I went to “Dead Outlaw” during its run downtown on a whim of sheer curiosity, and on its first preview. When I walked out of that tiny theater 100 minutes later, I knew I had seen the art of musical theater storytelling redefined, reassembled, and reborn. I knew it was destined for something more, and I was right. Now in its Broadway carnation, I am thrilled to say it hasn’t lost a smidge of that magic; it all felt fresh and new to me again.
No one, not even me, could’ve thought the story of failed outlaw’s infamous afterlife would be fantastic musical material. Well, actually, David Yazbek, Erik Della Penna, and Itamar Moses did, and what they crafted has changed the game for good in terms of original storytelling. What is presented to us within this book and score is a dark, somehow-comical, and highly peculiar deep dive into the darkness of the so-called American Dream, and the deadly sin of greed that tends to tag along with it. Moses knows how to accentuate these morbid, nearly deadly themes in a manner that is swift and feeds its audience with all the TRUE details of the dead outlaw in a majestically digestible form. Even his character arcs and details, from the major to the extremely minor, are given such vivid three-dimensional life, and they even reach the very cusp of four-dimensional thanks to David Cromer’s snappy, minimal, and noticeably detail-oriented direction.
But the score by Yazbek and Penna is the winner in my book here. A twangy, rockabilly sound that invokes the great American landscape and old west films partnered with morbidly, cynically, and shamelessly provocative lyricism makes the journey we take even more thrilling and maybe even make you wanna sell your soul to the devil should this show make you fall to your knees with praise. If it isn’t clear by now, yes, I AM rooting on this one for Best Musical (sorry my “Maybe Happy Ending” lovers/supporters).
And how couldn't you given how excellently written and staged it is, and finely performed by a cast of 8 pros, headed by the incomparable Andrew Durand who is the living example of finding life and energy in stillness (for a full 45 minutes to be precise). Along with him you’ve got a masterclass in fourth wall guidance and performance by Jeb Brown (totally unexpected in my book when I first walked into this show), and a class of first-rate human chameleons that includes Eddie Cooper, Dashiell Eaves, Julia Knitel (a HUGE highlight of this production FYI), Ken Marks, Trent Saunders, and Thom Sesma (a man who could possibly put Sinatra to shame). Everyone in the company transitions from one character to next with immense simplicity and energy levels that reach beyond what is considered maximum.
You’ll never find a better ensemble cast this season than at “Dead Outlaw.” And you’ll never find a more original and boundary-breaking musical than “Dead Outlaw.” No one who walks out of this musical will ever feel the same or look at musical theater the same way they did before. It’s getting weirder on the American stage these days, and honestly, I am ALL here for it!!!
