{"id":675220,"date":"2025-03-25T18:57:55","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T17:57:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.l-acoustics.com\/?post_type=story&p=675220"},"modified":"2025-05-20T19:35:39","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T17:35:39","slug":"broadway-outsiders-is-a-classic","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/app-lacoustics-itd-prd.azurewebsites.net\/fr\/stories\/broadway-outsiders-is-a-classic\/","title":{"rendered":"A Broadway Reprisal of\u00a0The Outsiders\u00a0Using Innovative Sound Technology Earns Its Place Among Venerated Classics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When S.E. Hinton\u2019s groundbreaking novel, The Outsiders,<\/em> was first published in 1967, it generated significant attention and acclaim. This candid portrayal of teenage life was unprecedented, likely contributing to its profound impact on young readers. The novel revolves around the dynamics of teenage gangs and explores the universal human need for belonging and the intricate social structures that adolescents form. The immense success of The Outsiders<\/em> paved the way for its cinematic adaptation, directed by the renowned Francis Ford Coppola. The movie adaptation brought beloved characters like Ponyboy and Sodapop to life through a stellar cast led by C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, and Diane Lane. The young cast\u2019s performances infused Hinton\u2019s characters with fresh, frenetic energy, and the film, like the book, quickly became an instant classic. Hinton\u2019s novel and Coppola\u2019s subsequent film set a very high standard for storytelling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Years later, in 2024, The Outsiders<\/em> musical made its Broadway debut, fearlessly reimagining the beloved story in a new genre. Despite the high expectations set by the novel and the film, the stage production\u2019s creators astounded audiences with their surprising and innovative interpretation of an esteemed classic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cGreat Expectations\u201d: Jason Schmidt (Sodapop Curtis) and Brody Grant (Ponyboy Curtis) for The Outsiders, at Jacobs Theatre, New York City, USA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Feeling Live Sound All Around <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Outsiders<\/em> musical captivated audiences with its thrilling and intimate atmosphere. Much of the magic in the artistry of the theater production can be attributed to the meticulously crafted sound design. In fact, Cody Spencer, the Sound Designer for The Outsiders<\/em> musical, won the Tony Award for Best Sound Design that year. To achieve the extraordinary immersive audio experience the audience has and vacillate between explosive and delicate auditory modulations, Spencer used L-Acoustics L-ISA immersive sound technology. For Spencer, this made all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have instances where we capture the sound from a small space with Ponyboy in the middle of the stage and then envelop it around the audience, transitioning into a grand and powerful moment with Ponyboy belting throughout the theater. Then, as soon as it reverts to a small moment again, the sound and everything shrinks back to directly focus on just Ponyboy. With this show, we use L-ISA to make these pivotal sound moments impactful.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe Curtis House\u201d: Brody Grant (Ponyboy Curtis), Jason Schmidt (Sodapop Curtis), Brent Comer (Darrel Curtis), Sky Lakota-Lynch (Johnny Cade) for The Outsiders, at Jacobs Theatre, New York City, USA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Sound Partnership<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Spencer first used the L-Acoustics L-ISA professional sound system for the show Broadway Bounty Hunter. He subsequently brought L-ISA to Broadway\u2019s Here Lies Love, which was the first deployment of L-ISA on Broadway. Spencer says, Here Lies Love \u201cwas a huge success acoustically.\u201d Given its success, he used L-ISA again for The Outsiders and is currently using it for the latest show he\u2019s working on, Last Five Years. Spencer is a sought-after, award-winning sound artist who is well-versed and widely recognized for his dexterity with his craft. But still, taking on The Outsiders had to have been a daunting prospect, considering its rich legacy and dedicated fan base. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given the high stakes, it was crucial for the creative team to elevate the audience experience and transport them to feel the story in a new way. Spencer says while he initially suggested using L-ISA Immersive Sound System for The Outsiders<\/em>, his Director, Danya Taymore, and Choreographers, Jeff and Rick Kupperma,n really helped drive the decision to proceed with L-ISA audio mixing software as it was important to all of them to create spatial audio so that every seat and theatergoer in attendance have the same visceral and immersive audio experience. \u201cBy using L-ISA, our audience was able to feel<\/em> the sound all around them as if the action is happening to them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Supplied by PRG, the main L-ISA Scene system addressing the orchestra and front mezzanine seats features L2D arrays and KS21 subs, while the balcony delay L-ISA Scene system is comprised of A15 arrays for The Outsiders, at Jacobs Theatre, New York City, USA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For instance, in a scene where Ponyboy is being dunked in a fountain by the rival gang, the Socs, the audience hears the splashing water the way Ponyboy is experiencing it. When Ponyboy\u2019s head is submerged underwater, the other cast members\u2019 voices become muffled, mimicking Ponyboy\u2019s perception at that moment. The subsequent ringing sound from the tinnitus in Ponyboy\u2019s ears fills the theater, immersing the audience in the experience. Spencer says The Outsiders needed innovative augmented acoustics because the audience is often in Ponyboy\u2019s and the other characters’ heads, so they need to experience auditory stimulations just as the characters do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exploring New Possibilities in Professional Sound Systems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Spencer says, \u201cIt was fortunate to have the previous experience with L-ISA and knowing what I could do with it. And with The Outsiders<\/em>, I actually pushed the boundaries of live sound even further with new things I didn\u2019t even know I would want to do but then did. I was able to create layer upon layer and achieve sound effects so subtle that some of the audience didn\u2019t even realize they were occurring but felt the effect and impact of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spencer references a scene at a movie drive-in where the actors who are the audience watching the movie are in front of the theater audience. In this scene, the sound from the drive-in movie\u2019s sizzle reel about getting popcorn and movie snacks before the movie uses a minutely delayed sound reflection that seems to be bouncing off a wall and returning to the theater audience as if it\u2019s coming from behind them. These subtle sound details and nuanced acoustics give the sense of being at the drive-in movie and have a significant sensory impact, making the experience vibrant and authentic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A view of Broadway\u2019s Jacobs Theatre, currently home to The Outsiders, is seen from the stage, New York City, USA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Such auditory design enables the audience to experience The Outsiders<\/em> in a unique way, as if they\u2019re living the story alongside the characters as events unfold in real time.<\/span> This theatrical interpretation of The Outsiders<\/em> for Broadway makes the musical a welcome addition among other celebrated renditions of the classic story beloved by so many. Spencer\u2019s work with L-ISA on The Outsiders <\/em>even helped lead L-Acoustics to once again receive recognition as one of the Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company<\/em> Magazine. “Our list of the Most Innovative Companies offers both a comprehensive look at innovation today and a playbook for the future,” said Fast Company<\/em> editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. Indeed, the immersive sound experience created through L-Acoustics L-ISA was not only a crucial tool and a key creative variable in presenting The Outsiders<\/em>experience on Broadway in a novel and captivating manner, but it has also become a pivotal creative element in shaping the future of musicals.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Experience “The Outsiders” Broadway’s immersive live sound. Discover Tony-winning design with L-ISA technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":675227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"news_tags":"","footnotes":""},"news-tag":[354],"class_list":["post-675220","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-tag-l-isa"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Broadway Reprisal of\u00a0The Outsiders\u00a0Using Innovative Sound Technology Earns Its Place Among Venerated Classics - L-Acoustics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Experience "The Outsiders" Broadway's immersive live sound. 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