‘Stay gold, Ponyboy’ ... set to music? ‘The Outsiders’ comes to Broadway.

S.E. Hinton’s classic novel, “The Outsiders” has been read by generations of American teens. The nearly 60-year-old story was turned into an iconic 1983 movie starring Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, and Ralph Macchio. Its narrative chops and cultural clout are undisputed. What might be more surprising is that its newest incarnation is a Broadway musical, which opened last Thursday.

With previews all but selling out, part of the draw may be its star-studded creative and producing team, featuring award winning playwright Adam Rapp, Tony Award winner Justin Levine, and Oscar winner Angelina Jolie.

But perhaps more important is the story’s relevance at a moment when people seem divided on everything. 15 million copies worldwide, and critics often credit it with inventing the young adult genre. Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the late 1960s, “The Outsiders” follows Ponyboy Curtis (Brody Grant), an orphan eking out a life alongside his older brothers. It tracks the constant conflict between two factions – the greasers and the socs – and succeeds in making the audience sympathize with both. It’s a hopeful reminder that those differences that seem so intractable might not be impossible to overcome after all.