The Outsiders Musical On Tour: Full Review
Here’s a full breakdown/ details from the 8 PM show of The Outsiders Musical on tour in Greensboro, NC on 12/13/25!
The Steven Tanger Center is gorgeous. I saw Rent there a couple years ago (10/10, btw). My older sister has lived in Greensboro for about 8 years now, and my parents moved there 6 months ago. I love that I always have excuses to see shows when I visit! My mom and sister joined me for the show. My sister went in blind, my mom knows the story. We're cheap and were in the very back row of the balcony seats so unfortunately missed some of the finer details. I couldn't resist the merch stand and am obsessed with my Stay Gold crewneck and necklace. And for my 21+ friends, highly recommend the Cherry Sodapop drink 🤣🍸
Understudy-wise, we had Seth Ajani on instead of Tyler Jordan Wesley for Dallas, Jackson Reagin on instead of Travis Roy Rogers for Darrel, Dante D’Antonio on instead of Corbin Drew Ross for Sodapop, Luke Sabracos on instead of Jackson Reagin for Paul, and Sebastian Martinez on instead of Luke Sabracos for Trip. We had Mekhi Payne for Seth and Giuseppe Little for Dante in the booth.
-I missed Nolan!Ponyboy’s initial entrance, so I’m not sure if he walked down the aisle or entered through a side door- I’m sure it depends on the venue. But he sat on the stage and wrote in his notebook for about a minute and a half before the show started- really sets a great vibe!
-From the minute he started talking, I knew that my expectations would be massively exceeded. Nolan is Ponyboy. He embodies him, in my opinion, just as much as Brody did. A different version- softer, younger, more thoughtful in a way that is uniquely his own but no less effective. His voice is fantastic- clear, great tone, and already so improved from the clips I’d heard only a couple months before (and those were excellent already!) He was truly amazing to watch and added yet another layer to this character that I love so dearly.
-I love the way he perched on the seat in the audience during the movie part!
-Jaydon!Two-Bit blew the Socs a kiss, then flipped them off at one point.
-The DANCING. Holy cow. Knocked my socks off. This is one talented crew!
-Bonale!Johnny and Nolan!Pony are besties. They had great chemistry together. There is such a sense of trust and comfort in the scenes and interactions between them. When they sang “poor ass there” they bumped each other’s shoulders on each beat and Nolan laughed. It was so cute I might have to post the audio clip of it.
-Bob is a villain in the best way. “Cut that hair” started out like a typical high school bully chant but got so sinister.
-I’m glad they make them snapping the switchblade open as audible and obvious as possible because if I didn’t know that’s what they were doing, I wouldn’t have known the Socs pulled a knife on him during the jumping. A lot of the subtle movements, expressions, etc. were missed given how far I was from the stage.
-Jackson!Darrel dragged Pony over to the tire. I unfortunately missed some of the visual after until the start of GGAH because someone walked in late and blocked my view.
-Seth!Dallas was such a new take on Dallas. He’s not a big guy, and his presence isn’t immediately intimidating. Pony really is his buddy, not just a tag-along. You can tell how much he cares for Johnny and Pony right away, that he takes his role seriously. I loved it. He’s the first Dally I’ve seen ("seen" being through bootlegs/ audios) that could pass for 17.
-Seth!Dally rolled the “r” in “grimiest” lol.
-I haven’t listened to enough audios to be able to pick out/ recognize everyone’s voices yet, but I could definitely hear the booth singers and they were eating.
-Brandon!Steve! His dancing is everything!
-Two-Bit dropped the grease. Ace picked it up and chucked it offstage.
-Jackson!Darrel dropped the bat the second time he flipped it.
-Nolan!Pony is peak 14-year-old boy. So sassy. “What?”😒😒🙄 Darry is definitely sick of his shit.
-Opt up on “I’ll teach you everything you need to know” was perfect.
-Nolan!Pony’s smile at the end when Soda’s greasing his hair was so big that I could see it from the back row. He’s just happy to be included with the older guys 🥲
-Jackson!Darrel is so tired.
-He’s almost robotic in a good way. You get the sense that he’s been on autopilot for a long time. He doesn’t let himself feel anymore. It’s a survival method.
- His voice is fantastic. He puts a lot of emotion in it. He has a subtle twang like Brent that I really like.
-“Hey, Superman!” -Two-Bit.
-Steve repeated “king shit?” after Darrel called Dally that and he sounded so confused lol.
-I love the outline of the roof/ Curtis House projection. I’d never noticed that before in bootlegs.
-Dante!Soda leans heavy into the humor, but as the bedtime scene went on, it became clear that it was a façade. He’s not really that happy-go-lucky, he just can’t let himself feel because otherwise he’ll be swallowed by grief. He sounded so sad when Ponyboy was talking about Sandy and just wanted to shut that whole conversation down. Same with talking about their parents. He talks fast and is quick to joke about his dreams to get away from the topic.
-“He’s proud of you. ‘Cause you’re so *gahh* brainy.” Ruffles Pony’s hair aggressively as Pony pushes him away.
-Chills. Multiple times. Seeing this song live is something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time and it didn’t disappoint.
-The lighting. I’ve seen it before in bootlegs but gosh, it was just so cool! I LOVED when he shines the flashlight on Darry and then each greaser is illuminated. There was then the stars in the background and it was just beautiful. Nolan absolutely crushed it. His high notes on the high 3rd and 4th ‘great expectations” were drowned out by the ensemble but still sounded good!
-He did this little run on “be” during “between what is and what could be” that I’m obsessed with.
-Bonale!Johnny quietly crying sitting on the tire listening to his parents fight and then trying to hide it when Dally showed up. My heart 💔
-Seth!Dally is so gentle with Johnny.
-“You really think he might do her like that?” He sounds surprised, you get the sense this is the first time he’s heard/ witnessed the extent of the violence.
-Bonale!Johnny may be my favorite portrayal, and that’s saying something. His Johnny doesn’t seem quite as nervous as other portrayals. Still timid and quiet, but I got the sense he was quiet not because he was scared, but because he’s busy listening and observing and is content to do so. When he does speak, it’s impactful and worth listening to. He has a sense of peace/ calmness about him. He seems a little more protective of Pony. It’s the first time that I’ve gotten the sense that I would guess he is a little older than Pony, a little more mature, even if we hadn’t been told their ages.
-EMMA!CHERRY! She. Is. Everything! Her voice is so similar to Emma Pittman’s, it is angelic. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute that she was on stage.
-Mark!Bob sings in a different key, or somehow changes up Bob’s lines a little/ opts down. I didn’t love it the first time I heard just because I wasn’t expecting it, but now I’ve been listening to it nonstop. His voice is very gravelly. It did crack a few times. I don’t know if it was purposeful/ stylistic, but it totally worked. He is excellent.
-The dancing was FIRE! Socs guys ate, Socs girls ate, Greasers ate. No notes. 10/10. 🎉🔥
-Brandon!Steve did this dive into a somersault thing that was the coolest shit I’ve seen in a long time.
-I could not stop being discombobulated by Marcia being blonde and Bev being brunette, just because I’m so used to Melody and Sarahgrace.
-Dally’s teasing started out very playful and irritating. It felt realistic the way he subtly crossed from harmless teasing to something more very quickly. He’s very taken aback by Johnny cutting in, you can tell he didn’t expect him to confront him.
-Katie!Marcia was very giggly and playful. She’s very amused by Cherry asking Pony and Johnny to sit with them. Her delivery on “county lockup” was so funny.
-Pony and Johnny try so hard to play it cool walking over to sit up front with the girls. They were practically moving in slow motion. They definitely didn’t pull off the casual swagger they thought they did 🤣🤦🏼♀️
-Nolan!Pony definitely had a puppy love vibe towards Cherry. You can tell he really admires her, but she doesn’t seem to pick up on this. She’s just enjoying their conversation.
-“You weren’t the one driving that train!” I really liked her delivery. She hates the idea that he blames himself.
-Nolan has such an earnest energy about him. Some of the lines that have the potential to be a little corny or cringy weren’t, just because he was so matter-of-fact about the delivery. “Look at that sky… I just like it.” I don’t know if I’m explaining it well, but he just sells all of it.
I Could Talk To You All Night
-“I was under the impression, you’d never read a book at all.” I think I was the only one who couldn’t help laughing at that. It’s just so savage 😂
-GORGEOUS. So obsessed with Emma Hearn’s voice. Nolan harmonizing was flawless. They sounded so similar to Emma Pittman and Brody.
-The run they did on “right” during “something about this feels right” was shortened and I don’t know how to describe it, but I am absolutely obsessed with it. Might have to post a clip so everyone else can experience too because wow.
-Bob interrupting yelling at the end was a jump scare.
-“Is there a problem…. Rrrooobert?” lmaoo. Jaydon!Two-Bit is great.
-Mark!Bob is very intimidating. He goes from laughing thinking she is joking saying they’re done, to getting in her face trying to intimidate. She was practically backing up into the wings to get away from him.
-Dante!Soda has great comedic delivery. He yelled “let’s call the Feds!” and it cracked me up. He was so excited that Pony talked to a soc girl, he was jumping around and hyping him up.
-“A girl started talking to him, he was just… being polite.” Bonale!Johnny doesn’t seem stressed trying to diffuse the tension. It almost seems he’s hoping to calm Darry down by staying calm telling him this.
Runs In The Family Reprise
-Three cheers for no one laughing during the “I’ll fold the laundry” bit. Obviously it’s funny if the person playing Soda is aiming for that which they do sometimes (I’ve heard Victor play it that way) but a lot of the time it’s not, it’s a clearly-stressed Soda trying to calm Darrel down and then it’s a gut punch when he says “taking care of family is feeling overrated.” Dante!Soda is definitely feeling the stress.
-Jackson!Darrel was over it all. I really wish I was closer to the stage, because I feel his emotions are definitely more subtle expressions than big movements, and I didn’t get to see them. But he rounds on Johnny during “eat my food” and Soda jumps to his defense pretty quickly. He’s standing over Pony during a lot of it and did an opt up on “every dollar that I earn” that I loved. He chucks the bills at Soda hard. It seems like he’s still somewhat in control until Pony says he should leave, then he really starts to go off from there. “You have no idea what I give up for you.”
-“It’s not my fault you hate your dang life.” Nolan!Pony doesn’t yell this. It’s almost tired-sounding, like he’s said it to Darrel before, but the madder Darrel gets, the more heated he becomes, and he’s yelling by “if you hate us so much you should just leave!”
-After he hits Pony, Jackson!Darrel just sits on the ground 😢💔
-Chills. So. Many. Times. The harmonizing was on point.
-Probably one of my favorite moments of the show was a small change that Nolan and Bonale made. I can’t be 100% sure if it was intentional, but it changes the meaning and really speaks to the way both of them portray Pony and Johnny that stands out a bit. Bonale sings “we’ll sit around the fire” instead of “we’d”, and Nolan says “this will be a chance” instead of “could.” It’s not wistful thinking for them, they’re speaking in absolutes. This song has always given the idea that Pony is envisioning this fantasy, and Johnny is humoring him singing about this empty dream that he knows will never happen. But Nolan and Bonale both truly think this is going to happen. They still have hope. Bonale doesn’t seem resigned to his fate already. And it broke my heart just a little more knowing what was coming.
-“Oh, shit!” -Nolan when the Socs show up.
-“Y’all are out of your territory!” definitely the boldest delivery of this line I’ve heard. Johnny sounds more mad than scared.
-The collective gasp the audience made when Pony spit at Bob made me chuckle 😂
-The lighting and sound during the drowning was SO COOL. And the stabbing. Insane! It looked so real!
-My sister was totally blindsided by it. She kept whispering "wait... is he actually dead??"
-So cool. Almost whiplash from the tone shift.
-The effects! The wooden planks forming a cross when they sing about the cross. So clever. It really looks like they are jumping off a train at the end.
-I got chills when the full company showed up and started singing. “Sooner or later you learn…” Darrel singing this felt so ominous.
-The flashlights shining into the audience is so cool.
-Marcia definitely wants to stay with Cherry, but is pulled away. She really hesitates when Cherry holds out her hand to her and you can tell she’s thinking about joining her, but is pressured back into the group.
-Luke!Paul sounded amazing!
-I never realized how high up Ponyboy and Johnny are on the perch for the church. I’m really glad they have safety harnesses because it’s got to be at least 20 feet.
-I know he was working with what they had but damn, Johnny really did my boy Pony dirty with that haircut. Poor guy genuinely looks like Julie Andrews fr.
-The only line my sister knew from the show was "Bob was drinking" (at a cousins wedding last month I apparently kept drunkenly singing it on repeat 😂) and she was very excited to hear it but then disappointed as she was under the impression they made a whole song out of the single line somehow? lmaooo
-So heavy. You really feel the weight Nolan!Pony is carrying around at such a young age.
-Bonale’s voice is just *chef’s kiss*. The two of them harmonizing together is magical.
-The hug at the end 🥹 Nolan dives at Bonale and buries his face in his shoulder. Besties for life.
-The confrontation between Jackson!Darrel and Seth!Dallas was a great scene and again, the first time I interpreted it a little differently/ felt a different portrayal. Seth!Dally is truly hurt- not necessarily that Darrel is insulting him, but at the fact that anyone would doubt how much he cares for Pony and Johnny. He takes his role as their protector, role model, friend, etc. seriously. He cares deeply. He is quicker to anger at the implication that he doesn’t.
-I felt so bad for Dally in this scene. I always feel a little bad for him, but Seth!Dally just seems so hurt by all of it.
-“That’s why they came to me after what went down.” Very much competing vibes between the two “big brothers” of the group. You feel for Darrel, too, even if it’s harsh. He’s so worried.
-Another one of the top moments in the show for me. They all nailed it. Jackson and Dante have fantastic voices.
-Thank GOD again that no one laughed during “while you’re watching cartoons.” Such a pet peeve of mine because there’s nothing funny about it. It’s his coping mechanism of disassociating and grieving, not more comedic relief.
-Definitely one of the moments where I wish I was closer to the stage- I wasn’t really able to appreciate the great acting I know they were doing because I couldn’t see their faces.
-“I need you Darrel. I can’t lose my big brother too,” was heartbreaking. For all the bravado Soda puts on, he’s just a kid, too.
-The hug at the end 🥹💖 I know there wasn’t time, but I wish the musical would feature more of Soda and Darry’s relationship. It’s so special.
-I loved the poem and the subtle projected sunset.
-My mom was the biggest Paul Newman fangirl growing up and also saw Elmer Gantry with Burt Lancaster like 10 times and she was wheezing at the Julie Andrews vs. Burt Lancaster debate.
-“DALLY!” Johnny is so happy to see his big bro.
-Seth!Dally was about to hug Pony and then stops and stares at his hair. “Is it just terrible?” “Yeah, but-” pulls him into a hug to reassure him “at least the cops won’t recognize you.”
-“I’d do anything for you two- I’d take a bullet for you two.” Seth!Dally is a little hesitant and stumbles over the words. He’s not used to admitting to feelings, but it’s important to him for them to understand that he’s got their backs. I want to know everything about his Dally’s backstory.
-No notes. Dante!Soda has a gorgeous voice.
-I love Darrel singing the last line by himself. The look he and Ponyboy exchange hurts my heart.
-“I killed that kid. I killed him!” Bonale!Johnny yells this part. It’s clear he has a lot of guilt feeling like he’s dragged Pony into this.
-Seth!Dally’s monologue was so intense. It feeds into his Dallas being the most emotional. His voice breaks. He gets flustered. He has so much feeling and he has been running his whole life and you get the sense that he knows, deep down, he can’t protect Johnny from this.
-The fire. Holy cow. They didn’t have real flames like the bootlegs I’ve seen but lots of smoke and glow lighting and it was very cool.
-The newspaper was projected on the stage and it was awesome! I loved the way the fire was acted out with them climbing/ sliding down the boards and the shadows/ projections on the sheets showing them rescuing the kids.
-Jaydon!Two-Bit brought the house down with this number, imo. Great energy. I loved the growl he did on “while that old church was burning down.”
-This is a very niche comparison, but Brandon!Steve yelled “someone had a run-in with the greaserhood” and it sounded so crazy and unhinged that it reminded me of Tom Cruise!Steve in the movie when he yells “ain’t nobody gonna call the fuzz in this neighborhood ‘cause they know better!” Same energy lol.
-Justice!Ace’s harmony on “age of the greaser” sent me. I don’t know if I’ve given her some love in this write-up yet but man, she deserves it! Total powerhouse.
-I love this number because it’s the only time we see a semblance of happiness from Darrel and my boy deserves it.
-“I don’t want to disappear no more.. not no more.” Rip my heart out, why don’t you.
-Cherry enters while Dally is leaving and he looks right at her when he says “I’ll snap a Soc’s neck if I have to.” It was intense.
-“Don’t you dare feel sorry for us!” Nolan!Pony was so upset and Cherry seems so hurt. Her heart is in the right place but unfortunately the whole situation is too little, too late in terms of standing up for them.
-I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Emma Hearn is phenomenal. That’s it.
-Justice!Ace is doing these crazy push up/ sit up/ crunches prepping for the rumble. Go queen go 🔥👑
-Dante!Soda jumping over Jackson!Darrel’s head was crazy. Dude had to vault himself over.
-I just love the split harmony on the last “way.” It sounded especially good.
-There’s no way Paul and Darrel WEREN’T formerly romantically involved based on this portrayal lol.
-The rumble was SO COOL. Literally cannot imagine how much goes into the effects and making it rain on Broadway, let alone on tour at all different types of theatres. It is incredibly impressive and the creative team/ tech crew/ stage hands/ etc. deserve so much credit.
-I don’t think I blinked for a full five minutes because I didn’t want to miss a second, there was so much going on. The choreography was crazy. I’m so excited to see it again but more up-close so I can appreciate all the little details, like the blood packs and things.
-Jackson!Darrel went right to Nolan!Pony after and picked him up and swung him around in a hug. It was so cute.
-Bonale!Johnny really made it his mission to rip our hearts out, huh?
-Nolan!Pony’s “no, no, no” after Johnny dies are devastating. He crawls to the end of Johnny’s bed and just sits there until Dante!Soda pulls him in his lap. He fights him for a second but then gives up and just slumps into him.
-Seth!Dally saw Bonale making everyone cry and was like “challenge accepted.” I did not expect to cry just because I have read this book and watched the movie and seen bootlegs SO SO SO many times over the last (13?!?!) years but I couldn’t help it. It was like watching it for the first time again.
-His voice broke a lot, like he was fighting tears. Or it could have been vocal strain. Either way, it worked, he sounded amazing and acting was crazy good.
-His voice wasn’t necessarily the strongest with this song. We didn’t get crazy opt-ups and gospel vibes and riffs like we’ve gotten with other Dallys. And I liked it that way. It was like he was too tired to carry through anymore, too tired for a big scene, too tired to feel anymore- he was done. And him standing in the spotlight with that train sound and then just silence was deafening.
-Nolan!Pony’s monologue after. He didn’t cry, but he already sounded detached, like he couldn’t even process what had just happened.
-The brother’s scene. So many feels. Nolan!Ponyboy played it so well. The shock, the disassociation, the numbness.
-Jackson!Darrel is desperate in trying to snap him out of it. The delivery of “he’s dead, he’s dead.” It was heartbreaking. He is trying to get through to him, to get him to face reality, no matter how much it hurts.
-Cherry looks so worried by Pony’s unresponsiveness.
-Dante!Soda was so sweet reading Johnny’s letter to Pony. When Pony reaches for it, he looks so relieved.
-Man, oh man. Probably my favorite moment of the show, for sure. It was absolutely gorgeous. This song is, imo, the most beautiful song written in the history of musical theatre. Maybe ever.
-For the first time, I felt such a sense of peace from Johnny while singing this song. “Swore I wasn’t ready to die, turns out I was wrong…. I’ve made my peace with all the bad.” He doesn’t have regrets. The look on his face when he sang “I’d do it all again” said it all. It was beautiful.
-He and Pony sitting on the car in synch really did me in. The harmony was so gorgeous. By the end, you felt like a little bit of that peace had been transferred to Pony. He’s got a long way to go and a lot of healing to do. But it’s a start.
-I usually don’t find the “is that okay with you?” and the “yeah, I’m good with that” funny, but it kind of was. It felt like such a simplification and also, such a laugh of relief. Darrel and Soda are like “yeah, we don’t give a shit, you’re talking for the first time in two weeks, we’re okay with anything!”
-I love Pony handing Darrel his journal. There’s such trust in it. That, for me, is the moment we know that they’re going to be okay. Their relationship is still fractured. There will still be fights. But they’ll make it.
-There’s such weight in Pony starting off with the same line he did in the beginning. “I’ve never known anybody to leave, most people get stuck here for life.” It makes you realize how much of a journey he’s been on in just a week (or two hours and twenty minutes, lol).
-Another one of my very favorite parts is the realization that his brothers are the real heroes and him finally acknowledging it and the way he looks at them when he sings “can you imagine how proud mom and dad would be?” My heartttt 💔
-I just love him handing the book off. I love that they do that every show. I know its usually rush lines/ superfans/ people who have seen the show before who are in the front but I like to think the book gets passed to a random person who came into the show blind and now this whole world is opened up to them and they’ll get to read it for the first time. How exciting!
-Love the opt-up on “for the down and outs who can never win.”
-Standing ovation, of course!!!!
-I did my best to stay until after the orchestra/ band played to the very end and everyone had left stage. A lot of them hung out and were eating the dinner. Someone cartwheeled off stage lol.
-So glad the have the screen so the booth singers and orchestra can get their very well-deserved moments. HUGE props to all of them!
-I so wanted to stage door but knew my mom and sister wouldn’t be into it and it was like 20 degrees with 5 degree wind chill 🥶 My twin and I will for sure stage door when we see it next time!
-My mom LOVED it! I’ve made her watch the bootleg before and she knew all the songs already. She has always indulged me in when I force her to watch musicals, even if she’s not into them, but she truly loved it and it was so special. She was the one who initially introduced me in 6th grade! It was very special to her growing up (had read the book but especially the movie- that cast were her true celebrity crushes lol. Rob Lowe fangirl 45 years later ).
-My sister enjoyed it, too! And that is saying something. I affectionately call her our “Darry” of the group- it’s very hard to get her to read or watch books, TV shows, movies, anything (the exception being Harry Potter). She once said something very similar to a quote from the book about how Darry thinks his own life is interesting enough without inspecting other people’s. I had to nag her about theatre etiquette to get her to put away her phone (🫣🤦🏼♀️) at the beginning but she really got invested in the story!
-I am beyond excited that I will be seeing the show twice more in March with my twin for our birthday! She is my Outsiders and musical enthusiast partner-in-crime and I can’t wait for her to experience it. We splurged on good seats so I’m really looking forward to getting to see the details I missed. Hoping to see the OG Curtis bros but certainly would not be upset with any understudies either- I love seeing different actors and their takes on characters!
-The entire cast was amazing, but had to recognize a few people! I’ve talked about it already, but Nolan White and Bonale Fambrini blew me away. I didn’t think anyone could touch the portrayals/ performances Brody Grant and Sky Lakota-Lynch gave, but they absolutely did. Their talent and the chemistry they had was remarkable. They are both so young and I am very excited to follow them and their careers, as I have no doubt they have much success ahead of them!!
-Jaydon Nget as Two-Bit! His charisma and stage presence shone through. He is a great dancer, radiates energy, has great comedic timing, and a fantastic voice. I was definitely drawn to him whenever he had a scene, even if he wasn’t the main focus of it or wasn’t speaking/ singing. I am VERY excited for him to understudy Johnny/ Dally and hope to hear details of when he does as I know he will knock those out of the park.
-Brandon Mel Borkowsky as Steve! For a character with very few lines, he made it his own. There’s no way to describe his dancing other than sensational. Everything looks clean, sharp, and effortless. I was vaguely familiar with him from Sunset Blvd, but am so happy this show gives him an opportunity to shine- and shine he does! I look forward to him understudying Two-Bit so we can hear more of his singing as well!