On Broadway
Frederick’s Brent Comer Finds
Stardom Under the Bright Lights
By Joseph Peterson
Photography by Turner Photography Studio
Brent Comer has caught a rising star, catapulting him into the limelight where, for eight shows a week, he smears grease on his brawny arms and sings his heart out to rave reviews in one of Broadway’s most audacious productions of the season. And while the story on stage takes place in 1960s Tulsa, Okla., it’s likely to bring many theatergoers back to memories of their hometown middle school reading the classic novel by S.E. Hinton for the first time.
“I first read The Outsiders at Monocacy Middle School and it was, to be honest, the first book I really paid attention to,” says Comer, who marks his entree to the Great White Way originating the role of Darrel, the oldest of the Curtis brothers at the heart of the story.
The Outsiders: A New Musical is a smash hit that brings the beloved classic to the stage with the verve and pathos of the 1980s film of the same name. It’s a timeless tale of class tension between the haves and have nots, and the power of chosen family. With a whopping 12 Tony nominations, it brings a fresh slate of new stars to the center stage, Comer among them.
Frederick theater fans may recall a younger Brent Comer lighting up the stage a decade ago at Governor Thomas Johnson High School, where he got his start on the road to Broadway. It was a decision he didn’t make lightly.
“My family was so supportive,” Comer recalls of that formative period figuring out if he wanted to do sports or theater. “I was lucky enough to have the right community around me.” Among his influences was legendary vocal coach Carol Ann DeSantis, who shaped many aspiring young artists who’ve gone on to illustrious performing careers.
After completing James Madison University’s musical theater program, Comer booked a national tour with Les Miserables, a big break cut short by COVID-19, which brought the whole industry—and Comer’s career momentum—to a halt.
But as the refrain goes in his biggest solo in The Outsiders, Comer wasn’t one to “throw in the towel,” even if he was considering a new direction closer to home.
“After the pandemic, I moved to New York and auditioned for a lot of stuff, really just pounded the pavement, working at a restaurant, and I was about to move home when my last audition was the out-of-town run with The Outsiders, and I booked it!”
It was a pivotal moment.
“I wanted it really badly, but I knew I was almost out. I was interested in working at McClintock [Distilling in Frederick], actually.” Instead, it was off to California to workshop the production for a Broadway run with the excitement that comes from being part of an original cast.
Real life for Comer parallels the show’s themes of striving for a dream, and the young actor is introspective about his journey thus far. “It’s just when you accept and let go that things start to work out,” he says.
No doubt, part of Comer’s success comes from being grounded in who he is while gracious with others—a genuine nice guy who is quick to share the credit of his success.
“I stand on the shoulders of a lot of people who helped me get here—all of those teachers in high school and all of those friends at home who didn’t understand what I was doing, but supported it [anyway],” he says, chuckling.
Taking this interview while running errands on the New York City Subway, Comer says he hasn’t been home in months and misses it. Whether he sees Frederick in his future, he isn’t one to speculate, but offered this hometown homily: “It’s a hard place to leave, and a hard place not to want to come back to.”