Tony Award winning "The Outsiders" producer speaks with CBS Colorado ahead of Denver shows
Characters that generations of readers have grown up with are coming to life on stage in Denver next week. The musical adaptation of "The Outsiders" is coming to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, giving audiences a new way to experience S.E. Hinton's story.
Ponyboy, Dallas, Winston, and Johnny Cade are among the characters at the center of the story, which has remained popular for generations.
Matthew Rego, a producer for the Tony Award-winning production, said bringing the story to the stage came with an obligation to respect its history.
"I think anytime you adapt something that has such iconic status, especially something that is read by young people, I think you have something that is really special. And the fact that it has lasted 60 years gives you a real sense of responsibility," Rego told CBS Colorado in an exclusive interview.
Rego previously met with Hinton, who gave the production team creative control to develop its own version of the story.
Hinton told the team she had already seen her novel adapted for film and wanted them to take their own approach with the musical.
"(She said), 'I did the novel. Francis Ford Coppola did his film adaptation. Now it's up to you to do your musical adaptation,'" Rego said.
The production stays true to the original story while using the stage to create an experience audiences can't get from the book or movie.
"We have actual rain on stage, and we have fire, and we have, you know, just this incredible energy from this company," Rego said.
For Rego, part of the show's appeal is its ability to connect with people from different generations.
At its center is a young person trying to understand where he belongs and how he fits into the world around him.
"It's a coming-of-age story, right? And it's about a young teenage boy searching for his place in this world," Rego said.
The production's director, Danya Taymor, has described another central theme as the pursuit of optimism even when circumstances are difficult.
"Our director, Danya Taymor, she always says that it's about hope at any cost, right? And I think that that's something that we can all relate to," Rego said.
The musical's Denver run begins next week at the DCPA. For those able to get tickets, Rego said audiences can expect to leave with a feeling that goes beyond the theater itself.
"The show offers the opportunity for you to walk away filled with joy and hope," Rego said.
"The Outsiders" plays at the Buell Theatre Sept. 8 through Sept. 27. Ticket information can be found online.
CBS Colorado is a proud partner of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.