Nolan White is on the road in the national tour of “The Outsiders,” in the lead role of Ponyboy Curtis. “I’m 20 in real life,” he said in our recent phone call, “playing a 14-year-old. I guess I look pretty young.”
For those who never read the novel or saw the 1983 movie, “The Outsiders” is a “classic coming of age story about Ponyboy finding his way in the world with a bunch of hardships,” said White. “There are gang rivalries, we get caught up in the death of a Soc, but it’s a story of family and belonging.”
By the way, “Soc” is short for “Socialites,” the rival gang of Ponyboy’s “Greasers.”
“The Outsiders” comes to the Providence Performing Arts Center on April 14. It’s now a musical, so it does take some literary license, but “it is pretty faithful to the book.”
Back to White. A year ago, he was a freshman at the University of Michigan, majoring in musical theater. “My mom sent me a link about an open call in New York City. I was free that weekend, so I hopped on a flight and went to audition.”
After surviving the callback process, White found himself in tech rehearsal for the show in Buffalo, then its opening in Tulsa last October.
“The Outsiders” is based in Tulsa in the late 50s “so it was the perfect place for opening the show,” said White. “That was a favorite for me. It was so electric every night. The audience really claimed the story as their own.”
White says he first did theater in the sixth grade in Nashville, after overcoming “pretty bad stage fright.” His first role was Schroeder in “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.” He continued all the way through high school, playing roles like Ren in “Footloose” and Lord Farquaad in “Shrek.”
“I did a lot of straight plays too,” he says. “I’m a big fan of Shakespeare. I loved playing Posthumus in ‘Cymbeline’ and Nick Bottom in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’”
Traveling has been fun for White. “We loved going to all the theme parks in Orlando, and I got to go home to Nashville, got to see my family.”
When we chatted, White was in the middle of a two-week run in Boston that will be followed by a short bus trip to Providence. “It’s fun being back in Boston,” he said. “I came here for college auditions. It’s a really historic city, and fun to explore.”
Most of the cast, says White, “are in our early 20s. I think I’m the second youngest in the cast. There are a couple of people we lean on who are in their upper 20s and early 30s who’ve been on tour before. A lot of us are first timers on the road. We’ve really gotten our sea legs on this tour.”
The tour is booked through September. After that, White doesn’t know what’s next. “I’d love to play Orpheus in ‘Hadestown.’ That’s my dream role. I might want to wait until I’m older and my voice is more mature. I want to make sure I’m ready for that, it’s so close to my heart.”
He’s still young, and there’s a world of possibility out there for him. “I’m interested in film and TV work, music too,” he said. “I like the idea of exploring all facets of entertainment.”
In theater, White’s is a rare story, but it serves as inspiration for every theater kid out there. “This time last year, I was in their shoes. I had no idea anything like this was even possible. It happened so fast, and everything changed so quickly. It really made me realize, if you do have a dream in this industry, or any industry, you can make it happen. Take the risk, take the leap, go to open call, send in the self-tape. It might just change your life.”[“The Outsiders” runs April 14 through April 19 at the Providence Performing Arts Center. For tickets and information, visit the box office at www.ppacri.org or call 401.421.ARTS.]
