Being a teenager has always been a tough job, when expectations often don’t match wants and desires. It’s especially rough on kids of different social and economic backgrounds, who are in some ways worlds apart. And when those worlds collide, violence is often the result.
Author S.E. Hinton wrote about this in her 1967 book “The Outsiders.” She was sixteen at the time, and this first book was a huge success and made into a film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. “The Outsiders” is her observation of those days.
Now La Jolla Playhouse puts this famous story on the stage in a huge, brand-new musical format featuring 11 excellent young actors playing (and often dancing) the parts of two warring teenage factions, the poor “greasers” and the rich “Socs” (pronounced soshes”) in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Adam Rapp wrote the book, with hip-hop like music and lyrics by Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance (aka Jamestown Revival) and Justin Levine.
There’s so much activity going on that it’s sometimes difficult to concentrate on one thing at a time. The major story revolves around inseparable buddies (and greasers) Ponyboy Curtis (Brody Grant) and his friend Johnny Cade (Sky Lakota-Lynch). The greasers spend much of their time fixing old cars (onstage).
These two and the other greasers have an uneasy relationship with the fancier, much richer and better-dressed Socs, led by Bob (Kevin William Paul) and several others. The Socs also have two pretty girls in their orbit, Cherry (Piper Patterson) and Marcia (Kiki Lemieux).
The groups converge at “Friday Night at the Drive-in,” but of course don’t sit together. But they all appreciate (and would doubtless like to be) Paul Newman as “Cool Hand Luke.”
But when Cherry seems to take a liking to Ponyboy, the relationship between the gangs sours quickly and will end in a rumble. But not before you’ll see some fabulous choreography by Rick Kuperman and Jeff Superman.
The whole show is a phenomenal presentation, with terrific lighting (Isabella Byrd), projections (Tal Yarden), special effects (Jeremy Chernick) and costumes (Sarafina Bush) and scenic design (AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian). And everyone of the actors is outstanding. The eight-member orchestra led by Conductor Matt Hinkley is also fine. Special kudos to director Tanya Taymor for holding it all together.
The show, which clocks in at about two and half hours, could, in truth, be a bit shorter. But it’s a show like no other.
The details
“The Outsiders” plays through April 2, 2023 at La Jolla Playhouse’s Weiss Theatre, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive in La Jolla.
Shows Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m.
Tickets: boxoffice@ljp.org or (858) 550-1010
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