"The Outsiders: The Musical" is making a short tour stop in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theater. I caught the show Wednesday evening.

This week, in preparation for tonight's performance, I re-read S.E. Hinton's excellent YA novel, and I watched Francis Ford Coppola's excellent film adaptation of the novel. As a result, I was very aware of e the story was headed. I knew the heartache coming in each scene. But I wanted to see how these creators chose to execute this story.

I was not disappointed.

Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance co-wrote songs filled with anger and melancholy that move the story forward.

The choreography of Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman's was a major strength of this show. The dancing during the rumble scene combined elegance and power perfectly. Actual water falling as rain from the rafters made the battle even more intense.

And the young cast captured the characters very well. My program listed Jaydon Nget as Two-Bit and Tyler Jordan Wesley as Dallas Winston, but I believe they accidentally either reversed the actors and roles or swapped photographs. Regardless, the actor who played Dallas captured his anger and rebel streak perfectly. Also of note was Bonale Fambrini, who played the tragic hero Johnny Cade with the sensitivity the character warrants.

If the show has a weakness, it is Nolan White's Ponyboy Curtis spending too much time explaining to the audience what is happening. It would have been far better to tell the story through the characters' action, dialogue, and singing than to add this often unnecessary narration.

The play follows the spirit of Hinton's novel and mostly follows the same story. However, they modified the ultimate fate of Dallas in a way that I found less satisfying than the book version.

Despite some minor flaws, "The Outsiders: The Musical" is an enjoyable show filled with good music, excellent dancing, and plenty of emotion.