show as Dallas Winston, the leader of the Greasers, originally from New York. Boone is destined for stardom, acting with remarkable charisma that leaves no doubt why Ponyboy and others look up to Dallas. Boone’s voice is stunning, carrying Act 1 finale “Run Run Brother” on his shoulders and delivering a powerhouse in Act 2’s “Little Brother.” Other standout performances include Brent Comer as the overwhelmed eldest brother Darrel, Jason Schmidt as the middle brother Sodapop, and Sky Lakota-Lynch as the sensitive best friend Johnny Cade. Comer’s “Runs in the Family” and “Throwing in the Towel” give a compassionate perspective of what it’s like to give up your future to take care of family. Lakota-Lynch’s “Stay Gold” is a beautiful tune sung with heart. Visually, you can’t help but be drawn to Daryl Tofa and Tilly Evans-Krueger as fellow Greasers Two-Bit and Ace, respectively, performing some remarkable and creative choreography. The future of Broadway talent is bright with all these budding stars on the stage.
The Outsiders could’ve been a paint-by-numbers adaptation, with standard showtunes and simple staging, but like Ponyboy, they dreamed of so much more. They made bold choices in the score and staging, and it paid off with an excellent new interpretation. This production proves what can be possible in bringing famous intellectual property to the stage when you have an artistic vision. With out-of-the-box creativity, The Outsiders transports you to Tulsa, 1967 and leaves you marveling at how effectively they keep you there.