SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - San Diego native Brendan Dallaire is coming home, and he's bringing one of Broadway's biggest recent hits with him.
Dallaire plays Sodapop in the national tour of "The Outsiders," the Tony Award-winning musical that was born at the La Jolla Playhouse before heading to Broadway, where it won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
For Dallaire, who grew up performing in nearly a dozen major productions in San Diego — including the role of Quasimodo in a J-Company production of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" — the homecoming is deeply personal.
"As a kid, you grow up watching (theater). And there's always a part of you that wants to be there, that feels like such a far-fetched dream. So it really does, every single day, feel like I'm living my dream," Dallaire said.
This is Dallaire's first national tour, and he said the show's themes resonate with audiences of all backgrounds.
"It is just such a relatable story. You can relate to almost every single person in the story. I think the theme of not to judge a book by its cover, keep on, to stay gold, keep on believing in good," Dallaire said.
When asked what it means to be part of the La Jolla Playhouse legacy — a theater that has launched dozens of productions that went on to Broadway success — Dallaire said the connection runs deep.
"When I first saw the show (in La Jolla), I think it was just a 10-minute drive away for me," he said. "I just saw myself on that stage and felt I need to be a part of this."
The reaction from his family when he landed the role made the moment even sweeter.
"I think it's just kind of a dream come true. When I first told my parents, I mean, my dad was giddy; he was jumping up and down. My mom is just so excited. I get to stay with her too. I haven't seen her in so long, and so it brings me back to the West Coast, and it's just my favorite place in the world," Dallaire said.
"The Outsiders" runs Tuesday through Sunday at the Civic Theater. Tickets are available at broadwaysd.com.
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