![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/The-Outsiders-Broadway-1-1024x683.jpeg\")
Feeling Live Sound All Around <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Outsiders\u00a0musical captivated audiences with its thrilling and intimate atmosphere. Much of the magic in the artistry of the theater production can be attributed to the meticulously crafted sound design. In fact, Cody Spencer, the Sound Designer for\u00a0The Outsiders\u00a0musical, won the Tony Award for Best Sound Design that year. To achieve the extraordinary immersive audio experience the audience has and vacillate between explosive and delicate auditory modulations, Spencer used L-Acoustics L-ISA immersive sound technology. For Spencer, this made all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have instances where we capture the sound from a small space with Ponyboy in the middle of the stage and then envelop it around the audience, transitioning into a grand and powerful moment with Ponyboy belting throughout the theater. Then, as soon as it reverts to a small moment again, the sound and everything shrinks back to directly focus on just Ponyboy. With this show, we use L-ISA to make these pivotal sound moments impactful.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spencer first used the L-Acoustics L-ISA professional sound system for the show Broadway Bounty Hunter. He subsequently brought L-ISA to Broadway\u2019s Here Lies Love, which was the first deployment of L-ISA on Broadway. Spencer says, Here Lies Love \u201cwas a huge success acoustically.\u201d Given its success, he used L-ISA again for The Outsiders and is currently using it for the latest show he\u2019s working on, Last Five Years. Spencer is a sought-after, award-winning sound artist who is well-versed and widely recognized for his dexterity with his craft. But still, taking on The Outsiders had to have been a daunting prospect, considering its rich legacy and dedicated fan base. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Given the high stakes, it was crucial for the creative team to elevate the audience experience and transport them to feel the story in a new way.\u00a0Spencer says while he initially suggested using L-ISA Immersive Sound System for\u00a0The Outsiders, his Director,\u00a0Danya Taymore, and Choreographers, Jeff and Rick Kupperma,n\u00a0really helped drive the decision to proceed with L-ISA audio mixing software as it was important to all of them to create spatial audio so that every seat and theatergoer in attendance have the same visceral and immersive audio experience. \u201cBy using L-ISA, our audience was able to\u00a0feel<\/em>\u00a0the sound all around them as if the action is happening to them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, in a scene where Ponyboy is being dunked in a fountain by the rival gang, the Socs, the audience hears the splashing water the way Ponyboy is experiencing it. When Ponyboy\u2019s head is submerged underwater, the other cast members\u2019 voices become muffled, mimicking Ponyboy\u2019s perception at that moment. The subsequent ringing sound from the tinnitus in Ponyboy\u2019s ears fills the theater, immersing the audience in the experience. Spencer says The Outsiders needed innovative augmented acoustics because the audience is often in Ponyboy\u2019s and the other characters’ heads, so they need to experience auditory stimulations just as the characters do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spencer says, \u201cIt was fortunate to have the previous experience with L-ISA and knowing what I could do with it. And with\u00a0The Outsiders, I actually pushed the boundaries of live sound even further with new things I didn\u2019t even know I would want to do but then did. I was able to create layer upon layer and achieve sound effects so subtle that some of the audience didn\u2019t even realize they were occurring but felt the effect and impact of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spencer references a scene at a movie drive-in where the actors who are the audience watching the movie are in front of the theater audience. In this scene, the sound from the drive-in movie\u2019s sizzle reel about getting popcorn and movie snacks before the movie uses a minutely delayed sound reflection that seems to be bouncing off a wall and returning to the theater audience as if it\u2019s coming from behind them. These subtle sound details and nuanced acoustics give the sense of being at the drive-in movie and have a significant sensory impact, making the experience vibrant and authentic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such auditory design enables the audience to experience\u00a0The Outsiders\u00a0in a unique way, as if they\u2019re living the story alongside the characters as events unfold in real time.<\/span>\u00a0This theatrical interpretation of\u00a0The Outsiders for Broadway makes the musical a welcome addition among other celebrated renditions of the classic story beloved by so many.\u00a0Spencer\u2019s work with L-ISA on\u00a0The Outsiders\u00a0even helped lead L-Acoustics to once again receive recognition as one of the Most Innovative Companies by\u00a0Fast Company\u00a0Magazine.\u00a0“Our list of the Most Innovative Companies offers both a comprehensive look at innovation today and a playbook for the future,” said\u00a0Fast Company\u00a0editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan.\u00a0Indeed, the immersive sound experience created through L-Acoustics L-ISA was not only a crucial tool and a key creative variable in presenting\u00a0The Outsiders experience on Broadway in a novel and captivating manner, but it has also become a pivotal creative element in shaping the future of musicals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>",
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"rendered": " When S.E. Hinton\u2019s groundbreaking novel,\u00a0The Outsiders,\u00a0was first published in 1967, it generated significant attention and acclaim. This candid portrayal of teenage life was unprecedented, likely contributing to its profound impact on young readers. The novel revolves around the dynamics of teenage gangs and explores the universal human need for belonging and the intricate social structures […]<\/p>",
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A Sound Partnership<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/The-Outsiders-Broadway-3-1024x768.jpeg\")
Exploring New Possibilities in Professional Sound Systems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/The-Outsiders-Broadway-4-1024x768.jpeg\")