Lost or Found: A Review of The NEW Musical: The Lost Boys

The Lost Boys is a musical retelling of the 1987 horror-comedy starring Keifer Sutherland and Jami Gertz. In the story, two teenage boys move with their mother to the fictional California town of Santa Carla: the murder capital of the United States on account of its thriving population of vampires.

Surely, the title makes your mind wander to J.M. Barrie's fictional world of Peter Pan, and you aren't wrong in that assumption. The title is a reference to the stunted age and forever adolescence of vampires, not dissimilar to the motley crew of lost boys populating Neverland.

The movie was a commercial success for Warner Brothers, grossing $32.2 million on a significantly lower $8.5 million budget. It seems that a revival in some form would be fruitful, but vampire musicals on Broadway have historically failed and proved that they just aren't something that audiences can sink their teeth fully into.

But, producers Patrick Wilson, James Carpinello, and Marcus Chait weren't deterred. The Lost Boys opened on March 27th at the Palace Theatre in NYC to a full house, grossing $244,500. I ventured to the Palace Theatre on April 2nd with an optimistic disposition. The energy within the theater was intoxicating—the kind of energy that can only be found at a project's beginning. 

Shoshana Bean’s first step onto the stage was marked by a chorus of cheers from the audience. A prolific Broadway performer, The Lost Boys marks Bean’s first foray as an OBC member. I could speak on end about her powerful vocals, but one YouTube search will bless your ears and tell you all you must know. I will instead emphasize how Bean effectively portrayed the tormented, single-mother archetype in a way that felt fresh, even within the confines of a campy, uninspiring script.

I wasn't impressed with the beginning and felt the opening song, chronicling the family’s move from Arizona to California was unnecessary; dialogue could have sufficed to inform the audience of the move. My eyes weren't even focused on the cast, but instead on the complexities and technological marvel of the set—shifting platforms that transitioned from their new home to the Santa Clarita Boardwalk with quick ease. It was advanced to the point of distracting; I had to concentrate on the plot and not guess in my head how much the show cost to put on nightly and if they would continue to make this likely large sum back in sales.

The show hit its stride after “I Have to Have You,” finally showcasing its gritty, sexy side instead of feeling like a sitcom about a family reinventing themselves in a new climate.

LJ Benet stars as Michael, a young teenager shaken by his abusive father and hoping for a fresh start in Santa Carla. His performance was emotionally rich, prying nuance and humanity from a script by David Hornsby and Chris Hoch that often felt colorless. Maria Wirries was stunning as Star, Michael’s love interest and fellow anti-human eater.

“I Have to Have You” has already been swimming in my head for a week. Relentless social media advertising has alerted me that it’s already been solidified as the show's most replayable tune.

 Ali Louis Bourzghi is a dynamic performer, but as David, the ringleader of the Lost Boys, he unfortunately didn't pass as a villain in the way the script requires for tension. Interestingly, in the “I Have to Have You” recording session, Bourzghi seemed more in character in the studio than he did on stage. This disconnect left the show feeling tensionless; though it’s entertaining, it feels a bit shallow and lacks that pressurized stress that makes you shift to the front of your seat.

There is still enough to keep you entertained (or at least laughing) thanks to the comedic talents of Benjamin Pajak, who is smartly cast as Sam Emerson, Michael’s younger brother. He doesn’t carry the comedic burden alone, either. Jennifer Duka and Miguel Gil assist the effort as Alan and Edgar Frog, the self-appointed vampire hunters. The two shine specifically in a hysterical dinner scene in Act 2, in which they accuse Sam’s mother’s boss, Max (played by Paul Alexander Nolan), of being the head vampire.

In contrast, the ensemble feels unfortunately underutilized. Their presence is largely flat, a result of having very little to do beyond providing occasional backing vocals. This lack of engagement from the broader cast contributes to the feeling that the production, while fun, misses the mark on the atmospheric intensity that makes a live theatrical production exceptional. 

I can’t wait to return to the Palace to see their inevitable changes, a normalcy for shows in their infancy. The Lost Boys has immense potential, ripe for a bloodthirsty fanbase and a prolonged residency. It’s already a good show, and with tightening and shaping, it could haunt audiences with the eternality of a vampire.