Broadway's The Outsiders has launched a new educational initiative. Called The Stay Gold Project, the initiative works with the New York City Public School system to ensure the production is accessible and inclusive for students.
Supported by a lead grant from Moleskine, with support from global publisher Penguin Random House, The Stay Gold Project, includes three elements.
First, The Outsiders will invite New York City Public School students to attend the show at no cost, starting with performances in fall of 2024. The production has already committed to bringing at least 1,000 students to attend performances for free, and is seeking additional partners to expand the initiative and make this show accessible to as many students as possible. Penguin Random House will be donating over 1,000 copies of The Outsiders book to NYC Public School students attending the show.
Second, in coordination with the NYCPS Theater Program, the production has assembled a Youth Ambassador Council of 12 New York City Public School students who participated in the process of bringing this new musical to Broadway. This group attended technical rehearsals, early previews, and a roundtable discussion with the cast to provide insights from their perspective on how the show resonates with teenagers today.
Third, The Outsiders has committed to making educational resources about the show available to educators and young people at no cost. These resources center around a comprehensive study guide and are designed to tie in to middle and high school curriculums.
“Our young people are the heart and soul of this city, and efforts like this combine the power of the arts, literacy, and student voice to say clearly to our kids—you and your experiences matter,” said NYC Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. “I’m grateful to all of our partners and the producers of The Outsiders who are opening doors and creating opportunities for our kids through The Stay Gold Project.”
Led by director Danya Taymor, and set in 1967 Tulsa, Oklahoma, The Outsiders follows Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade, and their chosen family of "outsiders," who are in a fight for survival and a quest for purpose in a world that may never accept them. The musical opened on Broadway April 11 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.
The Outsiders received 12 Tony nominations, including nods for Grant, Sky Lakota-Lynch, and Joshua Boone. The Broadway cast stars Grant as Ponyboy, Brent Comer as Darrel, Jason Schmidt as Sodapop, Lakota-Lynch (Dear Evan Hansen) as Johnny, Boone (Skeleton Crew) as Dallas Winston, Emma Pittman (Chicago) as Cherry Valance, Daryl Tofa (Back to the Future) as Two-Bit Mathews, Kevin William Paul as Bob Sheldon, and Dan Berry as Paul.
The ensemble features Barton Cowperthwaite, Tilly Evans-Krueger, RJ Higton, Wonza Johnson, Sean Harrison Jones, Renni Anthony Magee, Sarahgrace Mariani, Melody Rose, Josh Strobl, and Trevor Wayne. Jordan Chin, Milena J. Comeau, Henry Julián Gendron, and Victor Carrillo Tracey round out the company as swings.
The Outsiders features a book by Adam Rapp with Justin Levine and music and lyrics by Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Levine. The production features music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Levine; choreography by Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman; scenic design by AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian; costume design by Sarafina Bush; lighting design by Brian MacDevitt; sound design by Cody Spencer; and projection design by Hana Kim.
Visit OutsidersMusical.com.
