NEW YORK—The desperate need to find one’s place in the world is the driving force in the deliciously ironic Broadway musical “Dead Outlaw.” Based on the life and death of Elmer McCurdy (1880–1911), with admitted embellishments along the way, the show made a triumphant splash when it opened off-Broadway last season and is doing so again on the Great White Way.
Born in Maine, Elmer (Andrew Durand) was fascinated by tales of the Wild West as a child, particularly with stories about outlaws like Jessie James. As he grew up, saddled with an unhappy family life, he formed a deep anger that began festering; it was tied, at least in part, to his feeling of not belonging anywhere. Added to that, his turning to drink to temporarily silence these demons led to more than one scrape with the law.
