I saw The Outsiders Musical on September 26, 2025 and it was even better than I imagined.
By: Gianna Liantonio
The entire production was incredible from the cast to the choreography to the set and the songs. Ponyboy Curtis was played by Eli Talley, who captured Ponyboy’s thoughts and actions perfectly. This performance was actually Talley’s debut which I was thrilled and honored to have been a part of!
The transitions between scenes were executed perfectly with the lights capturing the tones of each one. I liked how in the beginning, they chose to have Ponyboy sit in the audience while he is singing his opening song, having the movie he was watching play on the screen for us to watch as well.
The cast played the characters perfectly, conveying their actions and feelings the way I remembered in the book and movie. I liked that we saw the brotherly relationship between Sodapop, played by John Patrick Collins, and Ponyboy while they laid in bed, Sodapop admitting how worried he was when his brother got jumped by the socs.
The song “Great Expectations” was a great song which I felt gave us insight into Ponyboy’s feelings of how he fits in with the greasers, his evident difference that he loves to go to school and read. He compared himself to the main character in Dickens’ novel Pip, a little orphan boy who doesn’t know where he fits in, but finds solace in an outlaw who helps him.
“Runs in the Family” is a great song that represents Darry, who was played by Dan Berry, and his feelings regarding his transition from brother to guardian. He was constantly told that he wasted the chance to go to college, but at the end of the day, he prefers to stay for his brothers so they all stay together.
Relationships are a key part to the story which I felt were conveyed perfectly throughout the musical. We see the bond between the Curtis brothers, seeing the rocky journey of Ponyboy and Darry’s relationship go from misunderstanding each other to learning that staying as a family is the most important thing. The bond between the Greasers is evident in the way they all interact with one another, especially in the song “Grease Got a Hold,” where each Greaser sings about what being a Greaser means, joking and giving friendly jests to each other.
I liked some of the differences between the book and musical, one being that Johnny, played by Sky Lakota Lynch, witnessed Darry hitting Ponyboy while in the book Pony went home alone and left Johnny in the lot.
The scene in the park when Bob, played by Kevin Csolak, and the Socs tried to drown Ponyboy was incredible. The effects when they punch and you hear the deafening sound as if you experienced it firsthand followed by the muffled sound of being pushed underwater. The lights flickered when Johnny stabbed Bob followed by the reveal that Bob is dead, laying in his own pool of blood. They captured the fear and distress both Johnny and Ponyboy feel after realizing what happened perfectly, transitioning into the next scene where they tell Dally.
“Run Run Brother” was an amazing song and the pace matched the intensity of the scene. Dally, who was played by Alex Joseph Grayson, referred to Johnny as “brother” which was a a great addition and another difference as Dally never called him one before, showing he cared for Johnny through his actions. The ending with them getting on the train, sprinting to get on with the lights of the train flashing combined with the sound of the horn truly captured the emotions and drastic turning point of the story.
Act Two started with the song “Justice for Tulsa” where the Socs and Greasers have a different idea of how justice should be carried out. The actor who played Bob also played the cop which I thought was comical as he is inadvertently detecting his own murder. We see Cherry, who was played by Emma Pittman, defending Ponyboy and Johnny, taking a risk as Bob was her boyfriend and she doesn’t seem as angry as she should be.
The relationship between Cherry and Ponyboy is very important. The musical conveyed this perfectly through their duet “I Could Talk to You All Night” where they felt it was easy to talk to each other, and in this they realized they aren’t so different than they once thought.
The fire at the church was done spectacularly. The effects of the fire with the silhouettes of Johnny and Ponyboy running in and getting the kids out was done so well along with the song “Hoods Turned Heroes,” showing the greasers reading about their heroic deed in the paper while we see it happening.
The rumble had to be my favorite part of the show. The choreography making the fight look more like a dance was incredible along with the rain coming down. It felt so cinematic and I wish I could watch it again and again.
Another major difference was when they went to the hospital to tell Johnny they won. In the book, only Ponyboy and Dally go see him, but I liked that they had the whole gang see him to the end. The emotions shown on everyone were conveyed so well, along with the song “Little Brother” sung by Dally. My eyes were drawn to Ponyboy who sat frozen in the corner, only moving when Sodapop went and consoled him.
The death of Dally was changed as well. Instead of getting shot by the police, he was struck by a moving train. I felt this was more symbolic as Dally lost the only thing he truly loved and thus lost the will to go on without him.
The ending scene with Pony and his brothers was so emotional, Ponyboy still in his state of shock while his brothers tried to get him to at least talk. It wasn’t until Cherry came by and dropped off Johnny’s letter that the death of Johnny was finally hitting him. The Curtis brothers share their final scene, promising that they will stop fighting and remember that they are all they have now. I liked the ending scene with them at dinner while asking what Ponyboy is going to write in his story.
Ponyboy is still innocent despite the travesties he faced and it was important that he did not lose the essence of who he really is; the boy who loves to read, write and watch movies as he starts writing, bringing us back to the opening line.
I really enjoyed this musical and felt it did the story justice. This is one I would go to again and again if I could and I recommend anyone who loves The Outsiders to go see it!
