Character guide
Sodapop Curtis
from The Outsiders
Sodapop Curtis is Ponyboy's charming older brother in The Outsiders, the 2024 musical based on S. E. Hinton's novel.
- Show
- The Outsiders
- Broadway premiere
- 2024
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Clay & Chance
Who played Sodapop Curtis?
- On screen
- Rob Lowe (1983 film)
- Originated on Broadway
- Jason Schmidt (2024)
Sodapop Curtis on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 1983 film
Jason Schmidt originated Sodapop on Broadway in 2024; Rob Lowe played him in Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film, alongside Patrick Swayze as oldest brother Darry and C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy. The musical gives the middle Curtis brother a bigger musical presence: he sings in Grease Got a Hold and Hoods Turned Heroes with the Greasers, joins Darrel and Ponyboy for Throwing in the Towel, and anchors Soda's Letter, a number for all three brothers.
The film's 2005 re-release, The Outsiders: The Complete Novel, added 22 minutes of footage.
Who is Sodapop Curtis?
Sodapop Curtis is Ponyboy's middle brother, a warm, easygoing presence in the Curtis household who works at a gas station and serves as a peacemaker between his more serious older brother Darry and his younger brother Ponyboy. His good nature and charisma make him popular among both the Greasers and the wider town.
Beneath his sunny exterior, Sodapop carries his own worries, including a strained romantic relationship and the pressure of holding his family together after their parents' deaths. His role in the story is often to soften the tension between Darry and Ponyboy, even as the escalating violence around the gang tests his own optimism.
Sodapop's role in The Outsiders
Sodapop is a supporting role, providing warmth and levity within the Curtis family scenes and grounding the show's more intense sequences with his easy charm. The part calls for an appealing, approachable vocal quality that reflects his role as the family's emotional glue.
Jason Schmidt originated the role on Broadway in his Broadway debut when The Outsiders opened in 2024. Audiences remember Sodapop as one of the show's most likable characters, a reminder of the ordinary affection and humor that exists alongside the story's darker turns.
Sodapop Curtis: frequently asked questions
Who played Sodapop Curtis?
Rob Lowe played Sodapop in Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film, alongside Patrick Swayze as Darry and C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy. Jason Schmidt originated the role in the 2024 Broadway musical.
Who is Sodapop Curtis in The Outsiders?
Sodapop Curtis is the middle of the three Curtis brothers, the easygoing peacemaker between his responsible older brother Darrel (Darry) and younger brother Ponyboy. He is sixteen in S. E. Hinton's novel, and in the Broadway musical his letter to the runaway Ponyboy becomes the song Soda's Letter, which he sings with his brothers.
Where does Sodapop Curtis work in The Outsiders?
In S. E. Hinton's novel, the source of the Broadway musical, Sodapop Curtis works at a DX gas station alongside his best friend Steve Randle after dropping out of high school.
How old is Sodapop Curtis in The Outsiders?
Sodapop Curtis is sixteen in S. E. Hinton's novel, where Ponyboy describes him as sixteen-going-on-seventeen. That makes him the middle brother between twenty-year-old Darry and fourteen-year-old Ponyboy, who is also fourteen in the Broadway musical.
What show is Sodapop Curtis from?
Sodapop Curtis is a supporting character in The Outsiders, which opened on Broadway in 2024.
Is Sodapop Curtis a lead or supporting role?
Sodapop is a supporting role as Ponyboy's older brother.
Who wrote the music for The Outsiders?
Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance of Jamestown Revival wrote the score with Justin Levine.
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