The Outsiders Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...The touring cast certainly lives up to all the requirements of the piece, from their macho good looks to their inner sensitivity (or so it seems) to the quality of their voices. I suspect many in the audience will have different favorites, but Nolan White is an especially fine Ponyboy Curtis and Bonale Fambrini a most appealing Johnny Cade."

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...Running through Feb. 22 at the Loop's Cadillac Palace Theatre, the Tony-winning musical delivers a score (music and lyrics by Justin Levine and Jamestown Revival's Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) that veers between hypnotic ballads and stomping bangers. The book (by Adam Rapp and Justin Levine) hurtles the plot forward with the force of the oncoming train that barrels through the second act."

Daily Herald - Highly Recommended

"...Director Danya Taymor's stagecraft is truly the major star of "The Outsiders." This hit four-time 2024 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton's beloved 1967 coming-of-age novel is now making an emotional and aggressively confident Chicago touring debut at the Cadillac Palace Theatre."

Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Highly Recommended

"...The play's slow, deliberate pace, which allows the audience to learn about each character, frames the backdrop for the upcoming tension, which occurs when Cherry Valance, a member of the Socs, is caught in conversation with Ponyboy Curtis. This ignites jealousy in her boyfriend, Bob, who furiously confronts Ponyboy. In a brutal showdown, a gang of Socs ambushes Ponyboy and his loyal friend."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...If you loved the film “The Outsiders” back in the 1980’s based on the novel by S.E. Hinton, you should fall in love with the adaptation into a musical with a book by Adam Rapp and Justin Levine, now on the stage at The Cadillac Palace Theatre as part of this year’s Broadway In Chicago season."

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...Everyone has no doubt been an Outsider at some point in his or her life. This makes Ponyboy’s story of a young boy’s ability to care about others and see things from someone else’s perspective that much more universal and powerful. And the teenager’s understanding of Frost’s poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” results in a heartfelt ballad with his friend, reminding him to “Stay Gold. This excellent, emotionally powerful production is proof positive that S.E. Hinton’s book is still as relevant today as when it was written."

Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended

"...The animosity between these groups is brilliantly directed by Taymor. The production succeeds not just because of its special effects, but on the physicality of its characters. The actors are seemingly always in motion-bouncing on the hood of an abandoned car, climbing the bars of a jungle gym, or hopping over stray pieces of lumber."

Chicago Culture Authority - Highly Recommended

"...Like a lot of Gen Xers, I read The Outsiders in school when I was a kid. When I heard there was a musical in the works based on S.E. Hinton's gritty 1967 YA novel a few years back, I was perplexed. A play along the lines of the 1983 Francis Coppola film adaptation? Sure. But a musical? I realized how dumb I was at the opening of The Outsiders at Broadway in Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre Wednesday night. Executed as essentially a slick combination of Grease and West Side Story, this saga pitting outcast teens against their affluent classmates in late-60s Tulsa proves a natural for the musical stage."

Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended

"...From the Big Screen to the stage, the transition and adaptation of Hinton's novel has achieved major success on Broadway, earning four Tony Awards, including the prestigious Best Musical. Broadway in Chicago has brought The National Tour of The Outsiders to the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 West Randolph Street) for a limited engagement through February 22 only. On February 11, it appeared the house was sold out, so get your tickets promptly."

Werner's Theatre Reviews - Highly Recommended

"...This young touring cast performs with impressive energy and clear affection for the musical. Nolan White captures Ponyboy's vulnerability and restless ambition, grounding the show with sincerity and strong vocals in "Tulsa, 1967," "Great Expectations" and "Death's at My Door." His chemistry with the ensemble makes this Ponyboy feel as if he is lifted straight from Hinton's pages."

BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended

"...THE OUTSIDERS presents an original and vibrant stage adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s classic 1967 novel about the conflict between Tulsa teen gangs the Greasers and the Socs (short for socialites). The musical — and particularly director Danya Taymor’s inventive and visually dynamic staging — pulses with youthful energy, but the material doesn’t feel juvenile. Instead, the show feels teems with life, but maintains its core identity as a show about teens (only one adult character appears on stage...and he’s a cop). This is an emotionally resonant and highly engaging musical journey — the show’s creativity and contemporary feel make clear why it earned the 2024 Tony for Best New Musical."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...This adaptation of Hinton's "The Outsiders" earns a place of high regard along with its print, film and stage predecessors. The neotraditional country soundtrack, exciting dance sequences and powerful portrayals of the prodigious cast of characters will delight theatergoers of a wide range of ages. If you're already a fan, "The Outsiders" is a nostalgic trip back to a formative time of wonder and discovery."