Minimum Familiarity: None (this article aims to provide you with just the right amount of familiarity as you decide whether you want to see The Outsiders on Broadway)
Welcome Back!
Sure, it’s been five months since the first entry in this series, but I (mostly) didn’t forget about this series of articles about whether you, specifically, the very person reading this article, should see some of the trendy shows on Broadway. The first article in this series was for The Notebook, which just announced a closing date in December 2024, so clearly a lot of you chose not to see it. Today’s subject doesn’t quite need the ticket sales help that The Notebook apparently did, but it’s one of my favorite shows from this season so I figured I’d cover it.
Heading Outside
Today we discuss The Outsiders, the musical adaptation of the novel that S.E. Hinton published when she was 18 years old. The show also bills itself as an adaptation of the Francis Ford Coppola film, but I think one of its most impressive attributes is how it leans into the vivid elements of the original novel. The production won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2024 (one of the few things I predicted correctly in my never–ending series of awards season articles), and that alone may be enough to convince you to see it. But winning mainstream awards doesn’t mean that a show works for everyone, so here I’ll try to capture some of the nuances you’ll want to consider as a real person who doesn’t just do whatever the Tony Awards voters tell you to.
A Totally Thorough Synopsis
The Outsiders tells a story about kids growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the 1960s. The narrative comes from the perspective of introspective 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis. Ponyboy belongs to a gang called the Greasers, who often get into scuffles with the wealthier Socs (short for Socialites) over the high school version of gang things, like being in the wrong territory or talking to a girl from the other gang. Ponyboy’s older brother Darrel has taken on the role of a pseudo-father to Ponyboy and his other brother after their parents died in a car wreck.
The story features a series of escalating conflicts between the Greasers and the Socs that Ponyboy accidentally sets off at a drive-in movie when he takes a liking to a Soc named Cherry Valance. Things get ugly, people fight, some people go on the run, and yeah that’s plenty of backstory, you get the idea (or, more likely, you already read the book or saw the movie).
Who Are You?
Now, before I get into the recommendations, I’ll refresh you on the five types of potential Broadway theater-goers:
- Enthusiasts – appreciate shows that are innovative and effective as works of musical theater
- Spectacle Seekers – want to be wowed, whether it be through stunning design, impressive vocal performances, or incredible dancing
- Empaths – want to be moved; happy cries, sad cries, feeling anything feels good
- Theater Curious – either have a past connection to theater or a general interest in learning more about it. Seeking shows that aren’t too out-there, and serve as a good introduction to the form
- Plus Ones – did not purchase this ticket and are debating inventing a relative to kill off to get out of attending
Think about which bucket(s) you fall into. Below you’ll find recommendations for each type of person and some accompanying analysis. Enough introducing, let’s get into it!
Enthusiasts: See It (Yesterday)
You haven’t seen The Outsiders yet?? I kid, but you should definitely see this show if you love theater. My overall impression of it is that it contrasts well with this season’s production of The Great Gatsby. Both are adaptations of seminal American novels, but The Great Gatsby feels like the writers stripped F. Scott Fitzgerald’s original work for parts, pulling out the charters, plot, and timeframe, and then running away to turn those parts into a very generic musical.
In contrast, The Outsiders captures not just the content but the spirit of S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel. The music feels grounded in the setting of Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a folksy vibe and performers whose voices fit the music well. Similarly, the design feels gritty, with the story unfolding entirely on a unit set that constantly reminds us of the world in which the Greasers live and which Ponyboy longs to escape.
The grittiness persists through the entire production, with fight scenes that feel more visceral than anything I’ve seen in theater before. The decrepit environs and the realistic, scary world around the characters only elevates Ponyboy’s importance as someone who looks beyond the circumstances he’s stuck in, and wishes to bring his friends with him to the freedom of that world.
We’re not here to unpack my various thoughts on this show, but suffice it to say it has much more to it than a straightforward book/movie-to-stage adaptation. I really think it represents an inventive piece of theater, and if you like theater you should see it.
Spectacle Seekers: See It
If you’re familiar with the novel and/or film source material of this show, it may surprise you to learn that the musical adaptation has some of the most explosive moments of any show on Broadway. This isn’t the Moulin Rouge category of spectacle, where every scene does something new and visually crazy. But The Outsiders contains multiple stunning Act II moments unlike anything I’ve seen in theater before, and brilliantly balances the reality of the world the characters inhabit and the far-off places they see in their dreams. The rumble scene has already reached iconic status, presenting a simultaneously grounded and profound representation of violence. Add to that incredible lighting, video, sound, and scenic design, and it’s a production that transcends its lack of “traditional” big moments to deliver a more modern type of spectacle.
Empaths: See It
Shows that feature lots of twenty-somethings playing teenagers don’t always hit the mark in terms of capturing what it’s like to actually be young. This show finds ways to sidestep some of those challenges, and I found myself forgetting about the discontinuity between the casting and the subject matter. The production achieves this through its elegant book and the judicious use of some of the show’s key melodies, and somehow it hangs together and packs a punch (emotionally, but also, you know, physically). The characterization of Darrel, in particular, stands out among a somewhat crowded field of characters. He’s become a father figure with little choice in the matter, and his struggle with that position resonates strongly as you watch his younger brothers and their friends make all sorts of ill-advised choices to reckon with their challenging circumstances.
Theater Curious: See It
Having written a few sections of these now, I worry about overstating the merits of this show. Despite that fear, I once again have to strongly recommend The Outsiders for the Theater Curious theatergoing cohort. The Outsiders serves as an antidote to a lot of stereotypes about what musical theater is supposed to look like. Despite that “disruptive” description, this production also represents the best of what musical theater is. It’s strong storytelling that leverages the numerous artistic disciplines that constitute it in a way that makes all of them disappear, resulting in moments that transcend any of them individually.
So yeah, if you’re thinking about seeing more theater, start here.
The Plus Ones: See It
Trust your date on this one. If they haven’t seen it, they probably heard positive reviews from illustrious critics (like me but also other ones), and if they have seen it, they probably left the show crying but also wanting to go back and cry again. I doubt it will be true for everyone, but I first approached this show with limited background knowledge and it just pulled me into its world. Lean back and let that happen to you. I doubt you’ll regret it.
I love lots of things about The Outsiders. It thrives as an overall work of theater, with quiet, heart-wrenching declarations of friendship, and huge, pulse-pounding confrontations. It’s unique, and it offers something to pretty much anyone I can think of who might consider seeing it.
Long story short, you should probably check out The Outsiders, and this article mostly turned into an over-elaborate justification of why that’s the case. I hope you go, and I hope you tell me what you think.
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