Award-winning musical with ties to the Central Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's arguably the hottest ticket on Broadway.

The now four-time Tony Award-winning musical, "The Outsiders," is based on the SE Hinton Novel and Francis Ford Coppola's film.

Fresh off their trip to New York to see the show, two of the women credited with getting the film made in the first place.

"Jo Ellen has said there were so many miracles that had to take place for that story to happen 40 years ago," says Lone Star alumni Michelle Ogawa. "There were a lot of miracles that had to happen for us to get to New York."

Days prior to taking home the hardware, including "Best Musical," the cast of The Outsiders met with Jo Ellen Misakian and her Lone Star family.

In the 1980s, Jo Ellen was a Librarian Tech and trying to inspire students at Lone Star in Sanger to get excited about reading.

A little more than 100 students, including, Ogawa signed a petition, asking Coppola to adapt the book into a movie.

"You're talking about a small K-8 in a farming community," Ogawa said.

"I put a paperback book in there, along with the petition, a letter and sent it to Coppola in New York," Misakian said.

After some suggestions on making sure the movie stayed true to the pages of "The Outsiders" novel, it would become a box office hit, which launched the careers of stars like Patrick Swayze and Matt Dillon.

Fast forward to 2024, the musical is wowing audiences on Broadway.

"There were tears, there was laughter, there was emotion throughout that story," Ogawa said. "No matter what age, it was just everybody who was there."

"It was just absolutely astounding," Misakian said. "We couldn't have asked for a better play."

In addition to her Lone Star family, Jo Ellen also shared the experience with her granddaughter and niece, who are now the same age as her former students when the movie came out.

"Being so starstruck was how we felt 40+ years ago when all those unknown actors came to our school, and we were just in awe of all of them," Ogawa said.

Michelle organized the trip to New York with fellow Lone Star alums -- that exceeded expectations.

"We may as well have been middle school students back at Lone Star," she said. "It's just a bond that has kept us close and connected."

Producers of the show, along with student ambassadors, had a surprise for the Lone Star bunch.

"They said just stay there because the cast is going to come in," Misakian said.

The stars of the musical production would stay until lights out at the theater, asking about the student efforts to get "The Outsiders" to the silver screen.

The book's author, SE Hinton, is from Oklahoma, so the tour will start in Tulsa in 2025. Lone Star is already gearing up to plan a trip for it.

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