
Jeb Brown kicks off Dead Outlaw by pronouncing that, well, pretty much everyone you’ve ever known is dead.
“Your daddy’s dead/ Your mama’s dead/ Your brother’s dead/ And so are you,” he wails on the aptly-named — what else? — “Dead,” the Broadway musical’s rollicking opening number. (President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate soldier-turned-outlaw Frank James are among the other bodies that litter the song’s hilariously macabre verses, while the ghosts of everyone from John Gotti and John Dillinger to Balzac and Tupac join the body count in its reprises.)
As the musical’s resident Bandleader, Brown unfurls the stranger-than-fiction tale of Elmer McCurdy, a hapless train robber whose mummified body became an unexpected star on America’s traveling carnival circuit following his untimely death in 1911.
Elmer’s life, death, and surprising afterlife may seem like an outlandish slice of Wild West folklore, but it’s based on a true story — as Brown’s Bandleader is apt to remind audiences more than once over the course of the show.
The Broadway veteran isn’t just Dead Outlaw’s narrator, however. He also steps into the story as Walter Jarrett, a career criminal who serves as Elmer’s introduction to the outlaw life upon a chance meeting in a Midwestern jail cell.
Fresh off Dead Outlaw’s wildly anticipated transfer to the Longacre Theatre following its run as the most-awarded Off-Broadway production of 2024, Brown shared his pre-show playlist exclusively with Ticketmaster, featuring American legends like Johnny Cash, The Band and Rosemary Clooney.
Below, dive into Brown’s complete playlist, which also includes picks from modern-day troubadours like Punch Brothers, Lucinda Williams and Martin Sexton and a surprise shoutout to another musical enjoying a second life on Broadway.

1. Punch Brothers – “Rye Whiskey
This is the song that started this playlist back when we were working on the show downtown. We were at the Minetta Lane [Theatre in Greenwich Village] and were doing back-to-back shows there with the Punch Brothers, so they were on my mind. The intoxicating allure of the whiskey high — and the corresponding slippery slope into blurred lines — speaks to themes in our show, and the slightly unhinged vibe of this tune hooks me right in.
2. John Hiatt – “Riding With The King”
When I first started exploring the Dead Outlaw score, I couldn’t get Hiatt’s voice out of my head. He’s a treasure — one of those great Americana songwriters whose biggest songs often chart in versions by other artists, but whose original versions are undeniably more striking.
3. The Band – “Up On Cripple Creek”
It’s hard to choose just one Band song, but this classic captures something weird and funky that aligns with our pulpy American fever dream of a show. My outlaw character, Walter Jarrett, has a cabin on a creek in Oklahoma where he lives the life of a drunkard’s dream.
4. Johnny Cash – “Rusty Cage”
Ever since I did the Johnny Cash show Ring of Fire on Broadway, I’ve kept Johnny close by. I particularly love his late stuff produced by Rick Rubin. This tune written by Chris Cornell has a wild and restless quality that helps set me up just right.
5. Lucinda Williams – “Are You Alright?”
The simple, plaintive sound of this recording and its repeating lyrics never fail to move me. The relationship Williams sings about reminds me of Maggie’s puzzlement over the increasingly aloof Elmer.

6. Muddy Waters – “Mannish Boy”
Hearing this classic is like plugging into a socket and being electrified by the sound and feel of iconic Delta blues. The slightly misguided swagger sounds to me like Elmer, our Outlaw, at his most cocky.
7. Shirley Horn – “Hit the Road Jack”
This version of the Ray Charles hit is off one of my all-time favorite albums, Shirley Horn’s tribute to Ray called Light Out Of Darkness. Whether dead or alive, our Elmer spends his days hitting the road over and over.
8. Martin Sexton – “Black Sheep”
When I think of guitar-slinging troubadours, I can’t help but think of Sexton, who I proudly shared a bill with some years ago. This lyric is a thematic match for our title character’s plight, and Sexton’s vocal performance is something to enjoy anytime.
9. Rosemary Clooney – “Route 66”
The history of the creation of the American interstate called Route 66 sneaks its way into our story. And in this delicious version of the well-known tune Rosie swings it so irresistibly.
10. Adam Guettel – “How Glory Goes” from Floyd Collins (Original Cast Recording)
This song has been an emotional touchstone tune for me ever since I first heard it. It cracks me open, and for that I will always be grateful to Adam Guettel and Tina Landau for creating the musical and the song. [Floyd Collins was] the last show I was able to squeeze in before we began performances of Dead Outlaw and it was deeply satisfying.
Grab tickets for Dead Outlaw via Ticketmaster.
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