TULSA — Nolan White couldn’t help but feel like he was stepping onto hallowed ground when he stepped onto the stage at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center on opening night.
“It’s beautiful, doing the story in the place that it was created. It’s just so special,” he told The Oklahoman from the red carpet outside the Tulsa PAC on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
“The audience seemed to love it last night, and I hope that we continue to have just those reactions from the audience.”
One of the Sooner State’s most iconic stories has returned to its birthplace, as the national tour of the four-time Tony Award-winning musical “The Outsiders” officially opens this week, with performances through Sunday, Oct. 12 in the downtown Tulsa theater.
White stars as Ponyboy Curtis, the 14-year-old Greaser with the heart of a poet who is the narrator and protagonist of “The Outsiders,” in the new national tour.
“Every night I get up on that stage, and as soon as I open the notebook, I’m there. Of course, little pieces of Nolan seep through … but I think that comes through just trying to really live in the material and in the moment,” White said of playing the blue-collar literary hero.
Even as it continues to run on Broadway, the national tour of the celebrated new musical played its official opening night Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the Tulsa PAC, following technical and dress rehearsals in Buffalo, New York, and a preview run in Omaha, Nebraska.
The 2024 Tony winner for best musical, “The Outsiders” is just the second show on the 2025-2026 season for Celebrity Attractions. But Tulsa’s presenter of nationally touring Broadway shows already has announced a return engagement in 2027, which will follow the musical’s 2026 Oklahoma City debut.
The cast of “The Outsiders” pose on Oct. 8 for a group shot during the red carpet event for “The Outsiders” musical at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center in Tulsa.
Creators of the hit musical ‘The Outsiders’ walk the red carpet in Tulsa
The acclaimed musical adaptation of “The Outsiders,” which officially bowed on Broadway in April 2024, is based by Tulsa author S.E. Hinton landmark 1967 coming-of-age book and Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic 1983 movie adaptation. Both have managed to “stay gold” over the decades as new generations discover the true-to-life story set in Tulsa.
Inspired by her experiences at Will Rogers High School, Susan “Susie” Eloise Hinton penned the tale of two rival Tulsa gangs — the poor Greasers and the privileged Socs (pronounced Soshs) — when she was still a teenager. She published “The Outsiders” under her initials to keep male reviewers from knowing she was a woman and immediately dismissing her work.
Like the book and film, “The Outsiders” musical is set in Tulsa in 1967 and focuses on young Greaser Ponyboy, his two older brothers and their chosen family of “outsiders” struggling to survive in a world of haves and have-nots.
After opening on Broadway to rave reviews, the musical went on to win numerous honors, including last year’s Tony Award for best musical. It continues to play Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in New York City, with tickets available into early April 2026.
Media and fans watch on Oct. 8 during the red carpet event for “The Outsiders” musical at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center in Tulsa.
Along with the U.S. tour’s cast, crew and musicians, many of the creators of the song-and-dance adaptation of “The Outsiders” walked the red carpet in Tulsa on Oct, 8, including book writer Adam Rapp, composers Justin Levine and Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance, of the Texas roots rock duo Jamestown Revival, choreographers Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman and director Danya Taymor.
After the packed house gave Wednesday night’s performance an enthusiastic standing ovation, Taymor, who won a Tony for her work on “The Outsiders,” talked about the cast and creative team’s pilgrimages to Tulsa helped shape the show.
“To make this musical has been such an incredible journey of love and brotherhood and artistry and community, and over the years, coming to Tulsa to find a part of this musical has been an incredible experience for all of us,” she said from the stage.
“This is your story, but I just don’t know if you know how much every ounce of being here and every interaction we had has impacted every single one of us as we tell this story.”
S.E. Hinton praises ‘The Outsiders’ musical as the tour launches in Tulsa
It was the second night in a row for one of the story’s makers to take the microphone after a performance: Hinton thanked the cast and creatives for their hard work after the Oct. 7 opening-night show in Tulsa.
“I’m thrilled to call it my musical,” Hinton said to raucous applause.
Over the 13-year process of developing, creating and launching the musical, producer Matthew Rego, of The Araca Group, said Hinton has provided wisdom, humor and generosity of spirit to everyone who has worked on the show.
“She has been such a inspiration to all of us. … She has believed in us so many others might have not,” Rego said Wednesday from the stage. “Her words have literally been our guiding light from the very beginning, and for her, we will always be grateful.”
Bonale Fambrini (Johnny Cade) poses on Oct. 8 during the red carpet event for “The Outsiders” musical at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center in Tulsa.
When is ‘The Outsiders’ musical returning to Tulsa and debuting in OKC?
Even as the show continues its current record-breaking sold-out run at the Tulsa PAC, Celebrity Attractions is already working on a return engagement in December 2027. Exact dates have not yet been announced.
“’The Outsiders’ premiere has been such an incredible success that we were anxious to lock in the return. This will truly be a ‘back by popular demand’ engagement as we anxiously await the return of the greasers at the end of 2027,” said Kristin Dotson, Celebrity Attractions CEO, in a statement released Thursday, Oct. 9.
Details on the 2027 Tulsa engagement will be released at a later date. Patrons are encouraged to register for email updates at CelebrityAttractions.com/Tulsa.
The show will play Oklahoma City Aug. 25-30, 2026, at Civic Center Music Hall as part of OKC Broadway’s 2026-2027 season. Subscribers to OKC Broadway’s 2025-2026 season will be first in line for tickets to “The Outsiders” as well as the 2026-2027 return of “Hamilton.” Theatergoers can follow https://www.okcbroadway.com for updates.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: National tour of ‘The Outsiders’ muscial gets a Tulsa red carpet start
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