Tony-Nominated Broadway Original
Broadway's Ali Louis Bourzgui Lands Tony Nomination for Flying Vampire Role in 'Lost Boys'
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Ali Louis Bourzgui, 26, has earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in *The Lost Boys* on Broadway. He plays David, a charismatic vampire who leads a rock band — a character built entirely for the stage, with no film counterpart to copy. Broadway News reports the show landed 12 total Tony nominations, making it one of the season's most-nominated productions.
The role requires Bourzgui to sing while flying through the air above the Palace Theatre stage. He trained for six months to pull it off. "I really went for it in terms of giant, bold choices and kind of being a little crazy on stage," he told Broadway News. "Taking that big swing clearly was successful."
A Vampire Leader Built From Scratch on Broadway
*The Lost Boys* is based on Joel Schumacher's 1987 cult horror film. But David, the vampire rock-band leader Bourzgui plays, is a Broadway original. The character was created specifically for the stage. That gave Bourzgui rare creative freedom — no iconic movie performance to measure up against, according to Broadway Direct.
Critics have compared his performance to David Bowie and Billy Idol. The Washington Post called his stage presence "hypnotic" and named *The Lost Boys* "the best new musical of the season." Bourzgui previously starred in the 2024 revival of *The Who's Tommy* and in *Hadestown*, but this role marks a clear shift — from young hero to glam-rock villain.
Six Months of Training to Sing While Flying
The flying sequences in *The Lost Boys* are not simple wire stunts. Aerial designers Billy Mulholland and Gwyneth Larsen built a system that lets vampires hover and swoop across multiple levels of the stage. The Palace Theatre's tall fly space made it possible, according to Mashable. Bourzgui spent six months learning to perform full songs while airborne.
Director Michael Arden, a two-time Tony winner, pushed for the spectacle to live on stage rather than in pre-show marketing. "We made the choice early on that we wanted the money to end up on stage," Arden told BroadwayWorld. The production skipped a regional out-of-town tryout entirely, going straight to Broadway with 30 preview performances to lock in its complex technical cues.
Breaking Broadway's Long Vampire Curse
Broadway has a rough history with vampire musicals. *Dance of the Vampires* flopped in 2002. Elton John's *Lestat* failed in 2006. Producers of *The Lost Boys* knew the history and leaned into a hard rock sound to avoid the gothic camp that sank those earlier shows, according to Broadway News. The gamble appears to have worked.
It took producers Patrick Wilson, James Carpinello, and Marcus Chait 25 years to secure the stage rights from Warner Bros. Kiefer Sutherland — a star of the original film — secretly attended the first preview and was "blown away," later joining as a co-producer, Deadline reported. The show opened April 26, 2026 at the newly reopened Palace Theatre.
Tony Night Ahead and a Career on the Rise
The 79th Annual Tony Awards are set for June 7, 2026, at Radio City Music Hall. The ceremony is hosted by P!nk. Bourzgui is competing for Best Featured Actor in a Musical at just 26 years old. Broadway Direct notes his nomination puts him in a rare group of young performers capable of leading a 12-nomination Broadway production.
The show's future looks strong regardless of Tony night results. Producers have already announced a North American tour launching in Spring 2028, starting at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, according to The Recs. Not everyone is sold — *The Guardian* called the show lacking "Broadway bite" — but the box office and nomination count tell a different story.
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