This post was updated Oct. 6 at 9:04 p.m.
The first North American tour of “The Outsiders” is a little closer to staying silver than gold.
The 2024 Tony Award-winning Best Musical ran from Tulsa, Oklahoma, all the way to the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, where it will stay from Sept. 30 to Oct. 18. Based on the novel by S.E. Hinton, the musical follows Ponyboy Curtis (Eli Talley, understudying Nolan White), Johnny Cade (Bonale Fambrini) and the rest of the Greasers – Tulsa’s east side gang – as they fight to find their place in the world.
The musical’s close adherence to the source material, alongside a powerful score and choreography, makes “The Outsiders” a must-see production.
The only caveat is the touring cast.
It is a good thing Ponyboy and Johnny were the lead characters. Other than them and supporting characters Sodapop Curtis (Jackson Reagin) and Bob (Gabriel White Marín) – the latter two in smaller roles – the acting was abysmal. Most performances were as flat as the planks that made up the set and as dry as the faux dirt beneath their feet.
Ponyboy and Johnny’s reprise of “Great Expectations” – the clear standout from Act One, which featured the duo’s lovely harmony – in “Far Away From Tulsa” was a vast improvement over the ensemble’s earlier rendition.
The two best friends, however, were the only ones with any chemistry.
Emma Hearn as Cherry Valance ruined every scene she was in with a one-dimensional, monotonous performance – a shame for such a deep and important character who acts as the story’s catalyst. For a role with scenes so dramatic, Hearn was all but simply reciting the lines and lyrics with nothing underneath.
Even more unforgivable were the performances of Travis Roy Rogers (Darrel Curtis) and Jaydon Nget, understudying Tyler Jordan Wedley (Dallas “Dally” Winston), who appeared to compete over who could shout the loudest with the least emotion. Neither was believable in their intimidation or frustration, leaving the actors portraying Ponyboy and Johnny with little to work off.
[Related: Theater review: ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ brings viewers to ’90s New York for a coming-of-age story]
While costumes worn by the Socs – the Greasers’ rival gang – were temporally and thematically accurate, the Greasers all looked like they just came from Hollister. The rips and disheveled nature of their denim looked more like contemporary fashion than something found on the east side in the ’60s.
As far as adaptations go, the musical is one of the best. The largely static set was used in an innovative way. The music gave even greater insight into the characters. The choreography – particularly the fight scenes – was nothing short of astounding, all of which served to make the already wonderful story better.
The most significant book-to-stage change, and the only true plot-based problem, was Dally’s death. In Hinton’s novel and Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 motion picture, the character is shot and killed by police officers, whereas in the stage production, he stands in front of a moving train. Dally’s original killing could be described as a suicide – as Ponyboy puts it, “Dally Winston wanted to be dead and he always got what he wanted” – but the difference between an act of police force and direct suicide is incredibly apparent. More than that, it goes against the character’s nature, no matter which version of the material is considered. This change fundamentally and dramatically reshapes Dally’s character.
Aside from that egregious change to the ending, the show is well-paced and evidently trusts its audience without feeling the need to dumb anything from the novel down. The cast was nearly saved by the production’s little details, such as Dally’s use of a dipstick to knight Ponyboy in “Grease Got a Hold” or Cherry being interrogated in the background by a cop during “Run Run Brother,” adding much more depth to the world of the musical.
Most impressive was the production’s practical effects, particularly the blood, which played in tandem with the lighting and sound design to make the fight scenes the show’s uncontested highlight.
In spite of the lackluster cast, “The Outsiders” as a whole production beautifully maintains the original, unparalleled story, complemented by incredible and well-placed songs. The emotional journey of the show is one to be enjoyed by old and new fans alike.
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