Exclusive | I saw The Outsiders on Broadway. Heres why you have to go before it closes
“The Outsiders” technically starts before the show actually starts.When shuffling into the cozy 1,041-seat Bernard B.Jacobs Theatre, it’s impossible to miss star Ponyboy Curtis (Brody Grant; at my Oct.
3 show, understudy Trevor Wayne took the reins) sitting stage right scribbling in his notebook.After getting comfortable in your seat and observing Ponyboy lost in thought, the Tony Award-winning rural musical finally gets underway.Right out of the gate, “The Outsiders” is a wallop transporting theatergoers back to 1967 Tulsa (even if you’ve never been there, you’re now there).Ponyboy takes center stage with his distinctly American staccato and introduces his brothers Darrel (Brent Comer, the Curtis family’s steady rock) and Sodapop (Jason Schmidt, alternately breathing life into the show and trembling with vulnerability) through song.
This is the moment the musical loudly announces itself as innovative tour de force.Rather than simply have Ponyboy’s brothers sing their verses, a scrim behind our lead character reveals them bathed in warm orange-yellow light going about their lives while the youngest sibling tells us about their day-to-day existences through song.Director Danya Taymor’s cinematic choice here shows just how much one can do with a stage while also quietly promising a unique production full of clever surprises.
She’s clearly bursting at the seams waiting to unleash a lifetime of directorial flairs and “The Outsiders” is the perfect sand box for her to play in.Without spoiling too much, just a few of those out-of-the-sandbox choices include Ponyboy leaping into an empty front-row aisle seat (don’t worry, the staff makes sure the seat is always empty until that very moment) and a souvenir book handed to a front row audience member.In short, “The Outsiders” is an essential, immersive live experience chock full of visual panache that must be witnessed up close and personal to get the full “oh, wow, I’m part of the sho...