By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Putting music to words gave Union City Middle School 8th-grade English students a greater appreciation of The Outsiders.
Eighteen members of Ashley Barnhill’s advanced classes were treated to a trip to the Orpheum in Memphis recently, where they witnessed the musical version of the classic novel they first read and studied in class.
The musical is an adaptation of both the book and film versions of the classic by S.E. Hinton, and won a Tony Award on Broadway in 2024. Fire, water, and dirt were effectively utilized as special effects in the performance, similar to what was used in the movie, according to Barnhill.
The Outsiders explores themes of loyalty, social injustice, and identity. It is set in 1967 in Tulsa, OK, and is known as a novel for teenagers, about teenagers, and written by a teenager.
It details Ponyboy Curtis, a 14-year-old orphan, and his “Greasers” family as they navigate friendship, their efforts to belong, and their conflicts with a rival, privileged adolescent gang.
“When I was interviewed (for a job in the UC Schools System) last spring, I asked if this (trip) might be a possibility, so I was thrilled to see it come to fruition for my students,” said Barnhill, in her first year as a teacher at UCMS. “So many of the students expressed gratitude for the opportunity, and, for a lot of them, it was their first time at the Orpheum, and their first live musical experience.
“I believe it’s something they’ll remember for a long time.”