Angelina Jolie Says It's a 'Privilege' to Produce “The Outsiders” Broadway Musical: 'Very Moving' (Exclusive)
"I have so much respect for Broadway and all who work within," Jolie tells PEOPLE of the new production, which officially opens Thursday, April 11
Bruce Glikas/WireImage
From L: Sky Lakota-Lynch, Angelina Jolie, Kevin William Paul, Brent Comer, Joshua Boone and Joshua Schmidt at The Outsiders on Broadway in New York City on April 3, 2024Angelina Jolie couldn't be more honored to produce The Outsiders.
In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, the Academy Award winner says she was inspired to make the new musical, based on S. E. Hinton's beloved 1967 coming-of-age novel of the same name, because "I feel so strongly about this material and this creative team."
"It’s been a privilege to be a part of the process," adds Jolie, 48. "I have so much respect for Broadway and all who work within."
The actress and filmmaker goes on to say she's "excited for audiences to see" the production, which has been playing in previews since March 16 and officially opens Thursday, April 11.
"I've been in the theater watching as the first reactions came in, including the often very emotional reaction from young people. It’s very moving," Jolie says.
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Matthew Murphy
Cast of Broadway's The OutsidersThe Outsiders takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the 1960s and follows brothers Ponyboy Curtis (Brody Grant), Darrel Curtis (Brent Comer), Sodapop "Soda" Curtis (Jason Schmidt) and their group of friends some time after the death of the Curtis brothers' parents. Its plot largely revolves around conflicts between the group of greasers and more affluent teenagers in the city, known as Socs.
Rounding out the cast of the Broadway musical — which comes more than 40 years after the 1983 film adaptation starring C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, Tom Cruise and more — are Sky Lakota-Lynch as Johnny Cade, Daryl Tofa as Keith "Two-Bit Mathews" and Joshua Boone as Dallas "Dally" Winston.
"It was a dream to work with this very dedicated and extremely talented cast," Jolie tells PEOPLE.
"Brilliant singers, dancers and actors all of them. They all work so unbelievably hard," she adds.
Matthew Murphy
Broadway's The OutsidersDillon, who played Dally in the 1983 film, recently stopped by the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in New York City on Wednesday, April 3, to take in a preview performance of The Outsiders.
The 60-year-old actor posed for multiple group photos with the cast and crew, which included two of its producers: Jolie and her 15-year-old daughter Vivienne.
Dillon posed in the middle of a large group shot with Vivienne seated below him, while Jolie was pictured near the right of the photo.
A smaller group snap featured several of the musical's core cast — Lakota-Lynch, Comer, Boone, Schmidt, Grant and Kevin William Paul — along with Dillon and Jolie.
Tickets for The Outsiders are on sale now at outsidersmusical.com.
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