The phenomenal success story of The Outsiders: A New Musical dates back to a meeting one of its producers had more than a decade ago with Outsiders novelist and Tulsan S.E. Hinton.
In 2014, Hank Unger and his Araca Group partner Matthew Rego asked her blessing to bring the beloved story to the Broadway stage, Unger said.
“It was an interesting moment in which she said, ‘Please take care of my baby,’” Unger said. “From those early days, we got a sense of the unique character of Tulsa. Over the years, we’ve been back many times…to do our research to see how we can express this on a Broadway stage, what the story is about and what Tulsa means to that story.”
That was among several anecdotes Unger shared Tuesday at Tulsa Regional Tourism’s Annual Meeting, which celebrated the highs of the 2025-26 fiscal year at the Arvest Convention Center.
It was the second consecutive year that the program featured a late-night TV talk show theme, with Tourism Senior Communications Director Jonathan Huskey as host, Danielle Ruffin as announcer and Josh & Cassie as the house band.
Sharing the guest couch with people such as Oklahoma Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell, Unger discussed the Tony Award-winning Outsiders’ success on Broadway, its North American tour debut in Tulsa and its future on the global stage.
Tulsa will welcome The Outsiders back to town in late 2027, Unger said, and the musical has plans to visit such venues as Tokyo, London, Germany and South Korea.
“The ride has been absolutely incredible,” Unger said. “The journey to Broadway is a fascinating one and for us, it was always thinking about how could we tell this story honestly, truthfully and authentically. Part of the reason we’ve been to Tulsa so many times is that we knew we had to experience what the essence of this place was, because that’s where S.E. Hinton was born and raised and created this story.”
Tulsa Regional Tourism (TRT) is northeast Oklahoma’s premier accredited destination marketing organization. An initiative of Tulsa Regional Chamber, it includes Visit Tulsa for leisure travel; the Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) for meetings and conventions; the Tulsa Sports Commission for amateur and pro sports and the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture (FMAC) for creative industries and accredited film commission.
Huskey recounted Regional Tourism’s fiscal year wins, which included:
- Tulsa’s hosting the 3rd Hour of TODAY
- Securing the Oklahoma FFA State Convention for the next five years
- Sponsoring Tulsa’s Route 66 Capital Cruise, which set a Guinness World Record for largest classic car parade (3,596)
- And generating an estimated economic impact of more than $8 million for 204 events booked
Pinnell spoke about the spectacle of the Capital Cruise, as well as what the 100th Anniversary (2026) of Route 66 has meant to the state and Tulsa.
“We have 400 miles of Route 66 in Oklahoma,” he said. “Go see it and hang out for 30 minutes, and you’ll meet somebody from Japan. You’ll meet somebody from London. You’ll meet somebody from another state, and you are able to have a conversation about what it means to be an American.
“...Route 66 allowed us to have a national conversation about who we are as a country. One hundred years ago, this road knit together a very young, restless nation, and 100 years later, it is reminding us that we still are one.”
Other highlights included the Wall Street Journal’s calling Tulsa a “culture capital,” and Tulsa FMAC’s assisting 57 film and media projects, with 43 productions filming in the Tulsa area.
“Economic development starts with visiting,” said Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols, who appeared via video. “And a thriving visitor economy is beneficial to all Tulsans. When people visit, they shop at businesses, they eat at our restaurants. They make memories at our attractions, and they get a well-deserved rest at one of our hotels. These acts generate serious revenue for the city and keeps Tulsa the best place to live, work and raise a family.”
Tulsa Regional Tourism presented the following awards Tuesday:
Visit Tulsa Partner of the Year: Factor 110
Tulsa CVB Partner of the Year: Hyatt Regency Tulsa Downtown Sales & Services
Tulsa Sports Commission Partner of the Year: Nick Williams, Big 12 Director of Competition
Tulsa FMAC Partner of the Year: Brut Hotel
Hospitality Champion (for-profit organization): Aaron Post, owner of Valkyrie, St. Vitus and Maestro
Hospitality Champion (nonprofit): Janis Davis, Oklahoma Aquarium
