Audible Will Release Complete Dead Outlaw Recording This Month

We may have had to say goodbye to Dead Outlaw on Broadway, but it's not gone forever. In fact, Audible has massively moved up the release of its audio recording of the complete show, which will now drop July 17, according to the company's listing for it. The recording was originally announced to be coming October 2. Pre-order the fast-tracked release at Audible.com.

Audible and Yellow Sound Label also collaborated on a "Part 1" edition of the musical's cast album, which is currently available on streaming. The complete cast album is expected to be completed and available on streaming on a date to be announced. The Audible recording that will be released July 17 will include the musical's complete score and all dialogue, in the style of a radio play.

The musical—which features a book by Itamar Moses and a score by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna—played its final performance at Broadway's Longacre Theatre June 29, having played 73 regular performances and 14 previews. The show was up for seven 2025 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, but ended the evening empty-handed. The Broadway bow followed an Off-Broadway world premiere in 2024, at Audible's Minetta Lane Theatre. The work is Audible's first-ever commissioned musical.

In a previous statement, producers Lia Vollack and Sonia Friedman said, “Like Elmer McCurdy, Dead Outlaw is a true outlier—strange, singular, and enduring. It never followed the rules—and that has made it one of the most daring and fulfilling productions we’ve had the privilege to stage. Despite glowing reviews and a loyal following, the commercial momentum just wasn’t fast enough in a crowded season. As the show reminds us, sometimes the most incredible lives are cut short. This may be the end of Dead Outlaw’s time on Broadway, but we believe deeply in its future and the afterlife it so richly deserves. Endless thanks to the creators, cast, crew, co-producers, investors and Audible for bringing it to life. It’s been an honor.” As the producers noted, Dead Outlaw was well-reviewed but struggled at the box office.

READ: Anatomy of a Tony Awards Performance: How Dead Outlaw Brought Their Show to the World

Based on a bizarre but somehow completely true story, the musical follows Elmer McCurdy—an ambitious, turn-of-the-20th-century outlaw, whose death ended a life of failed crime and alcoholism and began a brilliant career as a mummified side-show attraction that traveled the USA for decades. The project is the brainchild of Yazbek, who reportedly has been fascinated with the story for three decades. David Cromer directed both the Off-Broadway and Broadway stagings.

Last year, Dead Outlaw was one of the most award-winning musicals of the season. The production won the Drama Desk, Off Broadway Alliance, and New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for Best New Musical.

Dead Outlaw starred Tony nominee Andrew Durand as Elmer McCurdy, Tony nominee Jeb Brown as Band Leader/Jarrett, Eddie Cooper as Coroner Johnson, Dashiell Eaves as Louis/Charles Patterson, Tony nominee Julia Knitel as Helen/Maggie, Ken Marks as George, Trent Saunders as Andy Payne, and Thom Sesma as Coroner Noguchi, with Emily Fink, Justin Gregory Lopez, Noah Plomgren, Max Sangerman, Scott Stangland, and Graham Stevens as understudies.

READ: To Andrew Durand and Thom Sesma, Dead Outlaw Is an 'Original Little Show With an Oversized Heart'

The creative team included choreographer Ani Taj, scenic designer Arnulfo Maldonado, costume designer Sarah Laux, lighting designer Heather Gilbert, sound designer Kai Harada, and music supervisor Dean Sharenow, with orchestrations by Yazbek, Della Penna, and Dean Sharenow; electronic music design by Billy Jay Stein and Hiro Iida for Strange Cranium, with MainBrain/Ableton Programmers Chris Petti and Steven Tran; and casting by The TRC Company's Peter Van Dam. Cynthia Cahill served as production stage manager.

The band for Dead Outlaw included music director, pianist, organist, and vocalist Rebekah Bruce; guitarist, banjo player, and vocalist JR Atkins; guitarist, lap steel player, mandolin player, and vocalist Hank Heaven; bassist Brian Killeen; and percussionist Spencer Cohen.

Lia Vollack Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions produced.

Visit DeadOutlawMusical.com.