US EditionReview: ‘The Lost Boys’ on Broadway Goes for Special-Effects Dazzle
The $25 million production uses a large moving set and practical flying effects to turn the film into a spectacle-driven stage musical.
- On Sunday, the new vampire musical The Lost Boys opened at the Palace Theatre in New York with a reported $25 million budget and elaborate set design by Dane Laffrey.
- Based on the 1987 Joel Schumacher film, the musical follows a recently divorced mother and her two teenage sons relocating to a California coastal town where mysterious disappearances hint at darker forces.
- Director Michael Arden stages aerial stunts across the Palace Theatre's vertical space, with Ali Louis Bourzgui as charismatic vampire David and LJ Benet as conflicted Michael. The Rescues provide a rock score.
- Critics note the musical struggles with shifting tones, balancing humor and horror while delivering generic songs. A character even remarks the show "reeks of desperation," though visual spectacle draws praise.
- The production concludes a weak season for new musicals while attempting to break the "curse" of vampire-themed Broadway flops like Lestat and Dracula: The Musical from prior years.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Review | ‘The Lost Boys’ proves the vampire musical curse is alive and well
When I was in college, three vampire musicals crashed and burned on Broadway in quick succession: “Dance of the Vampires,” “Dracula,” and “Lestat.” Each had something going for it, whether it was gothic atmosphere, pop appeal, or the occasional strong song, but none quite worked. You would think Broadway might have learned its lesson. Instead, here comes “The Lost Boys,” a musical adaptation of the 1987 teen vampire film, now at the Palace Theat…
'The Lost Boys' Broadway Review: Or, Why Frank-N-Furter Gets the Last Laugh
It’s not great news for your new vampire musical when a half-century-old vampire musical comes off a lot wilder. One of the delights of Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Show” is how he brought vampires out of the closet. Even Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” written in 1897, possesses a strong same-sex subtext with its title character’s attraction to Jonathan Harker. Those three female vampires residing in Dracula’s castle are nothing more than the c…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 70% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
