The Outsiders
Fisher Theatre
Detroit
March 10, 2026
It’s wild to walk into “The Outsiders” at the Fisher Theatre with low expectations, but let’s face it: It’s crazy to expect a Broadway adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s seminal novel (and the Francis Ford Coppola flick) to live up to its predecessors and, ultimately, the place it holds in everyone’s youth. It’s one of those books that enter your life when you're young and make a big impression. Can the touring cast of “The Outsiders” make a big impression on a Detroit audience?
The answer is a resounding YES!
The second Ponyboy Curtis casually takes the stage (played wonderfully by Nolan White, who is currently studying theater at the University of Michigan), the crowd is committed and applauding. The connection to the source material was surprising to me, but made for a crowd that was one of the most attentive I’ve ever seen at the Fisher Theatre.
From there, as the story unfolds, we’re dropped face-first into the rough-and-tumble world of Tulsa in 1967. Ponyboy and his greased-up family of outsiders take on their rival gang and, ultimately, the expectations their community has on them. Some are dreaming of getting out; some can’t think past their next fight. Every actor on stage fills their roles with grace and conviction. There should be extra love given to Tyler Jordan Wesley, who stuns as Dallas Winston with a dynamic voice (his lead on original songs “Trouble” and “Little Brother” are some of the best in the show).
The songs aren’t ham-fisted into this production. Instead, they stand out as well-written tunes that ride the line between the best of alternative country (think something written by Courtney Barnett, Neko Case or Waxahatchee), a bit of blues and soul revival (like something Leon Bridges or the Black Keys might write) and, of course, some lovely Broadway schmaltz (always necessary and always welcome).
For an adapted musical, the storytelling is above average. (Perhaps killer original writing from Hinton helps here.) The stage design is simple, stripped down but effective and knows when to go big (like in one of the final scenes, when the local church is burnt to the ground).
There’s also the tricky proposition of how to make the bounty of fistfights in “The Outsiders” feel as intense as they are in the book. Stark lighting cues and slow-motion elements of each battle help the crowd follow the action with intensity.
I was texting with the owner of a local regional theater after watching “The Outsiders” and they summed it up perfectly: “It’s better than it has any right to be, really.” And that’s mainly because it’s got big shoes to fill.
With every moment, with every song and with each fistfight, “The Outsiders” lands like a good punch. This is a show you don’t want to miss while it’s in Detroit.
