Tony nominee Ali Louis Bourzgui opens up about bringing David to life in “The Lost Boys,” learning to fly onstage, and the close bond shared by the cast of Broadway’s vampire musical.

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When I first saw The Lost Boys in previews, I was instantly drawn to Ali’s portrayal of David — charismatic and unsettling, and absolutely impossible to look away from.

Celebrating the show's 12 Tony nominations, including Ali's nod for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, we sat down to talk about originating the role, learning to fly, and what the nomination means to him. 

Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Ali: It's been a really cool process. Usually, I'm hopping into a show that already exists, and I don't necessarily get to be part of the writing process. The workshop we did last winter was all about bringing everybody into a room and figuring out what the show wanted to be. It was all about crafting the script and shaping the tone, because the movie is a mix of rock energy, horror, and campy comedy. We had to figure out how to translate that onstage. 

It was very cool to be there from the beginning and see the script completely transform. When I first started, David was a pretty small character. I got to work with the writers to develop the character and find more moments to show his humanity, so he wasn't just a two-dimensional villain on paper. Our writers have been so generous, and the whole process has been super collaborative. Michael Arden, our brilliant director, had a great vision.

Ali: I did a show, We Live in Cairo, off-Broadway last fall, and it was a similar experience because it was a brand new musical. We would get full new scenes that day and perform them that night.

There’s a roller coaster thrill to going onstage with the words barely in your head and thinking, "Let’s see how this goes." There's something freeing about it being a new show. No one necessarily knows the lines or what it has to be. If you mess up in previews and you forget the new scene, you can just start improvising. 

One of the cool things is that there were times we messed up and accidentally said something that just flowed naturally. Every once in a while, the writers would be like, "I actually like that. Let's keep that!"

Ali: Thank you so much. I was sitting right here at my kitchen table, just where I am now, on my laptop. My partner, Tassy, and I were watching, and I think my category was one of the last to be announced. 

I was so proud watching my friends from the show get nominated. But in the back of my head, I knew my category was coming up, and I just kept getting more and more nervous.

I still haven't been able to fully take it in. I have a hard time processing personal wins, but I've been thinking about the communities I have here and at home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where I grew up. I think about being 12 years old and getting into theater, and all of the teachers in high school that supported me. There was an entire community in college that pushed me to keep going.

I am only here, and this performance only exists because of the tireless work and support of hundreds of people in my life. I'm so proud of all the creatives, and Shoshana [Bean] and everyone else that got nominated on the show.

Ali: What's great is that we had a lot of time to train before actually doing performances. I've been flying for almost a year now, because we started last summer. Even during the previews, when there were so many other things in my head, I didn't have to think about the flying. That was already locked into my body. 

We have this awesome training studio out in Williamsburg, and we were absolute newbies when we first started. (Laughs) I was so mad the first week, because I looked so stupid. It's really hard to make it look cool and natural. You have to figure out how to move from your hips and core, which is very difficult. 

Now we're so used to it, and there are genuine moments when I look around at my fellow actors and don't see their wires, because the lighting is so effective. I forget mine are there sometimes. Every once in a while, I'm like, "Oh my God, we're flying!" I actually feel like I'm flying. It's pretty amazing. 

Also, props to our team backstage, who triple-check our harnesses and wires, and have all these safety protocols. In that way, I don't have to worry about the safety of my harness being correct or a wire popping out.

Ali: There's an immediate spot I think of. It's at the end of the first act, and it's an a cappella anthem. I sing this song that starts with, "This world's a cold place, isn't it? It chills you to the bone..." 

It's one of the very few moments where David is just being brutally honest and actually opening up that he is so insanely lonely. He's telling Michael, "You can join us, and we will be honest with you from here on out," which we know is not true. 

The music is so haunting, and it feels like there's something ancient about it. It has this almost vampiric power, and The Rescues orchestrated this huge sweeping string section. 

The cast is also singing backstage along with us through the monitors. Even though they’re not onstage, everyone stops to sing together in one voice.

Ali: This is such a great group of people, so that natural chemistry was not hard to build. When it comes to L.J., Maria [Wirries], who plays Star, and I were called in to watch his final callback. I remember he walked into the room with this amazing confidence. 

L.J. did his scenes and sang "Belong to Someone." The entire time, Maria and I were just looking at each other, thinking, "I can't believe this guy is real." He's a once-in-a-lifetime talent. He's my bud. We really get along offstage. Our dressing rooms are right next to each other, too.

The other Lost Boys and I also get along so well. We've gotten to hang out for a long time because we were all in the workshop together. So I've known them for a while, and I've had them over at my apartment. We're best friends.

Shoshana [Bean] is directly across the way from our dressing rooms, and she's always checking in on me. She got me an entire banana bread the other week. Paul Alexander Nolan is my hero, so working with him has been the best. Maria is just the sweetest person ever, and the most insane voice on Broadway. Benjamin Pajak, Miguel Gil, and Jennifer Duka are amazing. It's a really good group.

Ali: In many ways, David represents the people of the world who promise you a place to belong and take advantage of the loneliness in our culture right now. With phones, social media, and COVID, we have all these things that kind of isolate us, especially the younger generation. There are a lot of people out there trying to take advantage of that. 

David also represents the oppressors of the world and the people that want to take away your spark or individualism. He's a warning that if you're going to make a chosen family and you're going to find a place to belong, make sure that place accepts you for exactly who you are. 

At the same time, he's a victim of this. He's so lonely — he also wants a family and to belong to someone. He has so much trauma, and instead of allowing himself to be loved, he's gonna manipulate people and force an idea of family around him, until he realizes that isn't possible.

(Laughs) I feel for the guy, but he is a psychopath and a murderer, so you can't give him too much forgiveness.

- Director Michael Arden on bringing the show to life.