Broadway shows have been around for many, many years. They still continue to create brand new musicals. The newest Broadway show that has come out is “The Lost Boys: A New Musical”. This musical is based on a 1987 film “The Lost Boys”. There were so many extraordinary components that went into this incredible show. Smoke Signals’ Carter Johnston, Vivi Anne Lane, Raegan McCormick, and Levi Ross are here to share their thoughts after watching the show on its sixth preview night.
PLOT: Vivi Anne
“The Lost Boys” is a Broadway musical adaptation of the 1987 film about a mom and her two sons who move to Santa Carla, California. Following the move, brothers Michael and Sam soon uncover the secrets of their new town. They come to learn that Santa Carla is home to a gang of teenage vampires. In the musical adaptation, the vampires are portrayed as a rock band. This brings the show to life and brings new levels of excitement to the theater. As Michael searches for belonging, he falls in with the rock band, and Sam works hard to save his brother from his new friends.
MUSIC: Raegan
“The Lost Boys” is unique, entertaining, and innovative. In “The Lost Boys”, all of the music was written by a Los Angeles-based trio of singer/songwriters called The Rescues. Previously, The Rescues have had music in different movies and TV shows throughout the years, one example being Grey’s Anatomy. The Rescues’ music style mixes indie-pop and rock, and their songs often have multiple harmonies and powerful moving melody lines. This allows “The Lost Boys” soundtrack to be filled with a variety of heartfelt ballads and harmony-driven rock songs, combining a multitude of music genres in just one show. Plus, there are actors portraying a band, so part of the blocking for the show has actors “playing” the songs on stage. This gives the effect that the audience is watching a live band performance while scenes happen simultaneously on stage.
CASTING: Carter
When seeing that a new Broadway musical is opening, the first thing that people look at is the cast. This is the deciding factor on whether or not people want to come. The casting for “The Lost Boys” was spot on. The mix between Broadway veterans like Paul Alexander Nolan and Shoshana Bean, and the amazing amount of Broadway debuts like Jennifer Duka and Dean Maupin was perfect. This incredibly well balanced cast brings a depth to the show like I have never seen. They all seem so connected, as though they have performed over a million shows together. They mesh so well and it truly breathes life into this new show. Along with showcasing some of the best vocal talent you can find on Broadway right now, every single person in the cast is portraying their role with such intensity and complexity. A huge round of applause to the casting team for this show.
SET DESIGN: Levi
I have seen many set deigns in my days of watching shows that my brother has been in. No set design has matched the beauty of the one used in this masterpiece. It is absolutely incredible. The set was designed to feature a lot of 1980s Californian aesthetics in every scene. There were three main scenes that they switched between. These scenes were the Emerson’s House, the vampire lair, and the pier. The Emerson’s house consisted of two floors. The main level had the living area, kitchen, and the dining room. Upstairs you have Sam and Micheal’s bedroom along with a bathroom. The bedroom is lowered down from the ceiling. Next, there is the vampire lair. This set scene gives the vibe of an underground hideout. They have harnesses that they use to lift characters in the air and they are used as good stage decor, looking like large chains to give an eerie vibe. The final scene is the pier. The pier has the carnival, an under the pier area, and then the big “Welcome To Santa Carla” sign. The Palace Theatre is where this show takes place. The stage was built with mechanics that allow the stage to open up in certain places. This allows for really cool, “falling” acts and really quick set changes. The set Design for “The Lost Boys” is one of the best I’ve ever seen.
