Ali Louis Borzgui, who previously played Orpheus in ‘Hadestown,’ is leaning into ’80s rock and Billy Idol vibes for ‘The Lost Boys’ musical.
Before that, vampires really came for your neck. Two iconic bloodsuckers from the ’80s take the cake here: Severen from Near Dark and David from The Lost Boys, both of whom prowled onto our screens in 1987. If you’re anything like me, bleach-blonde Kiefer Sutherland’s menacing leer and sadistic tendencies put the fear of God in you. And now, almost 40 years later, a new David emerges to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
Ali Louis Borzgui, who previously played Orpheus in Hadestown, will now play the bad-boy vampire dragging you to hell in The Lost Boys Musical. And sneak peeks of his performance aside, Borzgui has already proven that he’s got the grit and tenacity to be the fiercest vampire in Santa Carla.
When he first auditioned for David, Borzgui actually got a callback for Michael (originally played by Jason Patric and now played by LJ Benet) instead. “Day to day, I kind of have a sweeter demeanor and I play a lot of good guys,” Borzgui told me over video call.
Still, he was set on playing David. “I genuinely asked and begged,” he said. “I just had such an inclination and a draw to this guy.” When he first auditioned for the role, he hadn’t seen The Lost Boys yet. But between callbacks, Borzgui finally watched the film. “I became immediately obsessed and was angry that I hadn’t seen it before then.”
Once he got the role and the final cast had gathered to workshop their characters, Borzgui’s softer disposition emerged as an asset when playing David — not a weakness.
“It’s just more fun to me… to find the humanity in what could just be like a two-dimensional comic villain, you know? Finding the vulnerability in someone that you know at face value is seen as, like, a bad person,” he explained.
There are a few fresh elements of the Lost Boys musical that set it apart from the 1987 film. Borzgui mentions that the perspectives of Star (Maria Wirries) and the other Lost Boys are more fleshed out, for example. Another factor of this new iteration is that these Lost Boys are in a rock band.
The music for the Lost Boys musical was written by California rock band The Rescues. (Their songs have already been the soundtrack of your life if you were big on Grey’s Anatomy or Pretty Little Liars.) Likewise, the Tony-nominated music supervisor for the musical, Ethan Popp, has a long list of rock chops.
Along with School of Rock, Popp’s resume includes bringing Phil Collins’ drums to Broadway via Tarzan, honoring the Queen of Rock ‘N’ Roll through Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, and going full 80s glam metal by showcasing Whitesnake, Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, Styx, and Poison in Rock of Ages.
To tap into his inner old-school rockstar, Borzgui has been mainlining all the music that was big in the ’80s. “I think the original character of David was always based on Billy Idol. For the musical, we’re leaning into that even further,” Borzgui said. “Pretty much every single one of my costumes is based on a very specific Billy Idol look. I love them.”
Along with Generation X and Idol’s solo projects, Borzgui has also been listening to David Bowie — who was once himself a vampire in 80s horror flick The Hunger. “I’ve been listening to The Doors and some Van Morrison, just because a lot of David’s songs sort of lean into that world,” he said. Borzgui also mentioned a tinge of ’90s grunge in his mix, name-dropping Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots. “I’ve also been listening to the original soundtrack of the Lost Boys movie, so ‘Cry Little Sister’ is in my head every day,” he added.
Still, Borzgui didn’t just want to just immerse himself in ’80s rock: He wanted to fully embody the vampire mindset. So, along with Duran Duran, Borzgui has been listening to cello music, too. “I assume he grew up in the early 1900s. I’ve been listening to things that he might have heard before he got into the rock space,” he said.
“If you’re playing someone that’s immortal, it’s a hard thing to tap into, especially if you’re someone in your 20s,” he confessed. “I’ve been trying to really make him a full, three-dimensional character — thinking about the entire life he’s lived up until this point, the pain he’s gone through, the trauma he holds, the reason he’s, grasping on to life with all he’s got.”
But ultimately, Borzgui emphasizes, the show is more than the spectacle of ’80s rock and the fun fear that comes with being terrorized by vampires.
“We’re looking at two different families: How people can either force family, or become part of a family that is genuinely based on love, acceptance and wanting everyone around you to be their authentic selves,” he said of The Lost Boys Musical. “There’s real belonging and fake belonging. So we take a good look at that, while also being funny and crazy… There’s a little something for everybody.”
The Lost Boys musical started previews on Broadway at the Palace Theatre on March 27. Opening night is April 26.
