Theater News

New Musical Version of S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders Set for 2020

Adam Rapp, Justin Levine, and the band Jamestown Revival will write.

The movie poster for The Outsiders.
The movie poster for The Outsiders.
(© Zoetrope Studios)

Chicago's Goodman Theatre has announced its 2019-20 season schedule.

The season kicks off with Lucas Hnath's Dana H., a new work about the playwright's mother, the chaplain of a psych ward who was held captive by an ex-convict patient for five months. Directed by Les Waters, the play is adapted from interviews with Dana Higginbotham, conducted by Steve Cosson. It runs September 6-October 6. At the same time, the Chicago premiere of Theresa Rebeck's Bernhardt/Hamlet will take place September 14-October 20, under the direction of Donna Feore.

The Goodman's annual production of A Christmas Carol will run November 16-December 29, with Larry Yando reprising his performance as Scrooge for the 12th season in a row. Tom Creamer's stage adaptation will be directed by Henry Wishcamper, returning for his seventh year.

Lisa Loomer's play Roe, directed by Vanessa Stalling, will receive its Chicago premiere January 18-February 23, with Korde Arrington Tuttle's Graveyard Shift, directed by Danya Taymor, receiving its world premiere February 7-March 8. Robert Falls will direct Brian Friel's Molly Sweeney March 7-April 12, with Jocelyn Bioh's School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play making its Chicago premiere March 27-April 26 under the direction of Lili-Anne Brown. Also receiving its Chicago premiere will be José Cruz González's American Mariachi, directed by Henry Godinez, April 25-May 31.

Concluding the season is the world premiere of a new musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton's seminal novel and Francis Ford Coppola's film The Outsiders, featuring a book by Pulitzer Prize finalist Adam Rapp, and a score by the band Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Justin Levine. Directed by Liesl Tommy, the musical will be choreographed by Lorin Latarro, with run dates set for June 20, 2020-August 2, 2020.