"The Outsiders"
Fisher Theatre
Detroit, Mich.
Through March 15
If the names “Ponyboy,” “Sodapop” and “Two-Bit” ring a bell, you probably remember reading S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders” in your youth. The 1967 young adult novel took to Broadway in 2024 and is now on national tour, currently in Detroit. The show features a book by Adam Rapp and Justin Levine and music and lyrics by Levine, Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance. It won four Tony Awards in 2024, including Best Musical.
Set in 1967 Tulsa, Okla., the story follows two rival teen gangs, divided by social class: the wrong-side-of-the-tracks “Greasers” and the preppy, wealthier “Socs.” Our protagonist is 14-year-old Ponyboy, a sweet, artistic Greaser who loves movies, books and sunsets. He lives with his eldest brother Darrel who gave up his college education and a chance at a better life to raise his two younger brothers following a fatal car crash that left them orphaned. Ponyboy is smart with his own chance for a better life but is knocked around and harassed by the Socs, who are determined to keep him in his place. Opposite Darrel is Greasers’ leader Dally, a juvenile delinquent who offers Ponyboy and his best friend Johnny Cade alternate, rougher brotherly advice on how to survive in a world that treats them as outsiders.
It’d been a few decades since I’d read the book, but I remember liking it. And while I can tentatively say I liked its stage form, I’m pretty confident I don’t want to see this show again. “The Outsiders” is a tough watch. The cruelty and violence of men – and I do mean men – toward each other is getting fatiguing to watch, in fiction or otherwise. We’re meant to empathize with the downtrodden Greasers as the two groups gang up on each other, beating each other senseless over nonsense. Other than a couple of “Do I look like Julie Andrews?” jokes, the show offers almost no comedic levity to balance two hours of violence, frustration and hopelessness. None of this is bad; good theater makes you feel things. But that doesn’t mean you always want to feel them, and I wouldn’t fault anyone for not wanting to feel them right now.
The cast succeeds in breaking our hearts. Nolan White as Ponyboy is a clear contrast to the rougher boys around him – an outsider within his own gang – and his fear, pain and vulnerability are raw; you can’t help but want to rescue him from the unfair world around him.
The dancing, choreographed by Rick and Jeff Kuperman, is another highlight of the musical with skilled moves that are rough and athletic. The climactic fight scene between the two gangs is arguably the best part of the whole show. The rumble starts with chaotic individual brawls which turn into dramatic, synchronized partner moves before the entire group faces the audience reacting to invisible beatings in unison. The scene's artistry captures the intensity and stakes of the moment. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Rain, fire, classic cars and the strategic use of strobe lights and blackouts bring 1960s Tulsa to life and elevate already intense, poignant moments of the story. The clever use of moving planks and tires to capture the hurdles and distance of Ponyboy and Johnny’s escape is another choreographic triumph.
“The Outsiders” is a powerful story elevated through music, dance, sets and effects. It is also relentlessly intense, and the characters are not the only ones getting beaten down throughout the evening. It's worth a watch, if you're up for it.
