This week we take a look at shows nominated for 2025 Tony Awards.
NEW YORK — Musicals don’t get more original than “Dead Outlaw.”
Based on the true story of Elmer McCurdy, a two-bit criminal, it follows the circuitous journey his body takes through the most unlikely places.
Before his unfortunate death, Elmer McCurdy (Andrew Durand) leads an active life in "Dead Outlaw."
Because no one claims the body, the coroner puts him on display and charges 25 cents for folks to see the “dead outlaw.” His story, however, gets even more bizarre as the years pass and ownership changes hands.
Just as rough and tumble as the man it chronicles, “Dead Outlaw” features an infectious score by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna and a leading performance by Andrew Durand that will make you wonder how he prepared to play a convincing dead guy.
The story twists and turns (heading from one carnival to another theme park) before Elmer finally gets his due. Director David Cromer never shows his hand and lets his non-Elmer cast have fun playing a variety of characters, not the least of which is Thom Sesma as Thomas Noguchi (yup, that Thomas Noguchi).
Coroner Thomas Noguchi (Thom Sesma) sizes up the case in "Dead Outlaw."
Told on a tiny box set (that rotates enough to accommodate other settings), it’s like a Wild West show done in a tent — something’s always happening. Durand, meanwhile, gets a solid opening (singing beautifully, fighting furiously and dying boldly) before winding up in a coffin that’s ever-present. When others tell what happened to Elmer, you’ll feel remorse, even though “outlaw” is hardly a term that conjures sympathy.
Julia Knitel, as the only female in the cast, does a fine job threading through the story as a handful of characters. The show’s engine, though, is Jeb Brown as bandleader Walter Jarrett. He tells Elmer’s story and isn’t afraid to interact with anyone in his eye range. Like shows you’d see in the Black Hills, “Dead Outlaw” makes you feel like you’re out in the open, fending for yourself, just like Elmer.
Andrew Durand plays a corpse in "Dead Outlaw," a musical based on the life of Elmer McCurdy.
Because the show’s story is so bizarre, writer Itamar Moses could have spun this in several directions. Instead, he keeps it to one tight act and lets those songs (including a listing of “Dead” folks who aren’t yet dead) roll like a train.
“Dead Outlaw” isn’t what you'd classify as a “feel-good” musical, but you’ll be hard-pressed not to tear up a bit when Elmer finally gets justice.
The Tony Awards air Sunday night on CBS.
