It’s already been proven two decades ago that vampires and Broadway musical theatre don’t mix. Are they overplayed? Do they just not lend to singing and dancing without getting too angsty and romanticized? It’s hard to say really. But since some time’s passed and many new artistic minds have entered the fray, it makes sense to take another crack at it. Well, I wouldn’t say this vampire outing was perfect, BUT I would classify it as nearly-almost-perfect.
”The Lost Boys” certainly delivers on the promise of blood sucking demons, but underneath all that leather and fangs is a heart full of wanting belonging and family (born into and chosen). Is it a bit of a spectacle at times? Yes. But Michael Arden finds an impeccable balance of spectacle and storytelling in the piece. His work here doesn’t feel as character centered as it felt in “Parade,” but he certainly imbues his characters and his world building in rich pathos, wonderfully underlying queerness, well chosen and feeling-fresh-again archetypes, and a lustful hankering for the macabre in punk form. Arden and his design team have done wonders at making all of these sentiments possible (lighting especially), and it’s a nice change of pace to see the design elements truly aid in the progression of storyline. Some moments of his staging I did find a bit unnecessary but not to the point where it took away from the initial goal trying to be achieved in the scene.
The real winner for me here was the fire score provided by The Rescues. It absolutely roars with angst and grit only the 1980’s can give. Hard hitting punk, screaming heavy metal, and glamorous Metallica combine to make the ultimate concert experience the Palace has ever come to know. Plus, it’s evocative and meaningful lyricism can either reel you into the action without putting up a fight or hit you in the feelers enough times until catharsis breaks free. It’s a wild musical ride worth taking; satisfaction to your ears guaranteed.
But this one’s still not without its qualms and most that I find lies in the book by David Hornsby and Chris Hoch. Their character work, especially for an adaptation, is superb, and this plot certainly moves with stakes raised aplenty, but I found it to have quite its share of pacing problems, especially in its final scenes (though, without giving anything away there, what else can you do?). A few moments felt unclear could use a little scrubbing with the clarity sponge (i.e. when after several characters jump off a bridge and fly through the air (side note: aerial choreography included and not worthwhile), are we in the air or in the mind of the lead?), and the placement of songs throughout was extremely back to back to back; as if every scene had one song in it, and that could make one easily question whether one was needed there or not even if the score was a banger. The first act felt imbalanced with what felt like way too much exposition, and if you’re not paying close attention, you might miss something that could be useful later. But the second act finally gave it its groove. It felt centered and pinpointed exactly what was at stake for everyone. Hopefully they can get a fair deal of it cleaned up before opening because it’s not a weak book; it just needs some polishing and maybe a little chopping around the edges.
And where would this one be without a cast of youth and adults that could put any cast of “Spring Awakening” to shame (excluding the Deaf West production of course). LJ Benet makes quite the wave in his Broadway leading man debut; seamlessly making his character’s journey from start to end with a talent of conjuring multi-dimensional internal life and a soaring rock tenor. Shoshana Bean pops off as always with that powerhouse belt and a brilliant balance of nurture and free will that can only be found in any mother figure she touches. Benjamin Pajak is comedy gold as the nerdy little brother you both want in your life and can’t stand to have. It’s such a joy to see him go through the motions only vampires haunting a town can give him to finally come around have a joyful “man up” musical moment. Ali Louis Bourzgui: rock on, man! Rock. On. He’s precise, wickedly measured, snakelike, evilly charming, and just as strong a voice as ever since debuting in “Tommy.” His use of objective and tactics passes the visibility test with flying colors, even if we can’t know exactly what he’s got in mind on his end, and that makes it even more thrilling when watching him. And to wrap it up, Maria Wirries may not be playing Elphaba here, but she certainly is going on the journey of one in her performance. That’s a character arc worth remembering when it comes to all that she’s put into it, and with a voice that can break the sound barrier with beauty and raw emotion, she can’t possibly lose that grasp she has on the house.
So, has the vampire curse in musicals been broken now? The only way to tell is through time, more official critics, and awards season in May and June, but I think “The Lost Boys” will be able to hold on to the Broadway stage for a much longer time than it’s vampire predecessors. It has the feel of “The Outsiders” but with much more grit and, well, blood. And if audiences were quick to embrace the 2024 best musical winner, they will certainly embrace this one, flaws and all.
