The Outsiders Rumbles Under Real Rain on Broadway
S.E. Hinton's story of Tulsa greasers is in its third year at Broadway's Jacobs Theatre, and the 2024 Best Musical stages its big fight in pouring rain, with more than 100 gallons of water falling at every show.
The Outsiders is the musical version of S.E. Hinton's 1967 novel and Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film. It is set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1967, where Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade and their Greaser family clash with their richer rivals, the Socs.
It won four Tony Awards in 2024, including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical for Danya Taymor, and it is now in its third year at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on West 45th Street. The songs are by Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance of the folk band Jamestown Revival with Justin Levine, and the book is by Adam Rapp with Levine.
Ticketmaster sells the seats. The card below opens the show's Ticketmaster page, where you can pick a performance, choose seats and see current prices.
The OutsidersBernard B. Jacobs Theatre, 242 W 45th St, New York. 2 hr 25 min with one intermission.ticketmaster.evyy.netGreasers, Socs and a Friday Night Drive-In
Ponyboy is 14 and tells the story himself, opening on Tulsa in 1967. His oldest brother Darrel is raising him and Sodapop after their parents died, and his friends are the Greasers, the working-class kids his town looks down on.
The trouble starts at a drive-in, where Ponyboy meets Cherry Valance, a Soc who turns out to be easy to talk to. Her boyfriend Bob and his friends do not take it well, and that night sets the whole story moving.
A Robert Frost Poem Sits at Its Heart
Hiding out in an abandoned church, Ponyboy recites Robert Frost's poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" to Johnny while they watch the sunrise. Neither of them quite understands it yet.
The poem comes back near the end of the show, and it is where the line "stay gold" comes from. It is short enough to read on the way to the theatre.
The Rumble Happens in Pouring Rain
Act II builds to the rumble between the Greasers and the Socs, set in a dark, abandoned park. Adam Rapp's stage directions call for rain that turns the dirt to mud, and on stage it becomes a mess of fists, pouring rain and flying gravel that slows into a unified, almost ballet-like beatdown.
Brothers Rick and Jeff Kuperman choreographed the fight. More than 100 gallons of water fall during that scene at every performance.
Before You Take Your Seat
The show runs 2 hours and 25 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. It is generally recommended for ages 10 and up, and children under 4 are not admitted.
The production uses flashing lights, loud sound effects, haze and smoke, herbal cigarettes and pyrotechnics, and it includes scenes of violence, domestic abuse and suicide. All sales are final, with no exchanges or refunds unless a performance is canceled.
Arrive at least 30 minutes before curtain. The lobby is compact, bags must fit on your lap or under your seat, and outside food and drinks are not allowed.
📍 Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, 242 West 45th Street, near Eighth Avenue and a block from Times Square, New York, NY 10036.
The box office opens at 10 AM Monday to Saturday and at noon on Sunday. Take your seat early, then wait for the rain.