The 2024 Tony Awards’ Best Musical is making headlines yet again as they usher in a new batch of performers to tell the tale of Tulsa’s Greasers and Socs. Based on S.E. Hinton’s novel and the 1983 film of the same name, The Outsiders: A New Musical has been captivating Broadway audiences since April 2024. It follows the escapades of 14-year-old, Tulsa homegrown Ponyboy Curtis as he joins the ranks of the Greasers — a gritty bunch of street-hardened teenagers who rival the upper-class Socs, named on account of their socialite-esque ostentation.
As Ponyboy navigates his new lifestyle, he learns firsthand the challenges that accompany steadfast loyalty to his brotherhood in the midst of higher-than-ever tensions with the Socs. Not only that, but through a handful of scuffles and brawls, heated family arguments and having to run away from Tulsa after a violent encounter gone wrong, Ponyboy learns the importance of “staying gold” amidst the hardships that characterize his environment. Throughout the story, he is accompanied by his older brothers, Darrel “Darry” Curtis and Sodapop Curtis, Keith “Two-Bit” Matthews, Dallas “Dally” Winston, Steve Randle and his own best friend, Johnny Cade; these boys making up the core of the Greasers. Other pivotal characters include the Socs’ ringleader, Bob Sheldon and Cherry Valance, who, despite her background among the Socs, befriends Ponyboy and helps to bridge the gap between the two rival groups by looking past superficial divides.
In the interest of obtaining an authentic view into the thematic significance of this show alongside the firsthand experiences of one of its new cast members, I’ve had the pleasure and privilege to sit down and discuss these things with my good friend, Dallas understudy Brandon Lee Jordan. He offered his perspective on what it is that The Outsiders seeks to communicate to its audiences and also shared some words of advice for anyone that dreams of taking the stage.
The enduring message of self identity versus group identity presented by this story is one that rings true now more than ever. As Jordan puts it, “It’s the Greasers versus the Socs. Even though both groups despise each other, I think that hate also comes from the fact that they both equally admire each other and want to be like the other ones.” “There’s a life that they dream of, but they can’t really go through with it because of the way society is, and like, social norms,” he said. With strict divides set between classes, cultures and all other aspects of life, it seems as if it’s become a lost art to be able to look at one another as individuals with unique stories. The narrative presented in The Outsiders reminds us all how to do that. “I think that’s definitely how it is in the real world. No matter how much people want to hate on other cultures, races, etc., a little part of everybody is missing in them that they see in whoever they’re hating on,” Jordan said.
Jordan also weighed in on his favorite moment in the show. “There’s a part where Dally finds Johnny outside of his house and Johnny’s just sitting outside because his parents are in the house fighting. Johnny’s dad is very abusive towards the mom, and towards Johnny too,” he said. “I think it’s a really cool part in the show because Dally comes up [to the house], and he sees Johnny here, and he is willing to just sleep outside and not leave because he wants to make sure that [Johnny’s] mom is okay. I think it reminds Dally a lot about how his childhood was … It’s the first moment in the show that we see Dally show, like, a lovable side.”
Jordan plans to utilize his own life experience and motivations to approach the character of Dally. “I see myself in Dally when it comes to how, whenever he makes a close connection with somebody, he loves them very hard … Personally, I’m not like a violent or rebellious person. I do have family members that are older than me that love on me, but bless their heart, don’t always make the smartest decisions … I can use what I’ve seen throughout my life and put that into the motivation for Dally. He knows how to love, but he’s a hot head. He doesn’t know how to think about stuff all the way through without being impulsive,” Jordan said.
Finally, Jordan offered a piece of advice to anyone currently grinding out their musical theater craft and waiting for their first audition to come through. “No matter how much you look up statistics, or how to go about getting your job, nobody’s journey is the same. Like, I am in a spot where my journey to Broadway is so unheard of. I still, right now, have not signed to any agency … I would say connections are the biggest thing,” he said. “No matter what, stay humble and kind to everybody because you never know who you’ll meet … Literally, bro, just keep going. I promise you all of it’s going to pay off.”
And at the end of the day, that’s what The Outsiders teaches us. How to stay gold. In the midst of strife, whether on an individual level or on a global scale, it is imperative to learn how to keep pushing forward — to continue to reach for your goals, to never give up on basic kindness and to maintain your full authentic self in everything that you do. As the new cast of this wonderful show is welcomed to Broadway, I’m certain that they’ll champion this message.
Jordan White is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at jiw39@cornell.edu.
