Ali Louis Bourzgui on The Lost Boys: 'We're Doing Things You've Never Seen on Stage'

Singing vampires have had a tough time on Broadway, but Ali Louis Bourzgui is changing the narrative on creatures of the night with his irresistibly seductive performance in The Lost Boys. As David, a charismatic rock band leader with a seriously stylish blond mullet, Bourzgui sets his sights on Michael (LJ Benet), a new teen in town. This musical adaptation of the hit 1987 horror comedy examines the many meanings of family with spectacular stagecraft and powerhouse vocals by Bourzgui, Benet and an ensemble that includes Tony nominee Shoshana Bean as a single mom to Michael and his brother, Sam.

At 26, Bourzgui already boasts a stellar stage resume, having leaped from national tours of Company and The Band’s Visit to the title role in the 2024 Broadway revival of The Who’s Tommy. From there, he co-starred in the off-Broadway play We Live in Cairo and spent the summer of 2025 as Orpheus in Hadestown. Away from the theater, he has released a concept album, "Becomes a Home," as half of the band Resident Lightweight. A week into previews, Bourzgui removed David’s fangs to talk about his delight at being part of this new musical.

There are a ton of breathtaking moments happening on the Palace Theatre’s big stage, and you are in the thick of it.
It’s a crazy ride, between the stunt work and the singing and the flying—it’s everything.

Beyond the spectacle, how have the show’s creators grounded this vampire story in reality?
[Previous] vampire musicals focused heavily on the vampires, but this one is more about using vampires as a tool to look at the characters’ humanity. At the center of the story is a family that has experienced a lot of hardship, and over the course of the show, they learn that they don’t have forever—that it’s important to hold on to each other and accept each other. Meanwhile, the vampires are the opposite: We try to force love and conformity in order to create a family based on a lie.

What excited you about the role of David, and how did you envision the character?
I’ve wanted to play a villain for a while. My first love of villains was from doing Shakespeare—the villains are written so intricately, and there’s something so interesting about the challenge of finding what makes them vulnerable; what they’re scared of; what they’re running from. I enjoy the process of creating a person who has a ton of layers. Also, how could you not want to step into the boots Kiefer Sutherland created in the movie? The character is so cool.

You have one of the best wigs on Broadway, designed by David Brian Brown. Does that help in creating David?
The minute I put it on, I feel like a different person. It sets you in the era, but also, I think David is hiding behind his hair. Deep inside, he’s a hurt individual who is running from himself, so his extravagant costume and glam-rock look is actually him hiding his true nature, even from himself.

Do you mind being unrecognizable?
I think it’s great. I actively try to be transformational in the things I do. I’ve always wanted to be a character actor and not have to play a version of myself in everything; I love switching up emotions and energies. I’m also a pretty shy person in my day-to-day life, so I don’t mind not being recognizable once I leave the building.

The show wouldn’t work without good chemistry between you and LJ Benet as David’s prey, Michael. How did you two accomplish that?
We didn’t have to work too hard. LJ is amazing, so confident and talented and such a lovely person. This is one of the most electric debuts to hit Broadway, and I think he deserves the world. David has gotten to the point where he’s searching for anything he finds beautiful, and he sees himself in Michael, this wounded individual who instead of taking power into his hands is letting the world kick him around. David spent a lot of his life that way, too, but he became a power-hungry individual who kicks the world back.

What do you love about this new musical score by The Rescues?
From the very beginning, when I heard the first couple of songs, I thought, “Please, please let me be a part of this.” They’ve written in a bunch of different styles. Some of the sounds are directly in that '80s energy, but some sound like '90s grunge rock, and there are a lot of intricate choral harmonies.

At one point, you and your vampire posse sound like you’re singing a cappella.
We are! There’s something almost Gregorian about it, which is so cool, like we’re singing from our ancient souls. The Rescues have done TV and film scoring, so we have eight string players in the orchestra, with sweeping orchestrations that sometimes sound like a blockbuster movie, and we’re doing things on stage that you’ve probably only seen in a movie. I won’t tease too much, but there are some elements never seen before in live theater.

The preview audiences skew young, which must be fun for all of you.
It’s everything we can hope for. I have younger cousins, and one of my goals is to help make theater accessible to young people; I don’t want the art form to die in my lifetime. I was part of the last generation who didn’t have smartphones as kids, and it’s awesome to see younger people experience something where they’re deeply present for a couple of hours, not numbing their brains on their phones. People are becoming so individualistic, and theater is one of the cures for that. It’s a community.

You’ve starred in a revival of The Who’s Tommy and stepped into Hadestown, a hit show. What’s fun about creating a role in a new musical?
Just the process of watching something shifting in real time. As I’m talking to you, I’m walking to the theater, and we’re going to put in a whole new ending, which is thrilling. I love to see people who are good at what they do, learning from the audience how to make the show better. In my own life, I write music, and my favorite part of the process is making the thing. Performing is fun, too, but there’s nothing more fun than the process.

Why is it important to keep writing and performing your own music? Who are your musical inspirations?
I started writing music because it was my way of journaling, especially when I was on tour. I was unclear about what “home” was, living out of a suitcase, and I started writing songs about that feeling. I found that I loved writing—it’s something I have complete creative control over, and it brings me a lot of peace. Nick Drake’s music has always been very influential, Madison Cunningham, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor—the folk singer/songwriters who speak from the heart. I’m also inspired by Moroccan culture, my dad’s side of the family, and the Eastern songs I grew up listening to. When I’m not performing, I spend most of my time listening to music. I have my vinyl records up on the wall of my dressing room, and when I get to the theater, the first thing I do is pop one on.

Most of the musicals you’ve done have had a contemporary or rock sound. Which old-school piece of musical theater appeals to you?
It would be lovely to take on Carousel at some point. I’ve always loved that show, and it’s one of the great baritone roles of all time. Also, Singin’ in the Rain is my favorite movie. I’m a big Gene Kelly fan, so it would be fun to step into that show. I’d have to take some pretty serious tap lessons first!

This is your third big role in a Broadway musical since graduating from college five years ago. I’m sure you realize how rare that is.
It really is amazing, and I practice gratitude for it every day. I auditioned for the national tour of The Band’s Visit a month after graduation, and [director] David Cromer and [casting director] Peter Van Dam took this random chance on me. I was absolutely nobody, but I was able to build a web of connections from there. It’s about working hard and proving that when I am in a room, I’m going to give it my all—and it’s also about kindness, which can be rare. I try to give out kindness and warmth, and I find that it comes back tenfold. I feel very lucky.

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