Inside The Outsiders, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical bringing its thrilling staging and iconic story to Southern California.
by tony reverditto
Long before The Outsiders found its way to the Broadway stage, S.E. Hinton’s groundbreaking 1967 novel captured the turbulence, loyalty and longing of teenagers growing up on opposite sides of the tracks in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The story made its indelible leap to the screen in 1983 under the direction of Francis Ford Coppola, with a remarkable young ensemble that included C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise and Diane Lane as Cherry Valance.
At its heart is the escalating conflict between the working-class Greasers and the privileged Socs — seen largely through Ponyboy’s eyes — as friendship, violence and tragedy force him to confront questions of identity, family and where he belongs. Hinton considered Coppola’s film a faithful adaptation of her novel, and its young cast would become one of the most celebrated collections of emerging talent of the 1980s.
Four decades later, that enduring story was reinvented for the stage as The Outsiders: A New Musical. Adapted from both Hinton’s novel and Coppola’s film, the musical received its world premiere at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego in 2023, where its run was extended by popular demand.
Directed by Danya Taymor, the production pairs an Americana-infused score with highly physical staging while retaining the story’s themes of brotherhood, class division, belonging and hope. It went on to Broadway, earning 12 Tony Award nominations and winning four, including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical for Taymor.
The musical is now touring across North America, with three Southern California engagements this fall. Luke Sabracos is making his National Tour debut in The Outsiders, but the road to Tulsa began with a strong foundation in musical theater. A 2023 graduate of Boston Conservatory at Berklee with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theater, Sabracos appeared in the Conservatory’s Head Over Heels and was selected for its 2023 Musical Theater Showcase before continuing his professional career in A.C.T. of Connecticut’s 2025 production of Fiddler on the Roof.
Now taking the stage as Trip in The Outsiders, Sabracos carries the added challenge of understudying Bob, Paul and Sodapop Curtis — characters who cross the very social divide at the heart of the story. His versatility gives him a particularly fascinating perspective on the Greasers and Socs.
The RAGE Monthly caught up with Luke nearly a year into the tour to talk about his journey, the demands of the production and life on the road.
When did you first discover your passion for performing, and what ultimately led you to Boston Conservatory?
I’ve been performing as long as I can remember. I have to credit my parents because they encouraged my sister and me to dive into our creativity at a young age. They even built a stage in the basement of our house so we would have a place to put on shows. She would always direct and produce, and I was, of course, the star of every production — which is fitting considering she’s now a TV and media producer and I’m a performer. As I grew up, it became increasingly difficult to imagine any other kind of life for myself.
I spent a year at Ithaca College in its acting program before transferring to Boston Conservatory to earn my B.F.A. in musical theater. I chose BoCo largely for its amazing dance education. I didn’t start dancing until college, and it was important to me to leave with a well-rounded mastery of all three disciplines of musical theater: singing, acting and dancing. I was also grateful that the Conservatory believed in me and trusted me as an artist.
Trip was created specifically for the musical and is part of the Soc world. How did you approach developing the character, and what has been the most challenging aspect of playing him?
What I love about the world of our show is the specificity and individuality of each character. In most musicals, ensemble members don’t get names or individual identities, so having a character who feels so distinct makes it much more personal. I drew a lot from myself as a high schooler. I attended an all-boys private school in Maryland for 13 years, so that environment was similar to the energy we have onstage as Socs.
My costume is almost exactly what I wore to school every day — a button-down shirt and khakis. Trip is very much a version of my past self, heightened with some of the hyper-masculine qualities and mannerisms I observed from my straight male peers growing up.
The most challenging part has been the dancing and athletic nature of the role. I didn’t start dancing until college, and this is my first time as an ensemble member in a dance-heavy track. Being featured as a dancer has been equal parts gratifying and terrifying. It has taken me far outside my comfort zone, but it’s incredibly rewarding to know my education has paid off.
You also understudy Bob, Paul and Sodapop Curtis. How do you prepare for three distinctly different characters?
Being an understudy is fun because it gives you the opportunity to bring your perspective to different parts of the show. Covering characters within the Socs came naturally because we spend so much time onstage together. I love playing Bob because he’s such a villain and has a distinct control over most of his scenes. It’s fun to explore his cruelty and what happens when he loses that control.
I started covering Sodapop about eight months into the tour, and that has been the biggest challenge. Until then, I had spent my time as a Soc, and being a Greaser onstage is a completely different experience. I had to train my voice for a vocally intense role, retrain my body because the Greaser choreography is more grounded than the Socs’, and really study the text to understand the character.
Sodapop has been a dream role of mine, so it was important to build a version that felt authentic to me. I’ve been lucky enough to perform all three of my understudy tracks.
The staging of The Outsiders is incredibly physical and emotionally intense. What does it take to maintain that energy eight performances a week?
We rely on each other heavily as a company. The creatives made a point from the beginning that we are not only a collective but a family, and I think that has carried us through the tour. When you’re living on the road, the only constant is the people who are in it with you. With such emotionally heavy material, it helps to have coworkers who uplift and rally around you.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t thank our amazing swings and standbys. They are superheroes, always ready to step in at a moment’s notice whenever someone is injured or can’t perform. We have each other’s backs, and I’m grateful to have an atmosphere on and offstage that feels like home when so much of our environment is constantly changing.
The national tour launched in Tulsa in October 2025, so you’ve been on the road for nearly a year. How has the experience evolved for you personally and professionally?
I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world. The music is distinctly imbued with an Americana folk feel, and at its core, I think The Outsiders is a uniquely American story. Taking it to stages across the country feels like we are bringing something home to people, and we get to experience how strongly audiences respond to seeing the story brought to life.
Personally, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to travel the country and experience so many places I otherwise might never have visited, and what better way to do it than with a show that I love.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TOUR
Costa Mesa; October 20–November 1 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts
San Diego; November 3–8 at San Diego Civic Theatre