The ensemble cast of “The Outsiders” on Broadway chatted about being a part of the hit musical, which has been nominated for 12 Tony Awards.
“The Outsiders” is also nominated for multiple Chita Rivera Awards, which include nods for “Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show,” as well as for “Outstanding Dancer” (Tilly Evans-Krueger) and for “Outstanding Choreography” (Jeff and Rick Kuperman).
The ensemble cast members (dancers and performers) partook in a nominees reception with the press at Bond 45 in New York on Monday, May 6th.
Tilly Evans-Krueger
Tilly Evans-Krueger has been nominated for a Chita Rivera Award for “Outstanding Dancer in a Broadway Show.” She expressed that she is having “so much fun working with the boys” in ‘The Outsiders.”
“It feels like a dream to be a part of ‘The Outsiders’ musical on Broadway,” she said. “We have created a great culture, and it feels like it’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a show.”
“The nomination felt incredible,” she said about the Chita Rivera nomination. “It felt like a dream come true. I think this is the biggest honor in the dancing community.”
“At the end of the day, all the hard work that I’ve put in is now paying off, and that is really beautiful,” she said.
For young and aspiring dancers and performers, she underscored the importance of “perseverance” and “the need to believe in themselves.”
When asked how it feels to do the rainstorm and the rumble scenes, she said with a sweet laugh, “The rain and the rumble feel wet.”
Barton Cowperthwaite
On his Chita Rivera Award nomination as part of “The Outsiders” ensemble, Barton Cowperthwaite said, “It feels amazing. As an ensemble, we are really trying to maintain the integrity of the source material and lift the story as highly as possible. It is an honor to be a part of it.”
Cowperthwaite opened up about the rainstorm “rumble” scene in the show. “The rumble is super intense,” he noted. “We really tried to push the boundaries of what stage combat can achieve by portraying it literally and then in a more abstract sense of what violence can do to a group or an individual.”
Regarding the lesson learned from being a part of “The Outsiders” ensemble, Cowperthwaite shared, “The show doesn’t shy away from any of the hard lessons that life has to teach you. This really showed me that community is one of life’s greatest gifts.”
On his definition of the word success, Cowperthwaite remarked, “Success is learning who you are, and pushing the boundaries of what you are capable of and doing so, by staying true to yourself.”
Choreography nomination for Jeff and Rick Kuperman
Choreographers Jeff and Rick Kuperman discussed their Chita Rivera Award nominations for “Outstanding Choreography.” “That was just incredible. It was awesome,” the brothers concurred.
“Collaboration is the highest form of artistic excellence,” they added.
Renni Magee
“It feels great to be nominated,” Magee said about the Chita Rivera Award nomination. “This is my second Broadway show, and I had previously done ‘MJ the Musical’. I love awards season… I think it’s brilliant but it’s hard work. I feel so blessed.”
“I never thought that I would ever get to come to a Chita Rivera awards celebration, and here we are doing it. God is good,” Magee exclaimed.
For young and aspiring dancers, Magee said, “Keep working, keep praying, even if you are not spiritual, or have someone that can keep you grounded because it is so hard. If you are dedicated and if you stay at it, it will happen.”
Victor Carrillo Tracey
“It feels fantastic to be nominated,” Victor Carrillo Tracey said about his Chita Rivera nomination. Our ensemble has an amazing group of people, everybody in ‘The Outsiders’ is so supportive, and we have an incredible show. Being in ‘The Outsiders’ has taught me to be kind and patient with myself. We are a very multifaceted show with a lot of disciplines.”
For young and aspiring performers, he encouraged them to “work relentlessly.” “Just keep going and keep working, and you will get to where you want to go. I truly believe that,” he said.
“It is a show about chosen family, and it’s a show about finding home in people more than places,” he said about “The Outsiders.”
RJ Higton
On being a part of “The Outsiders,” RJ said, “It feels amazing, exciting, and special to be in this season of such incredible creativity going on in our community right now. It feels like a renaissance.”
“Being in ‘The Outsiders’ has taught me about chosen family,” RJ said. “I feel theatre is very chosen family, and that’s what ‘The Outsiders’ is. This has taught me a lot about my own community and who my people are that comprise my chosen family.”
On being nominated as an ensemble at the 2024 Chita Rivera Awards, RJ Higton said, “These are iconic, they are so important and it’s a legacy. This community is unlike any other world.”
Higton opened up about doing the rumble scene. “It feels like going to World War III every night. It’s crazy,” he admitted. “It feels special, and I just feel very honored to be a part of it.”
For young and aspiring performers, RJ said, “Love it and just find your love for it. It’s a hard industry and it can put you down sometimes, but if you love it, then nothing can keep you from doing this.”
On his definition of success, he said, “Success means finding your true potential, and unlocking it.”
The 2024 Chita Rivera Awards will be presented on Monday, May 20 at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. They are produced by Joe Lanteri, the founder and executive director of the New York City Dance Alliance Foundation, in conjunction with Patricia Watt.
To learn more about “The Outsiders” musical, check out its official homepage.
Read More: ‘The Outsiders‘ review