Review: THE OUTSIDERS at Fox Theatre, St. Louis

A turf war ignites small-town fury in The Outsiders, now onstage at the Fabulous Fox. A winner of four Tony Awards, this musical adaptation is based on the book by S.E. Hinton, which was subsequently made into a film in 1983.

Set in 1967 Tulsa, the musical, with a book by Adam Rapp and Justin Levine and music and lyrics by Jonathan Clay, Zach Chance, and Levine, is smartly directed by Danya Taymor.

The show blends the tragedy of Romeo & Juliet with the street angst of West Side Story. It plays on themes of class, race, economic disparity, family, grief, violence, and the loss of innocence. The production is, at times, an exhilarating dance that celebrates life. It also is a striking commentary on the emotional rawness of the late 1960s and the trauma it inflicted on its youth.

Deliberately rough and tumble, the plot centers on the tension between the Greasers and the Socs. The Greasers are a blue-collar group of poor kids who struggle to make ends meet and fulfill their dreams.

The Socs are snooty, upper-crust boys—mostly jocks and well-to-do hoodlums. Because they come from money, they feel privileged and give orders to those around them, even poor kids, whom they see as worthless.

At the core of the story is Ponyboy Curtis, a teenager trapped on the wrong side of the tracks whose parents are both deceased. Living with his brothers, Darrel and Sodapop, he feels that despite his talents as a writer, his life is hopeless.

One outsider who holds sway over Ponyboy is Dallas Winston. A fellow Greaser, his run-ins with the law in the past make him a target for the police and someone whom Darrel, who remains a protective guardian over his brother, looks upon with suspicion. However, to his friends, his life experiences make him the natural leader of the gang.

His surrogate family is the Greasers, a gang of youth who feel overlooked and forgotten by the world. Truly outsiders, the bond between them—especially Ponyboy and his mate Johnny Cade—is strong. Unifying them is their hatred of the Socs, whose affluence, bullying and sense of entitlement are far removed from the grit and grime of their lifestyle. The dispute escalates further after Johnny is attacked by the Socs

The tension between the gangs builds. Ponyboy, who loves movies, especially those starring Paul Newman, visits the best cinema in town which is in the Soc territory. His cinematic excursion becomes unruly when violence breaks out.

Later, after Ponyboy suffers the same fate, the fighting becomes more vicious. Things get out of hand, and blood is shed. With an apparent crime being committed, Ponyboy and Johnny flee town and hide in a nearby church.

It doesn't look good for them or the other Outsiders as the police crack down on them. However, their fates change when the church they are sequestered in catches fire, with children trapped inside.

Relying on pure instinct and adrenaline, Johnny and Ponyboy head into the inferno to rescue them. The children are rescued, but at a cost, as Johnny is critically injured. The incident causes both boys to become public heroes.

Away from the fire, the situation in Tulsa worsens as a rumble is planned to settle things once and for all. As events unfolds, things get nastier. Punches are thrown, and bodies pummel each other.

The police arrive, and Dallas finds himself on the lam. Frustrated, Dally goes on the lam from the cops who see him by his past and not his personage. Unfortunately, things come to a tragic head.

With the drama climaxed Ponyboy returns to school and tries to live a normal life. Writing an assignment, he recounts the events with the Socs with an essay filled with grief, violence, hope, and sadness.

More of a drama with sung interludes than a full-blown musical, The Outsiders is an outstanding production. Relying on a minimalist stage, dark lighting, and choreography, the ensemble is given a wide berth to perform.

Leading a list of superlative performances is Nolan White as Ponyboy. His performance balances the charismatic with the restrained as he brings an inner angst to a character struggling to escape the trappings of society that have inhibited others that he knows. As a singer, White shines on several numbers, including “I Could Talk To You All Night” and “Stay Gold.”

Tyler Jordan Wesley also shines as Dallas. Carrying a lot of the production’s intensity, he is dynamic in the role.

Nearly stealing the show is Bonale Fambrini as Johnny. Displaying plenty of emotional heft, he gives the production an emotional center with a sterling performance.