'The Outsiders' open national Broadway tour from Shea's Buffalo Theatre

Company spent recent weeks teching & rehearsing in Buffalo

Shea’s Performing Arts Center Press Release & Graphic

Shea’s Performing Arts Center and Broadway Presenting Partner Albert Nocciolino proudly announce the Tony Award-winning Best Musical “The Outsiders” is launching from Shea’s Buffalo Theatre and will run for eight performances from Wednesday, Sept. 17, through Tuesday, Sept. 23, marking the official start to the highly anticipated first national tour.

The company for the touring production of “The Outsiders” – producers, cast, crew and creative team – have spent the past few weeks at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre teching the production, which brings the full team together to finalize staging, lighting, sound and choreography before opening night.

“We’re thrilled to launch ‘The Outsiders’ tour here in Buffalo,” said producer Matthew Rego of The Araca Group. “From the team at Shea’s to the local audiences, we could not feel more welcomed, and we look forward to beginning performances tonight before touring across North America.”

Shea’s President & CEO Brian Higgins said, “Shea’s is proud to serve as the launch point for ‘The Outsiders’ national tour. Hosting a major production like this energizes our theater while also supporting hardworking Western New Yorkers and strengthening businesses across the greater Buffalo community – from restaurants and hotels to shops and services. Our audiences are especially excited to be the first in the nation to experience this remarkable production.”

“Buffalo is proud to be the launch city for the national tour of ‘The Outsiders,’ ” City of Buffalo Mayor Christopher Scanlon said. “Having the cast and crew here over the past several weeks has already made an impact by supporting our local restaurants, hotels and businesses. Now the excitement builds as the production takes the stage at Shea’s. We thank the producers for choosing Buffalo, and we’re honored to recognize their contribution by proclaiming Sept. 17 as ‘The Outsiders Day’ in the City of Buffalo.”

The selection of Buffalo was made possible, in part, thanks to the Empire State Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit program, which provides a 25% refundable tax credit on eligible production and transportation expenses. New York, under the leadership of Gov. Kathy Hochul, made $8 million available annually to companies bringing technical rehearsals and other preshow activities to upstate venues, allowing New York communities to better compete with other states offering similar programs.

“The Upstate New York Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit is a game-changer for Buffalo and other Western and Central New York theater communities,” said Albert Nocciolino, president of NAC Entertainment and Shea’s Broadway presenting partner. “This incentive makes it attractive for major productions like ‘The Outsiders’ to choose communities like Buffalo, spotlighting the region as the premier destination for world-class theater.”

Leading the tour are Nolan White as Ponyboy Curtis, Bonale Fambrini as Johnny Cade, Tyler Jordan Wesley as Dallas Winston, Travis Roy Rogers as Darrel Curtis, Corbin Drew Ross as Sodapop Curtis, Emma Hearn as Cherry Valance, Jaydon Nget as Two-Bit, Mark Doyle as Bob, and Jackson Reagin as Paul. At certain performances, Jordan DeAndre Williams will play the role of Ponyboy.

The touring company also features Seth Ajani, Christian Arredondo, Brandon Mel Borkowsky, Dante D’Antonio, Gina Gagliano, Hannah Jennens, Giuseppe Little, Sebastian Martinez, Abby Matsusaka, Justice Moore, Mekhi Payne, John Michael Peterson, Katie Riedel, Luke Sabracos and Johnathan Tanner.

Adapted from S.E. Hinton’s seminal novel and Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic film, this thrilling new musical takes patrons to Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1967, where Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade, and their Greaser family of “outsiders” battle with their affluent rivals, the Socs. “The Outsiders” navigates the complexities of self-discovery as the Greasers dream about who they want to become in a world that may never accept them. With a dynamic original score, “The Outsiders” is a story of friendship, family, belonging … and the realization that there is still “lots of good in the world.”

“The Outsiders” opened on Broadway on April 11, 2024. The winner of four 2024 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, “The Outsiders” features a book by Tony Award nominee Adam Rapp with Tony Award-winner Justin Levine, music and lyrics by Tony Award nominees Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, music supervision, orchestration and arrangements by Justin Levine, choreography by Tony Award nominees Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman. It is directed by Tony Award-winner Danya Taymor.

The Buffalo engagement of “The Outsiders” is part of the Five Star Bank 2025-2026 Broadway Season. A limited number of tickets are still available at Shea’s Box Office at 646 Main St., and online at www.sheas.org/performances/the-outsiders.