Sodapop on Ice? Gang Names in West Side Story, Newsies, and The Outsiders
Have we been misinterpreting "Ponyboy" Curtis all along?
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Shalom, Broadway lovers!
In today’s issue of MARQUEE: The Broadway Maven’s Weekly Blast: A) an essay interpreting the names of Broadway characters in onstage gangs; B) a Broadway Blast about Sunday in the Park with George; C) a survey about upcoming Broadway revivals; and D) a Last Blast about Mamma Mia!.
ESSAY: Sodapop, Ice, Specs, Riff—Broadway sure seems to love a good gang nickname. But not all names are just tough talk or street flair. In The Outsiders, West Side Story, and Newsies, the most revealing names don’t shout their meaning—they slip quietly into the story, signaling the roles of the various boys in their communities, their shows, and their turfs.
Probably the most widely misunderstood gang name on Broadway and in American popular culture in general belongs to Ponyboy Curtis from The Outsiders. The name initially seems like a diminutive nickname that marks him as young, small, and unfinished. At first glance it signals immaturity, especially when stacked next to the rougher, harder names of the other Greasers. But this reading misses something crucial. In equine terms, a pony is not a baby horse (that's a "foal"). A pony is a complete, self-sufficient breed—smaller, yes, but fully formed. The name Ponyboy doesn’t suggest a boy becoming a man; it suggests a boy who already knows who he is.
He reads Dickens. He recites poetry. He understands Johnny’s dying wish to “Stay Gold” not as naïve sentimentality, but as a recognition that fleeting beauty must be held onto precisely because it doesn’t last. Ponyboy isn’t a work-in-progress; he’s the most emotionally literate character in the story from the very beginning. His “I want” song, “Great Expectations,” isn’t a plea for maturity or transformation, like “Waiting for Life to Begin” in Once on This Island. It’s a plea to be noticed—to be taken seriously for who he already is.
In West Side Story, most of the Jets have stylized gang names: Riff, Action, Ice, A-Rab, Diesel, Baby John. Each name helps define a role in the group—tough guy, instigator, enforcer, mascot. These names aren’t their real ones; they’re identities the boys put on, armor against the world and each other.
But then there’s Tony. Tony has no nickname at all, which makes him stand out immediately. While the others perform toughness or swagger, Tony is different: a worker, a dreamer, a lover. He’s already halfway out of gang life before the story begins, holding down a steady job and imagining a future that doesn’t require street fights or posturing. His plain, ordinary name suggests his authenticity and vulnerability, marking him as the character most emotionally available, most willing to hope, and most unguarded. In a world where names help boys survive, Tony’s distance from one signals that he doesn’t quite belong.
In Newsies, the gang names are playful and performative: Specs, Crutchy—names that reduce boys to visible traits like glasses or a crutch. These nicknames help create the gang’s scrappy, self-mythologizing identity, turning individual quirks into colorful personas. But then there’s Davey. Davey’s real name is David Jacobs—a name that is biblically significant and subtly coded as Jewish. David is a name of leadership, but “Davey” diminishes it just enough to reflect youth and vulnerability. His name sets him apart from the rest of the Newsies: he comes from a family, not the streets, and brings a seriousness the others lack.
While Specs and Crutchy are defined by their accoutrements, Davey becomes the union’s visionary—the boy who transforms their rebellion into a movement. His unadorned name isn’t a persona; it’s a clue that Davey isn’t performing toughness or flair. He’s the one pointing the way forward.
Gang names on Broadway promise bravado, but their quietest function is revelation. In these three stories, it’s not the loudest names that matter most—it’s the ones that slip by unnoticed: Ponyboy, already whole; Tony, already dreaming; Davey, already leading. Their names don’t predict who they’ll become. They tell us who they are right from the start.
BROADWAY BLAST: Sunday is famously a Biblical day of rest, and the song “Sunday” at the end of Act I of Sunday in the Park with George marks the completion of the painting—and George’s moment to rest. He has spent Sunday after Sunday sketching, rearranging, and dabbing on dots, until the park became his chapel. And then: stillness. Harmony. Reverence. The world he’s been building finally sings together, as the characters he painted pipe up in unison. And it was evening, and it was morning, Act One.
CELEBRITIES: The Broadway Maven is pleased to announce several upcoming events with Broadway A-listers:
• Murray Horwitz, who won a Tony for Ain’t Misbehavin’, will be helping introduce his show before a Watch Party on Sunday, July 27 at Noon ET.
• Ted Chapin, probably the world’s foremost expert on the works of Rodgers & Hammerstein, will be helping introduce that duo’s Cinderella at a Watch Party on Sunday, October 12 at Noon ET.
• Richard Maltby, Jr., a long-time Broadway showmaker who wrote the lyrics to Miss Saigon will be interviewed about that show at an as-yet-undated event.
• Michael R. Jackson, who won a Pulitzer Prize and the Tony for A Strange Loop, will be interviewed about his show at an as-yet-undated event.
All these events are for Broadway Maven Members only, so sign up today!
Note: A full calendar of upcoming classes is always available at TheBroadwayMaven.com.
• Tuesday, July 15 Noon ET SIX with YouTuber extraordinaire Howard Ho (Members only)
• Monday, July 21 Noon ET Sweeney Todd with Juilliard Prof. Edward Barnes (Members only)
• Tuesday, July 22 Noon ET ASL and Broadway (Members only)
• Sunday, July 27 Noon ET Watch Party, Ain’t Misbehavin’ with Murray Horwitz, Tony-winning co-creator (Members only)
• Monday, July 28 Noon ET Broadway Poster Art lecture with Nick van Hogstraten (Members only)
• Tuesday, July 29 Noon and 7 pm ET Avenue Q (Members only)
• Tuesday, August 5 Noon ET Company with Gail Leondar-Wright (Members only)
LAST BLAST: The moment Donna sees Sam in Mamma Mia!, she’s pulled right back into the past, bursting into the title song as if no time has passed. The song’s bouncy, infectious energy makes regret feel playful—like she’s powerless against old feelings. But by her 11 o’clock number, "The Winner Takes It All", everything has changed. This isn’t some sort of breakup ballad; it’s Donna finally letting go. So what shifts? Sophie and Sky. As Donna watches their love unfold, she sees, for the first time, what a real, equal partnership looks like—built on trust, not unfinished business. Sophie and Sky aren’t trapped in the past the way she and Sam were. And that’s when it hits her: if she keeps holding onto what she’s lost, she’ll never have room for what she still has. Mamma Mia! is a show about love pulling people back in—but for Donna, growth means knowing when to walk away. And, of course, the strength that comes from being brought back in again.
The Broadway Maven is a vibrant educational community that helps its members think more deeply about musical theater. Every month, members may attend 5-15 expert-led classes and innovative Broadway experiences, all for just $18. We also foster enthusiasm for Broadway through the FREE weekly Substack newsletter MARQUEE and host an expansive YouTube channel. It's your home for Broadway appreciation. Contact The Broadway Maven at DavidBenkof@gmail.com.
I ran with a gang in Silver Spring, white pre-teen lower middle class kids - and we never had nicknames. One of my favorite Stephen King novels, "It", all the characters have nicknames. Adult characters on Broadway that have nicknames are usually just their first names, like Auntie Mame is Mame and Charity Hope Valentine in Sweet Charity is just aka Charity