Review: Nothing Gold Can Stay, So Go See The Outsiders at DPAC Before It’s Too Late
I was skeptical but intrigued when it was announced the now-classic 1967 novel The Outsiders (written by S. E. Hinton) was being made into a musical. The 1983 film was one thing, but another musical about two rival gangs in the 1960s? Sounds awfully familiar… (cough cough West Side Story). Fortunately, director Danya Taymor was more than up for the challenge.
Set in Oklahoma in 1967, the musical tells the story of the poor Greasers and their rivalry with the wealthy Socs, or Socials. From the moment the curtain goes up, you can tell this will not be a flashy musical. There will be no jazzy tap numbers or sparkly costumes or tried and true musical-theater-step-touch-finger-snap choreography. Instead, it feels like real life, full of pain and truth, while still managing to be both visually and auditorily exquisite, thanks to bookwriters Adam Rapp and Justin Levine’s script full of passion and electric honesty.
The Outsiders North American Tour Company
Nolan White shines as Ponyboy Curtis, the youngest member of the Greaser gang and the production’s narrator. Toeing the line between youthful innocence and a child who has seen the worst the world has to offer, White brings a vocal maturity and technique to the role and musical numbers like “Great Expectations” and Ponyboy’s infamous recitation of the Robert Frost poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” As he interjects his own thoughts and feelings on the story’s events, White explains the rivalry between the two gangs and the violence the Greasers face at the hands of the entitled Socs.
The Greasers are the heart and soul of the production. Moving as a team and a family, they are each introduced and given a moment to explain their story. Each one brings a raw, honest pain to the role, creating characters that feel deeply grounded and real. But it is when they all sing together that they create magic on the stage as their harmonies overlap and fit together like puzzle pieces in numbers like “Grease Got a Hold,” “Great Expectations,” and “Little Brother.” Just as their characters are better together when lifted up by their friends, so too are Johnny Cade (Bonale Fambrini), Dallas Winston (Tyler Jordan Wesley), Darrel Curtis (Travis Roy Rogers), Sodapop Curtis (Corbin Drew Ross), and Two-Bit (Jaydon Nget). Each one has their role within the brotherhood, be it Dallas the protective alpha (whose silky smooth vocals make him an untouchable standout), overworked big brother Darrel forced to fill the role of a parent, or cocky Sodapop, who spends a significant portion of Act I with his shirt off, peacocking around the stage.
Emma Hearn and Nolan White in The Outsiders North American Tour
The Socs bring a different kind of nonchalant energy as their brutish leader Bob (Mark Doyle) terrorizes the Greasers and torments Ponyboy and Johnny. It is only Cherry Valance (Emma Hearn) who sees the Greasers and Ponyboy as people, not just rivals. While she doesn’t get as much stage time as the others, her moments with White during their number “I Could Talk to You All Night” are full of charm and vulnerability.
If the cast is the satisfying meal, the technical elements of the production are the delectable desserts. Choreographers Rick and Jeff Kuperman have created visual feasts, not only with their choreography, but in the staging and use of height and levels within the set during musical numbers (thanks to brilliant scenography from AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian) as well. Numbers like “Friday at the Drive-in” are full of teenage pomp and rebellious energy as the dancers flip and twirl across the stage, reminiscent of a more joyful West Side Story, as the two groups come face to face.
The Outsiders North American Tour Company
But it is the staging of the more dramatic scenes – fights, stabbings, a fire, and the rumble – that are true works of art. In general, most fight scenes on stage are full of carefully choreographed stage fighting with meticulously placed angles. The creative team for The Outsiders has gone another direction, instead creating frozen moments on the stage in a series of tableaus that help the scenes flow like a passionate dance, rather than a cheesy fight. The energy becomes real and palpable as the moments of intensity just before a strike or a swing are memorialized, rather than faked with sound effects and dramatic reactions. Coupled with thoughtful and breathtaking lighting design from Brian MacDevitt, sound design from Cody Spencer, projection design from Hana S. Kim, and special effects design from Jeremy Chernick and Lillis Meeh, the creative team of The Outsiders makes sure the art and the passion takes center stage, not the violence.
Nolan White and The Outsiders North American Tour Company
The production also features music and lyrics by Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, and costume design by Sarafina Bush..
Note that this production contains themes of domestic abuse, violence, and suicide, and is not recommended for anyone under the age of 9. The production also makes use of haze, fog, and strobe lighting. For guests in the first 10 rows: due to special effects, drops of water, washable red liquid, and small rubber pieces from the stage may land in their seating area.
The Outsiders runs at the Durham Performing Arts Center through Sunday, December 7, 2025. Tickets can be purchased here.
All photo credit to Matthew Murphy.
