Philadelphia-born Sky Lakota-Lynch burst onto the Broadway scene with his debut on June 12, 2018. Six years later, he earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, captivating audiences as Johnny Cade in the Broadway phenomenon The Outsiders.
From a boy growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia to an inspiring role model, Sky Lakota-Lynch’s journey is as powerful as the characters he brings to life, not only for his unforgettable performances on stage, but for his own story of living as an outsider.
Before the bright lights of Broadway, Sky Lakota-Lynch was just a teenager in the Philadelphia suburbs—more at home in a stadium crowd than in the quiet anticipation before a curtain rose.
He was Homecoming King in his senior year at North Penn High School in 2010, but the crown didn’t hide the weight of his struggles.
From his Native American and Ethiopian background, Sky navigated a world that often told him he wasn’t “enough” of either. As he once shared in an interview, “I am not Black enough. I’m not Native American enough, so I was truly an outsider.”
The sting of racism and the cruelty of bullying left deep marks, making his eventual portrayal of Johnny Cade in The Outsiders all the more haunting. Johnny, like Sky, was a young man defined by misunderstanding, living in a world split between the outcast Greasers and the privileged Socs. The loneliness, the longing for more, Sky infused every moment on stage with an authenticity born from lived experience.
But just as Johnny found a family in his friends, Sky found his home in the theatre. A chance encounter with musical theatre in high school ignited a passion that could not be dimmed. Teachers and classmates recognized his rare talent, and that spark led him to train at AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts, setting him on the path to the Broadway stage
The road to Broadway was not paved in gold for Sky Lakota-Lynch, it was built through years of struggle, resilience, and an unwavering belief in the power of storytelling. There were moments when the weight of rejection made him consider walking away, but his resolve carried him forward. His breakthrough came with Dear Evan Hansen, where he was the first male cast member of color to join the production.
In 2018, Sky began work on a musical adaptation of The Outsiders. That first attempt never reached the stage, but fate had other plans. The production was reborn at San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse, where its raw energy caught the eye of producer Angelina Jolie. So moved by what she saw, she helped bring the show to the bright lights of New York City.
Today, Sky Lakota-Lynch is living proof that with passion, persistence, and heart, even the most distant dream can step into the spotlight.
Through his journey, Sky Lakota-Lynch has shown his bullies, himself, and countless others that while life can be hard, it can also be deeply beautiful, and with the right mindset, you truly can do anything you set your heart on.
On July 20, I had the privilege of seeing The Outsiders at a 3 p.m. matinee. Watching Sky—and the rest of the cast—bring these characters to life was more than just entertainment. It was a reminder of what the story stands for: the “outsiders” of the world, the people who don’t quite fit the checklist society has written, still belong. It showed that even those who seem “socially acceptable,” like the Socs, have struggles of their own. Their lives aren’t as perfect as they appear, and beneath the surface, we are all more alike than we are different.
It doesn’t matter what your skin color is, where in the world you live, the clothes you wear, or the way you speak, your story matters. It deserves to grow beyond the expectations others have placed on you.
That same night was also a milestone for another performer: Sequoiia, a young understudy playing Dallas Winston, who made his Broadway debut. The passion and raw intensity with which he played the troublemaking Greaser made it seem as though he had been doing this role for years.
At the stage door, his joy was unmistakable, smiling from ear to ear, marker in hand, ready to sign Playbills. He took the time to greet each person, humbly accepting compliments. When I told him how much his character reminded me of my brother and how emotional his performance had made me, he shook my hand, asked for my name, and introduced himself as though I hadn’t just seen him give a powerhouse performance minutes earlier.
Moments like these remind me how truly remarkable Broadway actors are, and how The Outsiders continues to inspire, both the audience and the performers themselves — to “stay gold.”
