The Outsiders musical premiered on Broadway on April 11, 2024. Based on the 1967 book and the 1983 movie of the same name, the story follows greaser Ponyboy Curtis navigating life in the town of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1967. He falls in love with a rival soc named Cherry Valance, but after a fatal run-in with her boyfriend Bob Sheldon that ends in major consequences, Ponyboy and his friend Johnny Cade are forced to run away and leave town.
Aside from Ponyboy, Johnny, Cherry, and Bob, the musical still keeps many of the book’s original characters, such as Dallas Winston, Sodapop Curtis, and Darrel Curtis, among others.
The Outsiders blends folk music with rock, bluegrass, and Americana to weave together a beautiful coming-of-age story about friendship and love. It contains popular songs such as “Great Expectations”, “Throwing in the Towel”, and “Stay Gold”.
Gretchen Bentley, senior, said, “I thought [the musical] was really, really good. It was emotional, but the actors were amazing, and the set was amazing, and it told a really good story, especially because I went into it blind.” Bentley said she had never seen the musical, read the book, or seen the movie before watching the musical at the Durham Performing Arts Center (also known as DPAC).
Bentley said, “My favorite moment, it was the most crushing moment for me, was when Dallas stood in front of the train because it really showed how much his friends meant to him, and the realization that he felt like he had lost everything. That was super powerful to me.”
Parker Merritt, sophomore, said, “I thought [the musical] was amazing, and it was one of the best DPAC shows I’ve seen here.” Prior to seeing the musical at DPAC, Merritt had already seen a play of The Outsiders in New York. Merritt said both the play and the musical did a good job of representing the book and the movie, and he found it surprising how well they were able to bring every scene to life on stage. Merritt said, “My favorite song was Stay Gold by Johnny when he was singing to Ponyboy.”
The Outsiders ran on DPAC from December 2-7, 2025, and just finished its run at Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts (commonly referred to as Tanger Center) in Greensboro, NC, from December 9-14, 2025.
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