In Guthrie, Oklahoma, some 1,400 miles from the footlights of Broadway, a quiet headstone is blossoming with tokens of remembrance: flowers, laminated Playbill covers, handwritten letters, and other unique remembrances.
The grave belongs to one Elmer McCurdy, a failed outlaw who died over a century ago and whose body was lost to sideshow spectacle for decades. Now, thanks to the Tony nominated new musical Dead Outlaw, McCurdy’s grave has become a pilgrimage site for theatre lovers drawn not only by curiosity, but by compassion.
It’s an unexpected coda to a life that, until recently, had been reduced to a bizarre footnote in American folklore. McCurdy has been granted a powerful second life in the public eye through Dead Outlaw, the latest collaboration between Tony-winning composer David Yazbek (The Band’s Visit) and guitarist-composer Erik Della Penna, with a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Itamar Moses. The show emphasizes the man behind the myth: a down-on-his-luck drifter who died in a shootout in 1911, only to then be embalmed and displayed as a curiosity for over 60 years.
The musical (which is equal parts noir western, dark comedy, and folk requiem) has clearly struck a chord with audiences. Through a deft blend of historical research and theatrical imagination, McCurdy became more than a sideshow prop or a punchline. He became a person. Now, theatre fans are making a point of honoring his memory.
Photos shared on social media show a growing collection of mementos: copies of Dead Outlaw’s striking Playbill cover, personal remembrances like memory bottles and flowers, and laminated notes now reside at McCurdy's final resting place. It is a tangible memorial to the fragility of life and death, and the people who fall between the cracks of history. A staff member at the cemetery has reported that the gravesite has seen a steep increase in foot traffic since the show began performances on Broadway, with Playbills suddenly becoming the most common offering left behind by visitors.
Elmer McCurdy’s grave is marked simply, but its inscription speaks volumes: "Elmer McCurdy, Shot by Sheriff’s Posse in Osage Hills on Oct. 7, 1911. Returned to Guthrie, Okla., from Los Angeles County, Calif for Burial April 22, 1977."
The stone sits in the “Boot Hill” section of Summit View Cemetery, a grassy space historically reserved for outlaws—each of their graves are marked with a cowboy boot, rendering their gravesites immediately distinct from the rank and file burials that otherwise make up the cemetery's residents.
For those who wish to pay their respects, Summit View Cemetery is located just off North Pine Street in Guthrie, Oklahoma. The grave is publicly accessible and easy to find if you look for Boot Hill. McCurdy’s grave is the one the most adorned, Playbills fluttering softly in the Oklahoma wind.
In Dead Outlaw, McCurdy is never painted out to be a hero, but he is granted something even more precious: empathy. And through the love of a growing community of fans, he is finally receiving something he never had in life. A curtain call.
Dead Outlaw, directed by Tony winner David Cromer, earned seven 2025 Tony Award nominations May 1, the second-highest of any show this season. Along with the much coveted slot in this year's contenders for Best Musical, the show earned nods for Leading Actor in a Musical (Andrew Durand), Featured Actress in a Musical (Julia Knitel), Featured Actor in a Musical (Jeb Brown), Book (Moses), Score (Yazbek and Della Penna), and Direction (David Cromer). Winners will be named June 8 in a televised and streaming ceremony at Radio City Music Hall.
