THE OUTSIDERS Opening Night Critics’ Reviews- Page 4

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 9:41am

Hope Brody is okay and back soon. Looking forward to seeing him.

[Musigamist]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 11:58am

If you were choosing to sit in one of the side orchestra sections, would you choose house left or right?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 12:57pm

Probably house right, but either would be fine. 

[Dkinny23]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 1:05pm

If you're up in the mezzanine, I don't think it matters as much, if you're in the orchestra, I've heard house right is better.

Opt for middle if you can :) Center mezz 4 rows from the back had a perfect view. I think some of the choreography (the rumble scene) is slightly better appreciated from the mezzanine, although I'm biased cause that's the only place I saw it. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 1:12pm

No, you’re right. The Rumble works great from the orchestra but is even more effective from the mezz. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 1:13pm

I saw Brody was out yesterday. Curious if anyone goes tomorrow, if he’s back. 

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 1:45pm

I saw the show on Saturday evening and it was really fantastic. 

I had friends who showed up a little earlier than me who found out that Brody was out, but because I really wasn’t too familiar with the cast, it didn’t make a big difference to me. They held the house for a while presumably to give Trevor some time to work through some of the beats of things since he hadn’t had a rehearsal or put in yet. They let the audience in around 7:55-ish and the show started around 8:25/8:30-ish and when Trevor came down the aisle, the love for him was really special to see. I also happened to be seated amongst many of Kevin William Paul’s friends and family all wearing We Heart Bob #TeamSoc t-shirts which was really adorable. 

Trevor did a fantastic job as Ponyboy and obviously I haven’t seen Brody, but you truly wouldn’t have known this was his first time stepping into the role especially with surely what limited time he had that night to prepare. A lovely voice, and the right mix of softness and grit that Ponyboy requires. 

The whole cast is incredibly talented - Jason Schmidt (who I loved on Rise of the Pink Ladies - RIP) and Brent Comer do a wonderful job as Ponyboy’s older brothers. Joshua Boone is a commanding force on that stage and I can’t imagine a world where he doesn’t get nominated for many awards. Emma Pittman does such a wonderful job with Cherry and her sweet connection with Ponyboy only makes the events of the story that much sadder. Sky Lakota Lynch reminded me a lot of Moritz from Spring Awakening with Johnny being such a broken and troubled character, but his heart in such a good place. His “Stay Gold” was gorgeous. He and Trevor had such wonderful chemistry which is so important. The whole ensemble of both Greasers and Socs are so committed to this material and you can feel it in every movement and every breath. 

The score has some really beautiful moments - I wish I could live in the harmonies of Great Expectations - but once again falls into the trap a lot of scores this season have in that after a while the songs start to sound the same. That being said, I can’t wait for a cast recording, because I really did enjoy the score. It falls in the middle for me - not nearly as pretty but boring as The Notebook but not nearly on par with the louder and more bombastic Here Lies Love or Great Gatsby. 

The Rumble sequence is truly a sight that needs to be seen to be believed. It is truly the perfect blend of all of the elements of a number firing at all cylinders. I have said for so long that years from now people will be talking about the sheer perfection of a number like Battle of Yorktown from Hamilton and how it is truly a perfectly executed number from top to bottom. I feel like The Rumble is very much on par with that. 

At curtain call, the entire cast gave Trevor so much love during his bow, which was really sweet to see. 

If the stage door is your thing - it was kind of a zoo, but it looked like a lot of them came out to sign/take photos. I stayed a bit away from it all, but was able to catch a couple folks for a signature and photo. 

This show has a lot going for it and I am rooting for it to find success and I can’t wait to come back at some point soon.

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 10:47pm

I saw the show last night. I was sitting behind a high school class and so many of them were crying at the end and seeing high schoolers really connect with a show was really powerful for me.

I enjoyed it. I thought the directing was very cool. I don't think any of the songs aside from Great Expectations really stand out tho... It's an extremely emotional story and it works. The bond between the brothers I thought was particularly well played.

I presume there were two debuts last night (Darryl and an ensemble member) as during curtain call their fellow cast mates were exuberant for them. They all stayed onstage cheering each other on after the house lights were up and seeing that enthusiasm was so nice. 

[seussical93]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 9:57am

Have been entering the lottery quite often for this but have noticed that there hasn’t been one on telecharge. I guess they’re only doing the lotto when they need to fill the seats? Or are they just doing weeknights or something? Anyone have any insight? thanks!

[DroughtofApathy]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 11:59am

I saw this show last night, and I had some issues with the bland book and expositional score, but that's neither here nor there. The one question that has plagued me ever since: why were the three "Soc" girls costumed like the Powerpuff girls. Sure, I could believe blue-dress-blonde-hair is just a coincidence because that's a normal color combo, but all three having corresponding dress-hair combos? The one dressed like Blossom (pink dress-red hair) is named Cherry, for pity's sake. It's too blatant to be accidental, but why are we making this reference in a 1967 setting, from a 1983 book? Can someone explain what I'm missing, or have any insight on the costume designer's thought process here?

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 4/21/24 at 7:47pm

this is a really solid production with some beautiful performances. its overly earnest and devoid of any levity/humor, but having made that choice, they do a pretty good job with it. i was certainly moved, though im not entirely sure why they chose to tell this particular story, as its pretty bleak and not exactly ripe for dramatic interpretation. 

i guess the most surprising element here is Adam Rapp's book, which is not good, but the direction makes you forget, the same way the voices/charisma make you overlook the repetitive (though lovely) songs. i think Johnny Cade is glaringly underwritten in Act 1, which puts that entire arc out of whack in act 2, and the Good Guys Are Perfect next to the Bad Guys Are Pure Evil is a bit much- but the show seems to be very insistent on this tone/perspective, so once you accept that, its an enjoyable ride.

i assume Brody Grant and Joshua Boone will be in discussions come awards season in a few weeks, both were highlights in a uniformly excellent case. (Brent Comer and Emma Pittman also standouts). these guys seem like a real crew of close friends, a camaraderie oozes off the stage (someone made their debut today, and the celebration during bows seemed so fresh and genuine) which goes a long way to selling it. the rumble was indeed breathtaking, the choreography and direction were just top notch here. 

packed house today. no bad sightlines, i dont think. 

[berniesb!tch]

Posted: 4/22/24 at 11:29am

I saw this yesterday and wow - I loved it. Probably my favorite new musical of the season so far besides Here Lies Love (I still have HK, HR&R, and Gatsby to see). Everything about this show is pretty flawless besides the book, but the other elements are so top notch, they make up for it. The Rumble was absolutely thrilling. The song Great Expectations was another major highlight. 

I really hope this gets Tony love. 

[Miss10036]

Posted: 4/23/24 at 11:42pm

I went over the weekend and enjoyed this!

Between The Outsiders and Jonah, this season has really made me a fan of Danya Taymor's. She gives us some memorable and inventive staging here while drawing thoughtful performances out of the cast. The rumble choreography is a knockout, and I loved the sound and lighting.

The cast has great chemistry together and it feels like they're very settled into their characters. The bond between Ponyboy and his two brothers feels real and lived-in, and there's a lot of tenderness with how the characters interact. It's a solid ensemble across the board. Joshua Boone is a standout and I'd love to see him get a featured nom out of this, and Brent Comer adds layers to what could have been a thankless, overburdened older brother role. I wonder if Brody Grant will slip into one of the leading actor slots... he gives a more understated performance, and I thought he was lovely.

The score is strong and I liked the folksy sound of it, though a sameness sometimes settled in and I wish the lyrics had more zing. The prevailing mood of the show felt rather dour to me (I was happy to sit in that, but I could see people disengaging because of it) and I was surprised there wasn't more spark or angst/anger given what these boys go through. You get a brutal rumble, but the show doesn't put across the tension and sizzle leading up to it.  It's more like the Greasers are drawn to rumble because they want to support their buddy, and they aren't that mad that they keep getting beat up.  The dark lighting adds to the ennui, too.  Boone gives a more visceral performance than the others, but the consistently sadder tone makes the show feel a tad sluggish at times. I'm one of the few people who never had to read this in an English class though, so maybe that's the tone of the novel.

This is a well-directed show where the characters and their relationships are front and center, and that's my cup of tea.  I don't need the show to be "pulse-pounding."  I haven't seen Illinoise yet and I have high hopes for it, but of the new musicals this season that I've seen so far, this is near the top.