The Lost Boys: A New Musical — Complete Broadway 2026 Guide | Palace Theatre Cast & Songs
Become One of Us.
The Lost Boys
A New Musical • World Premiere • Broadway 2026
Directed by Michael Arden (Tony Award Winner) • Choreography by Lauren Yalango-Grant & Christopher Cree Grant
Music Supervision by Ethan Popp • Produced by James Carpinello, Marcus Chait & Patrick Wilson
Based on the 1987 Warner Bros. Film by Joel Schumacher
Become
One of Us.
The Lost Boys: A New Musical is a rock musical based on the 1987 cult classic horror-comedy film of the same name, directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Jason Patric, Corey Haim and Kiefer Sutherland. The musical features music and lyrics by indie pop/rock band The Rescues (Kyler England, AG Gonzalez and Gabriel Mann) and a book by David Hornsby (creator and star of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Chris Hoch (Broadway veteran of A Christmas Carol, War Paint and Amazing Grace).
The world premiere opens at Broadway’s Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway) on 27 March 2026, with an official opening night on 26 April 2026. Directed by two-time Tony Award winner Michael Arden (Maybe Happy Ending, Parade), the production stars Grammy winner and two-time Tony nominee Shoshana Bean as Lucy Emerson and Ali Louis Bourzgui (Tommy, Hadestown) as the vampire leader David. The Palace Theatre — which reopened in 2024 following a major renovation — was most recently home to Beetlejuice before The Lost Boys arrived.
Background
& Development
The 1987 Film — The Cult Classic Source
The musical is based on the 1987 Warner Bros. comedy horror film The Lost Boys, directed by Joel Schumacher with a story by James Jeremias and Janice Roberta Fischer. The film starred Jason Patric (Michael), Corey Haim (Sam), Kiefer Sutherland (David), Dianne Wiest (Lucy), Barnard Hughes (Grandpa), Jason Newlander (Alan Frog), Corey Feldman (Edgar Frog) and Jami Gertz (Star). Set in the fictional California coastal town of Santa Carla — a thinly veiled version of Santa Cruz — the film blended MTV-era rock music, beach-town atmosphere and genuinely frightening vampire mythology with teen comedy. Its soundtrack, featuring Echo and the Bunnymen, INXS and the now-iconic saxophone performance of “I Still Believe” by Tim Cappello, became as famous as the film itself. The movie grossed over $32 million and became one of the defining cult films of the 1980s. The show is dedicated to the memory of Corey Haim, who died in 2010.
Securing the Rights — A COVID-Era Breakthrough
Producers Patrick Wilson (actor known for Aquaman, The Conjuring series), James Carpinello and Marcus Chait had long-standing difficulties securing the stage rights for The Lost Boys from Warner Bros. It was the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 that finally gave the team the time needed to negotiate and develop their vision: “We had a lot of time to Zoom, a lot of time to meet with masks and talk about how we bring vampires to life.” The fact that actor Patrick Wilson — himself a producer on the project — knew the Hollywood landscape well helped navigate the complexities of adapting a beloved Warner Bros. property.
The Rescues — Music for a Vampire World
Director Michael Arden suggested The Rescues as the musical’s composers and lyricists. Formed in Los Angeles, The Rescues are an indie pop/rock band known for their lush vocal harmonies and cinematic pop-rock sound — consisting of Kyler England, Adrianne “AG” Gonzalez and Gabriel Mann. The producing team reached out to the band at a concert in 2021. Their original score for the show pulses with ’80s-influenced rock energy and gothic style, creating a soundscape that honours the film’s iconic soundtrack while standing entirely on its own. On 14 October 2025, the first single from the show — “Have to Have You” featuring Slash (Guns N’ Roses) — was released with a music video. A subsequent EP, The Santa Carla Sessions, was released on Halloween 2025. Songs already revealed include “Belong to Someone,” “Have to Have You” and “If We Make It Through the Night.”
Michael Arden — The Director Who Brings the Night to Life
Two-time Tony Award winner Michael Arden directs — previously celebrated for his direction of Parade (2023 Tony for Best Direction of a Musical) and Maybe Happy Ending (2025 Tony for Best Direction of a Musical). Arden is himself an actor of note: he appeared on Broadway in Deaf West’s Spring Awakening (which he also directed) and Big Fish. His casting of Sean Grandillo (Dwayne) mirrors their earlier collaboration — Grandillo appeared in Arden’s Spring Awakening revival. The musical also features choreography by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant (both from Arden’s Parade) and music supervision by two-time Tony nominee Ethan Popp (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical).
Industry Presentation — March 2025
An industry-only presentation of The Lost Boys was held on 14 March 2025, giving producers, agents and casting directors a preview of the show’s direction and material. The presentation was followed by the announcement of the full Broadway cast in October 2025, with Shoshana Bean joining the company in December 2025 following the exit of originally cast Caissie Levy, who stepped down due to the extension of her run in Ragtime and to spend more time with her family.
The Story —
Welcome to
Santa Carla
A Family in Desperate Need of a Fresh Start
In the 1980s, Lucy Emerson and her two teenage sons move to the fictional coastal California town of Santa Carla in desperate need of a fresh start. Santa Carla is superficially idyllic — perfect weather, beautiful beaches, a charming boardwalk — but something is very wrong: missing-person posters cover every surface. While Lucy tries to piece her family’s life back together, her older son Michael keeps pulling away in search of belonging and freedom. He finds what feels like a tribe when he falls in with a local rock band and its charismatic, magnetic leader — David.
Michael and David — The Seduction of Darkness
Michael is immediately drawn to David and his gang — Marko, Dwayne and Paul — who move through Santa Carla with an aura of anarchic eternal youth. He is also powerfully attracted to Star, a conflicted half-vampire who is herself caught between two worlds. As Michael grows closer to David and his gang, he begins to change — becoming more reckless, staying out until dawn, sleeping through the day. Meanwhile, his younger brother Sam has discovered the truth through the town’s obsessive vampire-hunter brothers, Alan and Edgar Frog: when night falls, Michael’s new friends are vampires.
Sam, the Frog Brothers and the Fight for Michael
Sam Emerson — funny, loyal and terrified — becomes the story’s great comic and emotional heart. Armed with the Frog brothers’ extensive (if amateur) vampire-hunting knowledge and their comic-book expertise, Sam must find a way to save Michael before the transformation becomes permanent. The show asks deeper questions too: what makes a person turn away from the light? What does belonging cost us? And can a family hold together when one of them is being seduced by something bigger than any of them? Lucy, meanwhile, has her own entanglement with a local man, Max, whose connection to the vampire world will prove to be the show’s final revelation.
Characters
& Broadway Cast
A protective, resourceful mother navigating loss, love and supernatural danger in a new town. Shoshana Bean — Grammy winner and two-time Tony nominee for Hell’s Kitchen — brings her extraordinary voice and dramatic power to the role. Bean joined in December 2025, replacing originally cast Caissie Levy. Bean is also known for Wicked and Waitress.
The charismatic, seductive leader of the Santa Carla vampire gang — embodying eternal youth and anarchic freedom. Originally played by Kiefer Sutherland in the film. Ali Louis Bourzgui was celebrated for his Tommy in the 2024 The Who’s Tommy revival and played Orpheus in the Tony-winning Hadestown. He is also a musician with his band Resident Lightweight.
Lucy’s older, rebellious teenage son — looking for freedom and belonging, who finds what appears to be his tribe when he falls in with David’s gang. His gradual transformation as he is drawn deeper into the vampire world is the show’s central dramatic arc. Originally played by Jason Patric in the film.
Michael’s younger brother — the first to realise the truth about their new friends. Funny, resourceful and deeply loyal to his family. Benjamin Pajak plays the role originally brought to life by the late, legendary Corey Haim. Pajak is deeply honoured to take on the role, per his own statement.
A beautiful, conflicted young woman who is herself caught between the human and vampire worlds — drawn to Michael but not fully belonging to David’s gang. Originally played by Jami Gertz in the film. The musical’s version of Star represents the show’s central question about the cost of belonging.
An affable local Santa Carla resident who becomes romantically interested in Lucy — and whose true connection to the vampire world is the story’s final revelation. Paul Alexander Nolan brings depth to the film’s most surprising character.
A conspiracy-obsessed sibling vampire hunter who recruits Sam into the fight. The Frog brothers provide much of the show’s dark comedy and are played as gender-swapped in this production — Jennifer Duka as Alan and Miguel Gil as Edgar. Originally played by Jason Newlander.
Alan’s brother and fellow self-styled vampire vanquisher. Originally played by Corey Feldman in the film. Edgar’s encyclopedic comic-book knowledge of vampires forms the show’s playful genre-awareness — the audience laughing at the Frog brothers while also depending on them to save the day.
David’s loyal gang of vampires: Marko (Brian Flores), Dwayne (Sean Grandillo — who previously appeared in Arden’s Spring Awakening) and Paul (Dean Maupin, making his Broadway debut as a singer-songwriter finishing his debut album). Together they form the show’s rock-band visual and sonic core.
Full Broadway Cast — Palace Theatre, 2026
| Character | Broadway Actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lucy Emerson | Shoshana Bean | Grammy winner, 2x Tony nominee (Hell’s Kitchen); joined Dec 2025 |
| David | Ali Louis Bourzgui | The Who’s Tommy, Hadestown; Theatre World Award winner |
| Michael Emerson | LJ Benet | Role originally played by Jason Patric in film |
| Sam Emerson | Benjamin Pajak | Role originally played by Corey Haim in film |
| Star | Maria Wirries | Role originally played by Jami Gertz in film |
| Max | Paul Alexander Nolan | Also appeared in Taboo Broadway |
| Alan Frog | Jennifer Duka | Gender-swapped from film’s Jason Newlander |
| Edgar Frog | Miguel Gil | Role originally played by Corey Feldman in film |
| Marko | Brian Flores | Previously toured as lead in national tour of Pippin |
| Dwayne | Sean Grandillo | Deaf West Spring Awakening with Arden; Oklahoma! national tour |
| Paul | Dean Maupin | Broadway debut; also a recording artist releasing debut album |
| Ensemble | Ryan Behan, Grace Capeless, Ben Crawford, Dominic Dorset, Carissa Gaughran, Ashley Jenkins, Liesie Kelly, Cameron Loyal, Pierre Marais, Mason Olshavsky, Hank Santos, Colin Trudell, DeLaney Westfall, Pierce Wheeler, Mateus Leite Cardoso | Full ensemble company |
Creative Team
| Role | Creative | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Director | Michael Arden | Tony Award winner — Maybe Happy Ending (2025), Parade (2023) |
| Music & Lyrics | The Rescues (Kyler England, AG Gonzalez, Gabriel Mann) | Los Angeles indie pop/rock band known for lush harmonies |
| Book | David Hornsby & Chris Hoch | Hornsby: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia; Hoch: A Christmas Carol, War Paint |
| Choreography | Lauren Yalango-Grant & Christopher Cree Grant | Parade (2023 Broadway revival) |
| Music Supervision | Ethan Popp | 2x Tony nominee — Tina: The Tina Turner Musical |
| Scenic Design | Dane Laffrey | Tony Award winner — Maybe Happy Ending |
| Costume Design | Ryan Park | |
| Lighting Design | Jen Schriever & Michael Arden | Schriever: A Strange Loop |
| Sound Design | Adam Fisher | Sunset Boulevard |
| Aerial Design | Gwyneth Larsen & Billy Mulholland | Breaking Surface |
| Hair & Wig Design | David Brian Brown | Major Broadway productions |
| Producers | James Carpinello, Marcus Chait & Patrick Wilson | Wilson: Aquaman, The Conjuring film franchise |
The Songs —
The Santa Carla
Sessions
The score of The Lost Boys: A New Musical is entirely original, written by indie pop/rock band The Rescues with orchestrations and arrangements by Ethan Popp and The Rescues. The music draws on ’80s rock and pop-rock influences to honour the iconic soundtrack of the original film while creating something entirely new. Several songs have been previewed ahead of the opening.
The Rescues — Who Are They?
The Rescues are a Los Angeles indie pop/rock band known for their lush vocal harmonies, cinematic production and emotional pop-rock sound. Formed in the late 2000s, the trio of Kyler England, Adrianne “AG” Gonzalez and Gabriel Mann built a following through their recordings and live performances — described by NPR’s Mountain Stage as bringing something both sophisticated and viscerally exciting to their music. Director Michael Arden spotted their potential as theatrical composers and suggested them to the producing team. After the production team saw them perform live in 2021, the partnership was formed. Their score for The Lost Boys is their first major theatrical work.
