Review: OBCR: The Outsiders

Cast Recording Review:

OBCR The Outsiders

The Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2024, The Outsiders has released its Original Broadway Cast Recording. It features music and lyrics by Jamestown Revival - Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance - and Justin Levine. Levine also has a co-book writing credit (with Adam Rapp), as well as contributing the show's orchestrations and arrangements. They are all well-deserving of their Tony nominations. Here are some thoughts on the cast recording:

The show hews closely to S.E. Hinton's seminal young adult novel, and Rapp and Levine wisely expanded the show to include a deeper understanding of the characters and their relationships. With Levine as the bridge between the book and the score, his contributions are crucial to this being a carefully, skillfully integrated telling of this story where everyone is really an outsider looking to find themselves and their place in a society - wealthy and poor alike - in a world that doesn't really see them. As a result, even in isolation away from the staging, the recording offers and emotional, exhilarating listening experience. Every note, every lyric remains true to these beloved characters and their story. The mixture of 60s country-pop, honky tonk/rockabilly and folk feels so authentic, and just "Broadway" enough. Just like in the show itself, the recording showcases the quality of the ensemble cast, as well as the remarkable principal characters, with each give ample opportunity to show off their talents.

"Tulsa 1967" - The opening number sets up the story perfectly through the lens of its narrator, Ponyboy (Brody Grant), who lays it all out in simple turns of phrase, but with a mature awareness of reality that only comes to a teenager who has faced some tough times. The way it builds and builds to a crescendo is a great way to start the show with unmistakable energy.

"Grease Got a Hold" - Another high energy number that brings Ponyboy into the Greaser fold at the urging of the toughest of the gang, Dally (Joshua Boone). With smooth jazz and rapid fire runs. Here each Greaser gets a moment to shine, and come together with sharp harmonies in the choruses. As exuberant and cocky as the number is, there is an undercurrent of anger and resignation behind the catchy rock beat.

"Runs in the Family" - Here's where the musical takes a deeper look at the Curtis family. Brent Comer as Darrel lets us know where life has lead him - more father than brother. The sense of duty he has is both a source of pride and a constant reminder that this isn't the life he chose.

"Great Expectations" - With this song, Ponyboy realizes through his love of literature, that he has much in common with the Dickens novel he's reading. He and the Greasers all dream of better - again their harmonies are spectacular, and Grant shows that he is a force to be reckoned with as the new generation of Broadway talent emerges.

"Friday at the Drive-In" - Our first look at the Socs is a catchy bop of a song, full of references to all that they have and take for granted. As Cherry, Emma Pittman gives us our first glimpse of the character in the company of her group and all the expectations that come with it. The song is a swinging number that parallels the Greasers' earlier number, with intense keyboards and rock guitar.

"I Could Talk to You All Night" - Pittman and Grant establish a chemistry here that is as palpable on the recording as it is in the theater. You can't help but wonder what might have been with these two if their circumstances were different. They both seem shocked at how they aren't really that different. Simply played, but impactful.

"Runs in the Family (Reprise)" - Darry's fear as anger in this hardcore reprise ends up being the catalyst for all of the events to come. So powerful.

"Far Away From Tulsa" - At an emotional crossroads, Ponyboy at odds with his brothers, Johnny (Sky Lakota-Lynch) virtually ignored by his family, the best friends plan to run away to greener pastures and how they'd be each other's family. A beautiful power ballad duet, that ends with a full company reprise of "Great Expectations."

"Run Run Brother" - As things come to a violent turning point, the boys, needing to flee for their lives. A great act closer, this number is simply orchestrated to make the dialog crystal clear, and an urgent, driving beat, it makes everything feel desperate and exciting, especially as the entire company comes in to sing the final choruses, ending with the roar of a passing train out of Tulsa. Grant, Lakota-Lynch and Boone are superb here.

"Justice For Tulsa" - Act Two begins with an ominous tune with a dangerous ticking beat, suggesting an urgency of time running out, and the lyrics revealing a finger-pointing mob and others defensively denying all. As the number progresses, it is interesting how the music and vocal arrangements depict the in-fighting within the Socs. The title, of course, really only means justice for some, not all of Tulsa.

"Death's at My Door" - The largely acoustic nature of the instruments here allow for some stellar vocals and acting by Grant and Lakota-Lynch. Guilt transitions to compassion and togetherness as these friends now depend on each other for survival.

 

"Throwing in the Towel" - A brilliant showcase of the aftermath and consequences of horrible events, here's the best expansion of the original work. The Curtis brothers are hurting and scared, and Comer and Jason Schmidt (as Sodapop) deliver powerful vocals, and when Grant joins in, in three part harmony, it's probably the single best moment of the score and of the Broadway season. Gorgeous and heartfelt.

"Soda's Letter" - With its happy-go-lucky feel and plucky tune, this short bit gives Schmidt a great moment to shine on his own. I love his voice - the perfect blend of professional and character.

"Hoods Turned Heroes" - The relief and pride resonates in this rocking number encapsulates the theme of expectations vs reality - Greaser's can be the good guys. With some great vocals from Two Bit (Daryl Tofa), this is a toe-tapper.

"Hopeless War" - A poignant but brutal reality check, this is a great showcase for Grant and Pittman, both of whom use restraint rather than histrionic vocalizing to bring home the point. 

"Trouble" - The orchestrations - urgent strings, pounding percussion and electric guitars - are the stars of this interlude as the rivals prepare for a rumble. "Do it for Johnny!" is a war cry for the ages.

"Little Brother" - A powerful soul-blues showcase for the brilliance of Boone's performance. The song fits the post-rumble scene perfectly, but it bears the weight of so much more - the poverty cycle continues, taking victim after victim. Loss, regret and an explosive guilt are superbly conveyed here. A self-eulogy is a shocking and thrilling way to convey this profound tragedy.

"Stay Gold" - From beyond the grave, Johnny connects with his best-friend one last time in a moment of clarity and understanding. Simple acoustic guitar with simple, beautifully sung harmonies really makes this so sad, yet uplifting. Keep a tissue close when you listen to this one. 

"Finale (Tulsa '67) - Musically back where we started, but emotionally eons apart. A great coda to a beautiful show.

Grade: A

Around the TheatreScene - June/July 2024

This month, we are starting what we hope will be a monthly feature. Over the course of each month, we'll collect pictures and newsy tidbits from the "TheatreScene." We'll be scouring Twitter, Instagram and other social media for interesting items. 

Around the TheatreScene

June/July 2024

Tony-winning Neighbors!

West 45th Street is the place to be if you are in a 2024 Tony-winning production! Best Musical, The Outsiders, and Best Play, Stereophonic neighbors got together to celebrate and show off their spinny awards...

Speaking of Stereophonic...

American icons, The Archies, known for their own recording career ("Sugar Sugar" a #1 song in 1969) pay tribute to the now iconic American play... artwork by Ray Kampf.

Speaking of The Outsiders...

All dressed up before their Tony Awards triumph, some of the company took a moment on set to commemorate the evening... Darrel Curtis aka Brent Comer greets fans after the show...a real fan snuck a pic of Brody Grant doing his Ponyboy thing... and Brody and Sky Lakota-Lynch took a promo pic outside the Jacobs.

⭐Stars-To-Be⭐ Doing Their Summer Thing!

Harmony's Danny Kornfeld in Europe... Tommy's Ali Louis Bourzgui at the beach is a real sensation... The Outsiders' Brent Comer catching some rays at the park... and The Light in the Piazza's James D. Gish was recently at The Muny as Enjolras, and has been cast in the International Arena Tour of Les Miserables as... Enjolras!... and Kimberly Akimbo Tony-nominee Justin Cooley celebrated a milestone birthday with many of his cast mates!

Protesting Suffs...

...is more effective when you've seen the show before you make your disruptive banners...

Kudos, ladies, for rising above it all and recognizing the efforts of Nikki M. James, Laila Erica Drew, and Anastacia McCleskey as Ida B.Wells, Phyllis Terrell and Mary Church Terrell, respectively. And to Shaina Taub who made sure to improve the book to her show by including these important and often overlooked pioneers of women's rights.

We'd really like to hear from you. Send in your stage door pictures, Playbill at the show pictures, and anything else you'd like to share! You can email us at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or DM us on Twitter, Instagram or Threads at @jkstheatrescene. (Mind the spelling!)

Friday 5: 5 Pop-Rock Albums That Deserve the Illinoise Treatment

5 Pop-Rock Albums That Deserve the Illinoise Treatment

Over the past several seasons, Broadway has seen some innovative new musicals created from some classic pop-rock albums. Legendary on their own, each found creative, theatrical extensions to their artistic merit. 2010 saw Green Day's American Idiot turned into an exhilarating rock opera; 2019 brought Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill brought to life as a modern, riveting book musical; and just this past season, Sufjan Stevens' poetic indie classic Illinois into the daring, boundary-pushing dance musical, Illinoise. So, what other classic albums deserve the American Idiot/Jagged Little Pill/Illinoise treatment? Here are 5 we thought of right away:

Bad Girls - Donna Summer

Yes, I know there's already been a Donna Summer Musical, but this one would tell the story of the titular bad girls. With a driving disco beat, and a treasure trove of recognizable hits like the title number, "Hot Stuff" and "Dim All the Lights," I think with the right director and choreographer this could be pretty spectacular! 

Hotel California - The Eagles

With the scent of patchouli subtly wafting through the theater, I picture a darker musical, full of mystery. Evil forces have trapped the guests in that place "you can never leave." With the sixties and its peaceniks in the rear view mirror, and the seventies full steam ahead and corruption and the American Dream broken, "Life in the Fast Lane" seems a sure scene, not to mention the title track. I'm sure it would be a fascinating evening.

Paradise Theater - Styx

Given Styx's Dennis DeYoung's penchant for the theatrical - he himself toured in Jesus Christ Superstar, and has said another of their albums, Kilroy Was Here was intended to be a rock opera like Tommy - I'd think this album would be just as great on stage. One need only look at the album art (above) to see the possibilities. Follies should look out! "Rockin' the Paradise," "Too Much Time On My Hands," "The Best of Times," and "Nothing Ever Goes As Planned" are all ripe for the Broadway treatment.

Rumours - Fleetwood Mac

Maybe I was inspired by Stereophonic when I thought of this album, but it is such a milestone, I think it should definitely come to the Great Bright Way. Surely a great book writer could concoct a fantastic story to bring such classics to life as "Don't Stop," "Go Your Own Way," "The Chain," and "You Make Lovin' Fun" into an epic show. Funny, if it were ever to happen, I hope they don't turn it into the Fleetwood Mac story.

Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder

Widely regarded as Wonder's signature album, and as one of the greatest of all time, why wouldn't it make a, well, wonderful musical? The sound, the themes, the hit singles ("As," "Isn't She Lovely," and "I Wish" among them) seem perfect for the stage.

I just realized that all five of these albums are from the mid to late 70s. Let us know if you can think of any recordings from other decades might look good in the theater district!

Play It Again: Grease's "There Are Worse Things I Could Do"

 Play It Again:

Grease's "There Are Worse Things I Could Do"

For this new series, Jeff has invited me to choose some classic Broadway show tunes and compare versions of these songs from several different cast recordings. Wherever possible, I’ll link to the songs on YouTube, where I listen to most of them myself.

This week I review four recordings of “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” from Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s counterculture classic Grease. This intense, Dusty Springfield-like dramatic ballad is one of the show’s most earnest and heartfelt songs. Facing a pregnancy scare, tough-girl Rizzo recognizes her vulnerability and insists on her own kind of integrity. The four recorded versions considered here, spanning more than three decades, embody very different vocal styles and musical textures, making this week’s comparative review a particularly satisfying exercise.

My overall favorite version is marked with two stars (**); one star (*) is used to indicate that a particular version stands out in terms of singing, orchestra, sound, or other miscellaneous qualities. 

ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST (1972) - YouTube

Rizzo: Adrienne Barbeau

SINGING: Barbeau’s singing is vocally assured and certainly dramatic, but in a way that doesn’t quite seem ideal for this enigmatic character. With her full-throated held notes and dramatic pauses - both enhanced by the very slow tempo - this version leans into pathos at the expense of authentic feeling.

ORCHESTRA: The orchestration is the very picture of simplicity, with an initially diffident keyboard gradually joined by a typical 1950s bluesy ensemble of drums, bass, and saxophone, reflecting Rizzo’s own growing resolve as she sings the song.

SOUND: A little flat and muddy; some of the lyrics are hard to hear, especially in the higher vocal lines near the end. 

MISCELLANEOUS: The tempo is noticeably slower here than in subsequent versions.

**MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK (1978) - YouTube

Rizzo: Stockard Channing

*SINGING: Channing is not the most accomplished vocalist of the four, but her take on this song reflects a deeper understanding of the character and her motivations. Her delivery is more relaxed, with little vibrato, and sometimes deliberately off the beat; but her interpretation is quite dynamic in other ways, as she works her way from a seductive introduction to deeply felt desperation later in the song.

*ORCHESTRA: The orchestration doesn’t stray too far from the original, but this version features a much more active piano part that gives it a fuller sound, and also helps to create little dramatic transitions between sections of the song (where the original just had pauses).

SOUND: The sound is fine, and the vocals in particular have a very pleasant disco-era warmth to them, but the two modern recordings are a little more balanced and detailed.

MISCELLANEOUS: The tempo is quite moderate.

BROADWAY REVIVAL CAST (1994) - YouTube

Rizzo: Rosie O’Donnell

SINGING: O’Donnell’s vocals embrace the simplicity of Channing’s version, but lack most of her predecessor’s colorful dramatic touches. I don’t know why she chose (or was directed) to sing such extended notes at the ends of phrases, but they don’t sound great. I did enjoy her breathless take on the lyrics “a fact I bet you’ll never know.”

ORCHESTRA: Except for the ending (noted below), the orchestration sounds quite similar to the movie soundtrack. (Irrelevant digression: it would be fun to hear a version of this song backed by a large string section, à la some of its torchy 1950s models. Of course I didn’t do an exhaustive search, so there may be such recordings; I certainly understand why stage versions of Grease wouldn’t want to go that route.)

SOUND: Quite clear, with a good balance between voice and musicians.

*MISCELLANEOUS: This version features the quickest tempo. It also ends starkly on the song’s chilling final line, a subtle but striking variation on the title, sung without accompaniment. 

BROADWAY REVIVAL CAST (2007) - YouTube

Rizzo: Jenny Powers

SINGING: Powers sings the song well, but it’s a very straightforward, standard Broadway performance for a character that calls for something more off-beat. Her belting throughout honestly sounds pretty good, but the powerful vocal style is at odds with a song that’s about an outwardly tough character recognizing her carefully concealed virtues.

ORCHESTRA: It’s the same basic arrangement as the other versions, but the flickering keyboard part sounds a little exaggerated, while the piano part at times sounds more contemporary.

*SOUND: The sound is warm, clear, and perfectly balanced, a great example of a well-recorded 21st-century cast album.

MISCELLANEOUS: A rather brisk tempo once again.

One That Got Away: Song and Dance

During the 1985-1986 Broadway season, my heart belonged to The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and I was interested in little else. Ah, the blissful ignorance of youth! I was still so new to the world of Broadway. That year, Bernadette Peters won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a musical, but I didn't really know who she was, or how important she would become in my ever-expanding theater fandom. The show was Andrew Lloyd Webber's Song and Dance, and I simply was not interested. 

One That Got Away:

Song and Dance

Then, Miss Peters left the show, and Betty Buckley, my beloved Edwin Drood, took on the role. Needless to say, I got a ticket as fast as I could! But it was not to be. My ticket - 3rd row center for the matinee on Wednesday, November 12, 1986 - was no good. The show closed the previous Sunday, and became my very first One That Got Away show. I'm still not over it.

As it turns out, I didn't exactly miss out on Song and Dance after all. The 1st National Tour came to Baltimore in the summer of 1987. It starred Melissa Manchester, and featured many of the Broadway company including Bruce Falco, Cynthia Onrubia, Scott Wise and Valerie C. Wright, plus Broadway regulars Mindy Cooper and Eugene Fleming. It was worth the wait! What a delightful story, and it has some of my favorite Lloyd Webber songs in it - "Capped Teeth and Caesar Salad," "Take That Look Off Your Face," "Unexpected Song," and "Tell Me On a Sunday." And the dance part of the show features the epic "Variations." So this one got away from me, but I caught up!

Song and Dance began previews at the Royale Theatre on September 4, 1985. After 17 previews, it opened on September 18, 1985. Following 474 performances, the show closed on November 8, 1986. Nominated for 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography, and Best Direction. Bernadette Peters won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.