Jason Schmidt: Wowing Theatergoers as Sodapop in the Tony Award-Winning Best Musical The Outsiders

Rising young actor/singer-songwriter Jason Schmidt is currently making his mark on the Broadway stage in the newly crowned Tony-award winning Best Musical The Outsiders. Schmidt plays Sodapop, the beloved S.E. Hinton character first made famous by Rob Lowe in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film (and subsequent 2005 Complete Novel version which added 22 minutes to the running time, including many Sodapop scenes initially left on the cutting room floor).
And while Schmidt’s Soda pays homage to Lowe’s work, he makes the sweet, supportive character his own onstage. Soda is often caught in the crossfire between his younger sib Ponyboy (Brody Grant) and his older bro, Darrel (Brent Comer). In the stage show (as in the revised film version) Soda represents the heart and soul of The Outsiders, certainly of the family. Schmidt also provides a few doses of much needed comic relief from the tense story of teen Greasers who live on the wrong side of the Tulsa tracks trying to get along in a world of Socs, their affluent rivals, in 1967. It’s a story about fighting to be your true self in a society that demands conformity and capitulation.
Awards Daily correspondent Frank J. Avella had the pleasure of a Zoom chat with the talented and charismatic actor, shortly after the show’s surprise Tony win.
#theoutsiders #JasonSchmidt #tonyawards

[@banyantree]

I'm looking forward to seeing the show in October so I'm drinking up all the reviews and behind the scenes stories and perspectives. This was such a wonderful interview to hear... Both the questions and the responses made it a great conversation. Thanks!

[@SamanthaHendrix-oe3jv]

I just saw it on Friday and it was fantastic!!! I sadly didn’t get to see Brody Grant or Brent Comer but their understudies are phenomenal!!! I loved it ❤