Whether it’s Friday nights at the drive-in or evenings at Curtis Brother’s house, “The Outsiders” musical brings audiences from their seats at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre back to 1967 Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Based on S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel and the 1983 film adaptation, “The Outsiders” musical is a multi-Tony Award-winning musical that debuted on Broadway on April 11, 2024 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Known for its unique blend of music and impressive choreography, this new musical took home four Tony Awards.
“The Outsiders” musical is currently in its third year of performance and consists of 25 cast members including principals, understudies, and swings. Directed by Danya Taymour, every year the musical welcomes a new group of performers and in March 2026, 14 new actors joined the company.
“Joining a production and replacing it with a group of people makes it so much easier from a social and creative perspective,” said Caleb Mathura, who plays Johnny Cade. “You’re not just alone in a studio, but you’re building the piece with other people.”
The cast of Broadway’s “The Outsiders” (Photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman)
The new cast members rehearsed for about a month before stepping onto the Broadway stage with the year three company.
“We had a put-in rehearsal where we did half of our rehearsals in the studio and half of our rehearsals on stage,” Mathura said. “There’s so many elements, like the gravel, the car, the slopes of the stage, that working in a rehearsal room doesn’t necessarily get us as prepared as we would need to be, so it was really a luxury that we got stage time before we actually were in the show.”
As a physically demanding show full of dances and stunts, prioritizing physical and mental health is detrimental as a performer. Before every performance, the cast does a fight call which is where the cast runs all the fight sequences to ensure the safety of the actors and that the show runs smoothly.
“‘The Outsiders’ is about learning how to take care of your body,” Noah Pacht, who plays Ponyboy said. “For a long time I was just thinking about my voice and singing, but it’s also so much about the body and making sure you’re healthy, limber and taking care of yourself.”
One of the most important themes of “The Outsiders” is brotherhood. Emma Pittman who originated the role of Cherry, continues to lead a cast tradition with each new company as a way of strengthening connections both on and off stage.
“Once places is called, Emma Pittman, who’s kind of our cast leader, will have a deck of cards, and she pulls one out, or she picks one person in the circle to pick out a card, and the card will have a word for the day,” Sutton James Kaylor, who plays Sodapop said. “It’s kind of the mantra of the show.”
Musical theatre is all about live singing and dancing. To help elevate the show’s vocals, four Booth singers are added backstage.
“We sing during the show during all the ensemble numbers because our show’s very physically demanding,” Hailey Hyde, an understudy, said. “The people on stage are dancing, so us four sing off stage during all the ensemble parts, which helps give a little more heft or add a few more voices to the people that are dancing on stage.”
A Broadway show cannot be brought to life without its creative team. The lights, sounds, sets and wardrobe pieces all play an important role in shaping every performance. In 2024, “The Outsiders,” won the Tony Award for best sound design.
“There’s a lot of room for creativity and expression in sound, in the ‘Outsiders,’” Head of Sound Garret Hood said. “There’s also a creative aspect to both the sound effects and the mix of the show we use.”
(Photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman)
(Photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman)
Wardrobe is also a major aspect of the show as costumes are constantly cleaned, repaired and changed due to the constant movement and special effects of the production.
“Every time that we view the performance, we basically want to give the audience opening night,” Wardrobe Supervisor Mary Johnston Rutherford said. “We care for the clothes in the sense of washing and drying, steaming, ironing and checking for repairs, and then doing those repairs.”
“The Outsiders” musical is currently running on Broadway, touring across North America and preparing for an international production set to open in South Korea.
“‘The Outsiders’ trains you as an actor to be flexible and to be aware,” Pacht said. “I’m realizing that one of the most important superpowers an actor can have is the ability to adapt and to see really what’s happening.”
