Broadway’s ‘The Outsiders’ captures the heart of S. E. Hinton’s beloved novel
A new musical adaptation brings this groundbreaking story of working class teenagers to life for another generation
Photo courtesy of Matthew Murphy
The Outsiders
Based on the novel by S.E. Hinton and the film by Francis Ford Coppola
Music composed by Jamestown Revival and Justin Levine
Directed by Danya Taymor
Citizens Opera House
March 31–April 12
In 1967, S. E. Hinton published her debut novel The Outsiders, which swiftly became one of the best-selling young adult novels of all time and unlike any other book in the young adult genre at the time. Hinton, then just 16 years old, wanted to write a kind of story that she needed but had never read: a story that captured what it was like to be a teenager with dreams in an unjust world. The result was a novel that was gritty, realistic, and written with an arresting power and energy. Hinton won the Margaret A. Edwards Award for both The Outsiders and her later works of young adult fiction.
Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film adaptation of The Outsiders became a cult classic and solidified the book’s place in popular culture. Today, the original novel has sold over 15 million copies and is commonly taught in schools across the United States.
In 2023, this powerful story was captured once more in a new musical adaptation based on both the novel and the film. The musical first appeared on Broadway in 2024, receiving 12 Tony Award nominations and winning four Tony Awards, including Best Direction of a Musical and Best Musical that year. In 2025, The Outsiders musical began its North American tour; from March 31, 2026 to April 12, 2026, it was performed at the Citizens Opera House in Boston.
The Outsiders is told from the perspective of Ponyboy Curtis (Nolan White), a recently orphaned 14-year-old being raised by his older brothers, Sodapop “Soda” Curtis (Corbin Drew Ross), and Darrel Curtis (Travis Roy Rogers). Soda dropped out of high school to help Darrel earn money, and Darrel gave up his dreams of going to college and playing football to care for his brothers. The Curtis brothers, along with their close-knit group of friends, are greasers, working-class teenagers of Tulsa, Oklahoma who are constantly at odds with the Socs, the upper-class teenagers. When the rivalry suddenly goes too far, Ponyboy and his best friend, Johnny Cade (Bonale Fambrini), are forced to confront the impact of class rivalry and violence in their city.
When adapting the book and film into a musical, several important changes were made to build upon the narrative. Dallas Winston (Tyler Jordan Wesley) and Darrel’s characters were modified such that Dallas became the leader of the greasers, creating tension between him and Darrel over their influence on Ponyboy. This additional dynamic in the greasers clarifies Ponyboy’s coming-of-age journey as he decides who he wants to be. Additionally, no adult characters, except for the cop, appear on stage. This helps to center the story around the teenagers and their conflicts.
To bring the atmosphere of the story to life, folk rock band Jamestown Revival composed the music in The Outsiders. They created a score that blends Americana with bluegrass folk and ’60s inspired pop rock, occasionally bringing in blues and gospel influences. The effect is perfectly suited to the tone and setting of a teenage drama in 1967 Tulsa.
The music works in tandem with Jeff and Rick Kuperman’s choreography, which has an impressive variety, including social dances, fight choreography, and acrobatics. The choreography is energetic and lively during upbeat numbers like “Friday at the Drive-In” but becomes emotional and hypnotic during “Little Brother” in a modern style reminiscent of Fosse. The class divide, terror of violence, and love between the Greasers are all made tangible by the Kuperman brothers’ choreography.
The musical’s greatest strength is Danya Taymor’s direction. While the script is at times underwhelming, Taymor’s direction heightens emotion and deepens tension, and her staging makes the confrontation between Ponyboy and Bob Sheldon (Andrew Cekala) at the park chilling and the teenage yearning in “Great Expectations” palpable. Supported by the actors’ phenomenal performances, masterful lighting, and visceral sound design, the production was elevated to another level.
The musical peaks during its climactic rumble, which is a tour de force of modern stagecraft: the gravel-coated stage is drenched in rain that appears and disappears as fluidly as if it were truly raining on set. Furthermore, the rumble combines fighting and choreography to seamlessly produce a scene that is both harrowing and mesmerizing for the audience. Under Taymor’s direction, the rumble is not merely action; it is a deeply psychological and disorienting experience as the audience, along with Ponyboy, reckons with the repercussions of violence.
The entire cast of actors brings the musical to life. Nolan White perfectly captures both the hope and yearning in Ponyboy’s character, Travis Roy Rogers brings a depth to Darrel’s frustration and complicated love for his brothers, and Tyler Jordan Wesley’s performance of “Little Brother” is both powerful and heartbreaking.
The acting and direction of the final scenes of the musical create a beautiful emotional catharsis. Fambrini’s performance of “Stay Gold” and White, Rogers, and Ross’s performance in the following scenes capture the heart of the novel perfectly. The sincerity of the entire production and the commitment to honor Hinton’s timely story are evident. Overall, the musical adaptation of The Outsiders successfully urges another generation of teenagers to “stay gold.”